Ethiopia – The Land of Origins (and Contrasts)

by Lizeth Du Preez (South Africa)

I didn't expect to find Ethiopia

The fog on the mountain comes and goes, just like pieces of candy floss being rip off in long strands by a hungry child. I find the quiet soothing, sitting down surrounded by the most fragrant herbs. I rub a twig of wild thyme between my fingers and inhale deeply, and I am sure I will associate this smell with this moment for the rest of my life. We are waiting patiently for them to make an appearance. They, whom are also known as the Bleeding Heart Monkeys, and can only be found high up in the Simien Massif. The local guide assures us we will encounter them, there are thousands in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this is one of their popular hang-out spots. Then we hear it! A strange screeching sound followed by deep guttural noises. Wobbling, it is called, and the Gelada-monkeys are the only primates which speech closely resembles humans. With lip-smacking, facial gestures, whilst producing a sound, they communicate away. One by one the dark spots get more and bigger, like creatures appearing through a time portal. We barely breathe, I am covered in goose-bumps, what a privilege. One can see they are used to humans. They saunter around us, yanking at bunches of green juicy mountain grass, stuffing their faces, whilst continuing with their morning gossip session. Long after they have left we are still sitting there, left speechless and in awe of this once in a lifetime moment. We look at each other with knowing we will never be the same after this trip. For in Ethiopia you will feel every kind of emotion. This country will make you feel a lot of things. Yes it is third world for sure, and very poor. But where else do you have a chance to walk in a town, rumored to house the real Arc of the Covenant, gaze down on a cross shaped church, cut into a rock formation or looking into the faces of beautiful women who might be the descendants of the fabled Queen of Sheba. I can see why Solomon was enthralled. We get up and walk back to our accommodation for the night, the Simien Mountain Lodge claims to be the highest Lodge in Africa, housing the highest Bar in Africa, where we are heading now. We gratefully accepts a small cup of the famous black brew of Ethiopia. Discovered in the Kaffa region, it gave the name to the liquid most of us cannot start our morning without. It is fascinating to watch a coffee ceremony. They take a lot of proud in the preparation, not only for farangis (foreigners), but for their families as well. It is a way of saying wait, sit, slow down, and how was your day so far? We can learn a lot from them, we all proclaim the latest movement of “living in the moment”, is the answer to happiness, but do we really observe it? Life for most of us is a rat race. I breathe in the rich aroma and promises myself that I will really try to create more of these moments for myself going forward. We are slowly thawing, it can get quite chilly 3,300m above sea level, even though it is October and seen as almost summer over the equator. Then our lips start smacking, relating our experiences of the morning, looking at each other’s photos to see whom was the closest to one of these only living members of the genus Theropithecus. By now we are the best of friends, 16 strangers who only met 5 days before. This is a challenging country to experience, you need people to rely on, to share your thoughts with, and to make sense of what you have seen so far. Whilst drinking some Habesha’s Cold Gold beer, we are eagerly discussing what is still waiting upon us the rest of this adventure. Tomorrow we are off to visit Gondar, the so-called Camelot of Africa, housing half a dozen 17th-century castles and palaces. And after that? Home! But I know I will be back…