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"I'm on the phone!" Ladies in the churchyard of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa.

Holy Trinity Cathedral - Addis Ababa

Addis was our last stop of the trip, but before we got there, we spent a day or so in Bahir Dar and an opportunity to see the Blue Nile Falls.


Approaching the falls...

Blue Nile Falls

Boys with goats, these kids were quite cute and lovely, but unfortunately the walk was spoilt somewhat by a constant stalking entourage of pestering youngsters and young men. Patience was stretched to the limit on occasion.

Blue Nile Falls

Swingy metal "rope" bridge on the way to the falls...

Blue Nile Falls

Keep walking, don't look down, keep walking, don't look down... NO! I AM NOT INTERESTED IN BUYING YOUR ANNOYING TOOTY FLUTE!

Blue Nile Falls

Keep walking, don't look down... oh shit...

Blue Nile Falls

Blue Nile Falls...

Blue Nile Falls

We'd been told to bring swimming trunks, but it transpired that the falls were too ferocious that day for swimming safely.

Blue Nile Falls

Which actually was lucky, as since a hydro-electric dam was built in 2003 the falls can be a bit weedy. Either we were on the right side of the recent rainy season or someone had left the tap on.

Blue Nile Falls

Ferryman above the falls.

Blue Nile Falls

Playing Pool!

Blue Nile Falls - playing pool

We took a boat across the source of the Blue Nile Lake Tana, to go to a monastery on an island, and by pure chance *cough* bumped into a fisherman in his papyrus reed boat.

Lake Tana reed boat - Bahir Dar

The church of one of the Monasteries on the Lake, in the classic circular shape favoured in Ethiopian church design.

Lake Tana monastery - Bahir Dar

There's always drums in the churches...

Lake Tana monastery - Bahir Dar

Lots of gorgeous paintings inside...

Bahir Dar monastery

...many of them laid out almost like a comic book...

Bahir Dar monastery

Wait..WHUT?

Bahir Dar Monastery Painting

WHUT!!! There's a man having a poo!



Bahir Dar monastery

We asked the guide, and he told us it's a scene from a wedding where an unpleasant person set out to "spoil" the wedding. Taking a dump in front of the king would do that(!)

Of interest to the artists out there, it was intriguing to see unfinished(?) sketches, or possibly work in progress. It appeared to have been sketched out in charcoal.

Lake Tana monastery - Bahir Dar

Addis Ababa at last, the view from my hotel room.

View of Addis from hotel room.

Our first tourist stop was to go to the National Museum of Ethiopia to see Dinknesh, the "wondrous one" otherwise known as Australopithecus afarensis or Lucy for short. This primitive and ungainly hominid biped shown here - with a reconstruction of Lucy next to her.

Lucy reconstruction in Addis Ababa Museum

The original bones of Lucy, (possible ancestor of humans) estimated at 3.2 million years old.

Lucy in Addis Ababa Museum

A rather jolly female statue in the museum, labled as a fertility goddess, she seems rather more sedately dressed and dignified than your usual boobs-akimbo fertility goddess. A Queen perhaps? She looks like a charming grandmother.

Addis Ababa Museum

And suddenly, we appear to be in Spain. The Holy Trinity Cathedral,

Holy Trinity Cathedral - Addis Ababa

But we are still in Ethiopia...

Holy Trinity Cathedral - Addis Ababa

The tombs of Emperor Haile Selassie and his consort Empress Menen Asfaw. I can't remember who it was I was telling about Haile Selassie but they gave me a blank look. You must have heard of Haile Selassie? You know, the Rastafari movement? You've heard of Rastas? Surely?

Holy Trinity Cathedral - Addis Ababa

Holy Trinity churchyard... again, looking very European...

Holy Trinity Churchyard - Addis Ababa

Ok, it was looking European...

Holy Trinity Churchyard - Addis Ababa

The Tomb of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and Empress Taitu.

Tomb of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and Empress Taitu.

Tomb of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and Empress Taitu.

Drums, did I mention Ethiopian churches always have drums?

Tomb of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and Empress Taitu.

Most people don't know that Queen Victoria had a black twin sister...

Addis Ababa Museum

Actually, it's Empress Zewditu Menelik (Born 1876, ruled 1916-1930) Daughter and successor of Emperor Menelik, but the resemblance is uncanny!

St George's cathedral, back in the traditional circular shape after the aberration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

St. George's Cathedral - Addis

Sumptuous paintings, including images from the life of Haile Selassie.

St. George's Cathedral - Addis

Scenes from Addis Mercato - a gigantic, sprawling market covering several square miles. It got a bit intense in here, some of the streets very narrow.

Addis market

Incense stall, including frankincense, often burned as part of the famous Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.

Addis market - incense

Chickens! 100 birr each. (About 5 quid.)

Addis market

And a coffee stall!

Addis market - coffee

So that was Addis!
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