The afternoon flight, with Iberia, Madrid to Frankfurt, is pleasant.

At night, after an extremely slow check-in process, we embarked for Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines. Immediately after getting on the plane, one is shocked by a weird smell, a dense one indicating an overcrowded atmosphere that is no so usual within aeroplanes. As the rest, the flight runs smoothly.

The total price of the international flights, per person, return trip, from Madrid to Frankfurt, with Iberia, and then from Frankfurt to Addis Ababa, with Ethiopian Airlines, amounts 775 euros. I bought these tickets at Airmat, representative of Ethiopian Airlines in Spain, with the head office in Madrid (69, Diego de León Street, 4th floor - C; Tel. 34 + 91 4022718). There is also the possibility of buying the international flights from the website Ethiopian Airlines.

If the international flights are bought from Ethiopian Airlines, this company offers a special price in domestic flights. For that reason, I choose Ethiopian Airlines, although its rates are a bit higher than the ones of the other companies, due to the fact that we will be needing five domestic flights. The price of these domestic flights, per person, is up to 210 euros and I also bought them in Airmat. The itineraries, schedules and prices of the domestic flights can be given by Airmat office. Tickets for domestic flights can also be booked at Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Abeba (contact Person is Nega Weldy.

Furthermore, there is no need to pay the tickets in advance and it is possible to collect them at your arrival to the country.

We arrived at Addis Ababa at 9AM, with two hours delay. We applied for our visas at the airport and changed money. The rate is, approximately, 1 euro = 10 birr.

In the airport, wait for us Wondosen Meshesha, the owner of the agency from whom we have hired the 4x4 vehicle to travel eleven days towards the South, together with the driver, named Kalem. We have brought some T-shirts and several varieties of turrón (nougat) for them, as it will be soon Christmas. We have also brought Kalem a bag with items for toiletry.

The agreement with Wondosen Meshesha, to complete the program across the South, conceived by me, comprises only the car and a driver, who manages to show an intermediate level of English. We do not have hotel reservations. The price of the car, model 1997-1998, is of 150 dollars per day, with air conditioning (120 dollars without air conditioning) and includes fuel, insurance, items for the camps (tents, mattresses and kitchen items) and taxes. It does not include provision of sleeping bags, but since I tend to feel cold in the camps at night and I did not bring one, it is my travel mate who lends me one, since she is not so sensible to low temperatures by night. Air conditioning within the car is really useful, given that it is not advisable to open windows because of the dust outside, even though during the month of December temperature is around 25 ºC. My travel mate is wearing face masks that happen to be extremely practical, due to the existing dust. As a matter of fact, the period during which we travelled to Ethiopia is the most suitable for the whole of the country. As for mosquito nets in the southern Area, we will not need them in the tents when we will be camping, whereas hotels have them in the rooms.

I chose Wondo, in spite of being a bit more expensive than other agencies, following the recommendation given by the photographer Jordi Llorens in the Viatgeaddictes Ethiopia's guide (in Spanish), a very insisting one, and, besides, he recommended him to me personally. He was right, everything is perfect.

After formal procedures in the airport, we immediately undertook the journey on our way to the South. When leaving Addis, we bought some bread, rice, pasta and tomatoes. We had brought food cans directly from Madrid, which is not necessary, as they can be easily found within the country. However, I recommend buying some of these when leaving Addis, because in the camps of Mago National Park and of Murle there is nothing to buy. As for mineral water, in enormous quantities, we had have asked Wondo to buy for us.

The first stop is to visit Adadi Maryam, a rock-hewn church from the XII century, which does not turn out to be very interesting. The second stop is to see Tiya stelae, which are of interest, but limited to people who have a deep knowledge in them or extremely interested.

Our purpose was to spend the night at Dila, but it became late, due to the delay of the flight from Frankfurt to Addis, and we decide instead to spend the night in Awasa, near the lake. After a walk around the lake, we go to a restaurant in town, where the dinner is wonderful: a memorable fish soup together with an excellent fish as main course.

We leave at dawn, taking direction Dila to see Tutu Fella and Tutiti stelae. We went to the Tourism Office, where we buy tickets and are escorted, by a “compulsorily” guide from this office. The two stelae fields, in phallus forms, turn out to be very interesting. The landscape is charming, encircled by coffee plantations. The children are lovely and people very kind, tourism hardly arrives here. It is a very sweet morning.

We continue for five hours the route on our way to the south to go to Dublock and see the wells of the Borena Ethnic.

It is at 6 or 7AM when men water hundreds of goats and sheeps, handing each other the buckets in which they extract water from the wells and pour it in a circular water trough, while they sing to encourage one another in the effort. This is meant to be spectacular, but not at the time we were present there: 3PM in the month of December, when the weather is not particularly dry. We agree on a misunderstanding when they suggest they might put on scene a sort of representation of how it should be, but it is not worthwhile, since the place and technique employed is well apparent without any sort of representation. There are about eight wells around and we see one more, no representation this time.

We come back to Yabelo, one hour north of Dublock, where we spend the night in Yabelo Motel, which happens to be quite acceptable, at a price of 10 euros. The village of Yabelo, in itself, does not hold any interest for us.

We get up at dawn. We leave the asphalted road at Yabelo, and we will not see the asphalt again until the end of the eleventh day of our journey to the South. We drive to the east for six hours to go to Key Afar market, which takes place on Thursdays, and is one of the most terrific markets of the South.

When we access the village at around 1PM, we see a mass exodus of people, mainly of the Banna and Tsemay Ethnics, who leave the market, when it is supposed to be the busiest hour. We find out that the police have just dismantled it and are forwarding people to their villages, because, the previous night, in Dimeka, one hour from here, eight members of the same family deceased because of meningitis. They advise us not to get out of the car, but we do, because we are vaccinated.

After walking around for a while among locals (their dresses and garments are absolutely wonderful), we observe how they leave from Key Afar to their villages, some walking and others in trucks. We then continue our route for one hour and a half to the east, to reach Jinka.

We lodge in Jinka Resort Hotel, a nice place, with a large garden full of calm, at a price of 23 euros.

We are not completely certain about how many people died of meningitis, because the information is very confusing, but in the following days, in the dispensary of Turmi, we see that the whole population is vaccinated in a very appropriate way from the sanitarian point of view and in great order.

We get up very early. We leave Jinka and drive for 48 km to the west, to reach the heart of Mago National Park, where the Registration Office and the camp are to be found.

Today, all day long, an armed scout from the park escorts us as an obligation. The tracks are fine and dry, and this makes it easy to drive. It has to be said that our car is very good and Kalem, our driver, is an excellent one.

We have the intention of visiting the village of Omo Mursi to see the Mursi Ethnic, but the scout tells us that as it is the harvest period, the village is completely deserted at present. As an alternative, we tell him to take us to a village where the tourists do not go frequently. He decides that we will go 45 km to the north of the park, to the village of Hanna Mursi, to visit the Bodi Ethnic, a group comprising, at the present time, some five thousand people. We love the village, its tiny market and mainly the marvellous Bodi people, of an extreme beauty. It is a lovely experience.

On the road to Hanna Mursi we meet a Czech couple, who had come from the Mursi village of Haila Woha and they told us that this place was lacking in interest. We are very thankful for this information, although it is not in our plans to go there.

In the afternoon, on our way back to the camp, we stop in the Mursi village of Bella. The village is charming. Some women are crushing the millet and taking care of the children. I enjoy going alone for a walk around the village, as most people concentrate in crowds at the main point of access to the village, for the photos session, at a rate of two birrs per portrayed person, depending on how many times the person appears in a same picture.

We head to the camp. It begins to darken when we arrive at the place. Three tents are already installed. Kalem mounts ours. The surroundings of the camp are full of monkeys running through the park or up on the trees. We did have a wash in the river, in very cold water. My travel mate and Kalem cook some rice with tuna, which is good. We go to bed. From the time we left Madrid, I do not manage to sleep. It will not be until the night after, in Murle Camp, that I will get some sleep. In addition to that, I catch a terrible cold, which will not leave me until my return to Madrid, some weeks later, even though for up to three times it appeared to have diminished, only to come back with more force.

Early in the morning, we undertake a tour of Mago National Park in the 4x4 vehicle with the scout. There is not a lot of wildlife. The park in itself is not very interesting, if it were not for the visit to the villages of the Bodi and Mursi Ethnics.

We have breakfast and then drive for two hours until we leave Mago National Park. Our destination today is Murle Camp, in the bank of the Omo River. On the road, already outside of Mago National Park, we stop in a village of the Karo Ethnic, which is totally deserted. During the period of the harvest, people abandon the villages and move all, as in this case, or almost all, to the fields that are at a long distance from the villages. The village is phantasmagorical. Then, we stop in Duse, another village of the Karo Ethnic, similar to the previous one, though with some inhabitants present.

We arrive in the Murle Camp at midday. We are the only ones spending the night here. There are also some bungalows for hunters and groups, that come all organized from Addis, but today there is nobody and the bungalows cannot be used and the electricity does not work either. Everything belongs to a Greek man.

We take a shower in lukewarm natural water, what makes it a pleasant experience. A boy of the Karo Ethnic, 15 years old, Muda, who is in the elementary school in Turmi and has come to spend some days with his brother, worker in the camp, becomes our shade during the two following days. He catches two fishes from the Omo River for our dinner of that day.

In the afternoon, Muda takes us to his village, Kolcho, located spectacularly at a very high point, with the Omo River at its feet. Due to the harvest period, only some children together with some old or sick women are to be found in this village of the Karo Ethnic. Among them, we meet the first wife of Muda's father and greet her. We also meet the teacher of the village, a native of Arba Mich, who can speak a bit of English. He shows us the two school classrooms. Even in this small village, the possibility of attending school for the first cycle of primary education exists. The teacher makes a request to us of teaching items for the children, as well as of photographic camera for him. With certain discomfort, we do inquire Muda if Government supplies this kind of items for the Schools and he answers yes.

We come back to the camp. Again, my travel mate and Kalem prepare pasta with sauce and Muda’s fish, what happens to be a bit tasteless, maybe because it was not properly cooked. The silence and the darkness of the night are startling. All the stars in the Universe seem to have been given appointment in the sky of Murle and all can be seen, from very close, as if they were a part of you.

We abandon Murle Camp and drive then to the village of Kangate to visit the Bumi or Kangatan Ethnic. We parked our 4x4 vehicle at a large fenced esplanade up the hill and descend down to the river. The feeling of being far apart, in an unknown and unique territory is extraordinary. It is an image one would always want to keep alive in his soul.

From the other side of the river the brass boat arrives filled with sheep that are transported to the bank where we are for graze purposes. Once the sheep are out of the boat, we get on it and cross the Omo River. Immediately after, we walk up a very sheer hillside before we find ourselves in the village of Kangate.

From up here, the very same feeling of uniqueness, of being experiencing the living in a very remote time, of coming back many years, lingers. This is in my view the most impressive image of the South. We visit the village with the teacher, who speaks English. The architecture is beautiful.

Perhaps we are witnessing here the end of the existence of a very old world. All these Ethnic groups, all of which are very small, may - in ten years time - have changed forever their way of life and their homes, or perhaps in even less time, five years, as an old American couple, who we meet in Mago National Park Camp, forecasts to us. Suddenly, the history has stopped. The beauty and elegance of these Ethnic groups are so extreme, that you could even say they are harmful in a way. Girls, just wearing very simple fur sheep skirts, look like true nymphs.

The village has water, but the pump to take it up from the river has little power. The Government, they tell us in Arba Minch late after, has to contribute with a supplement of food.

Soon after we leave Kangate, our driver runs over a goat and kills it. The shepherd requests 800 birr (80 euros) from us, when we had been told previously in the village that the price is of 100 birr per head. The teacher, who is travelling with us on his request to give him a lift to Oromate, tries to mediate, but the custom of the Omo Valley, he explains to us, is that if an accident like this will occur, the owner has his opportunity and he takes advantage of it to get maximum compensation. After one hour discussion that leaves nowhere, taking into account that the driver has made an offer of 100 birr on his salary of 400 birr and the non-availability of any insurance, we resolve to put together 200 birr, in addition to the 100 birr offered from the driver and the matter is closed. Furthermore, the owner made the demand that he should keep the goat.

At midday, we are in Oromate, a place that keeps exactly the same relative position with the Omo River as Kangate. We use a wonderfully nice boat, this time a wooden one, very long and narrow, on which we cross the Omo River to see Up Oromate or Rate and visit the Ethnic group of Gable or Dasanech.

The children cross the river swimming, beside the boat, and when arriving to the bank they help us get off the boat and then walk up the sheer hillside to the village. The black and wet bodies of the children, sunbathed by the today’s burning sun, are images of infinite beauty. We go for a walk around the village. The small houses are composed of narrow brass pieces, a unique architecture to be found in the whole South.

We plan to sleep in Oromate, but when we see the place waiting for us, we decide rather to continue the journey and spend the night in Turmi. We are at Turmi Camp after driving 75 km. It is the first time in the journey that we meet about thirty foreign tourists. Until this point, we could hardly count any tourist that we crossed. We take this opportunity to have our clothes washed, since they are in very poor condition.

Muda, who came with us, takes us to visit his friend’s family, a boy, who finishes this year the secondary school. The level of life of this family is good. They have several houses. When we speak of houses here, we refer to a circular space built in mud about 12 square meters. In one of them the bread is being made, in another the mother is cooking and another is a living room with some wooden benches, where we sit down. The father offers us water with honey. Then, we go for a walk around the village of Turmi, which is the heart of the Hamer Ethnic.

We have inyera for dinner in the Tourist Restaurant. The inyera, the national Ethiopian dish, is a kind of crêpe or sour cake of about 50 cm of diameter. Under special circumstances, or rather when one can afford it, which is our case, there is the possibility of sprinkling it with tiny bits of lamb or sheep meat, together with a sauce. It is eaten making use of the hands, by using a piece of bread. I do not fancy the inyera, since I find it very sour, but I love the meat and the sauce with bread, when there is any. We also drink the national beer, which is of very good quality.

In the morning we go to the school together with Muda and a boy of his age, Aoita, who does small jobs in Turmi Camp. They introduce us to the Principal of their school, who is in the court speaking with some students. He asks us for items we may have brought for the school. We tell him that we have already distributed the pens and candies my travel mate brought from Spain to children we found all around the South. To this, he replies that he does not see the point for us to appear there. In reality, we just want to show our appreciation for Muda and Aiota. We then leave. After that, we go with the two boys to the dispensary, where they are vaccinated against meningitis.

The market of Turmi hardly takes place. The police let people meet in the market, but only the ones from the village, due to the problem of the meningitis. The Monday market of Turmi, together with the Thursdays of Key Afar and the Tuesdays and Saturdays of Dimeka, has the reputation of being the most fascinating and colorful of the South, because all the Ethnics of the area meet there and exchange their products.

After having strolled through the market, around 1PM we leave to another Ethnic Hamer village to see, in the afternoon, the bull jumping. This ceremony takes place when a young man wants to get married and he has been accepted by the elected young woman. Then, the family of the young woman selects a group of bulls. Once placed one next to other, the pretender will jump four times on them, two in one way and two in the contrary way, without falling. If he falls in some of the jumps, it is considered to be a bad omen for the future of the couple, which justifies temporary rejection of the bridegroom by the family of his intended bride. He will then have to wait for one more year until he can go through the same test again.

Before this ceremony, adult people leave to the outskirts of the village, to a place where there are some trees, which protect them from the sun. Then, the marriageable young men or maz seats on the shade, indifferent, with a stick in the hand and they are incited by the marriageable young women to be hit by them, on the naked back, with their sticks, and with the wounds caused by these and the bloodstained back, demonstrate to their pretenders their courage and love for them. I feel a great shame after having been a witness of this.

Then, we return to the village for the ceremony of the bull jumping, but this does not take place, because the young man who has to pass the test cannot arrive at the village.

We begin to feel the very strong pressure of children and boys, who request money and other things from us. Aoita is an exception. We begin to feel uncomfortable.

We leave Turmi very early and drive for six hours to reach the village of Konso, where the Ethnic group known by this name lives. Konso, in itself, it does not have any interest. We go to the Tourism Office, from where we are escorted the whole afternoon by an old local guide who is in too much of a hurry.

I don't know if it is an obligation being accompanied by someone. The Lonely Planet Guide points out that it is necessary to go to the Tourism Office to register and to be accompanied by a guide. In case it was not an obligation, my advice is not to take a guide with you. If it is an obligation, I advice you to try and make it clear exactly what you want to visit and indicate that the visit should not be time limited.

Sixteen kilometers away from Konso, we see the Pinnacles of Gesergio, which are very impressive. We also visit the village of Machekie, 9 km from Gesergio. Both the village and the houses are walled with trunks of trees. The architecture is very interesting. The village has several moras, kind of large wooden barns in the centre of the squares of the village where the single young men sleep. We also visit the village of Burgo, which is not included in the guides, but impresses us when crossing. It is a marvel similar to the village of Machekie, but more authentic. I recommend visiting the two villages, and if possible, some more, because there are about fourteen of those around Konso.

In the afternoon we reach Arba Minch. They are making an asphalted road and a length is already finished, which helps us to complete it in two and a half hours. We sleep wonderfully two nights in Bekele Mola Hotel. The rooms are great and calm cabins on the edge of the Chamo Lake. The price is 53 euros. We have dinner in town, a memorable fish soup, and as main course, a good fish. I do not recommend that you have dinner at the hotel.

We leave early with the intention of doing the safary tour with our 4x4 vehicle throughh the Nechisar National Park, which is ten minutes from the hotel. We are accompanied by a "compulsory" armed scout. We spend five hours in the park, which is a marvel, located between the Lakes Chamo and Abaya. From the point of view of the wildlife, it is the most interesting we visit, with enough zebras and gazelles. We can come very close on foot to the zebras. But, if the wildlife is interesting, the landscape is not less, I would say, spectacular, with the different views and perspectives of the two lakes. I advise not to miss it.

In the afternoon, we take a boat and we go for a tour around Lake Chamo and we see more wildlife: crocodiles, hippopotami, pelicans, etc. This tour is beautiful and pleasant to undertake, if there is time. The price is 15 euros per person (we are in two).

Then, we have a beer with Kalem and the son of the boat's owner, a very intelligent young man. We chat about the political, linguistic and economic situation within the South.

We leave Arba Minch and we go to the small village of Dorze. We buy scarves in different colours from the little girls who are knitting them beside the road. I also buy from them a kind of wooden boat, where they put the wool ball.

We visit the village. The architecture is a marvel. It is the most beautiful in the South. The houses consist of very high enormous structures made in the form of beehives. The arched roofs are covered with a kind of banana straw to form a dome.

Then, we go for a walk around the market, which takes place on Mondays and Thursdays. It is the most beautiful market we have seen and we will see. It happens on a huge flat esplanade with a slight inclination, to be found on the left of the village. On both sides of the market, all along it, there are plenty of small establishments where people eat and drink. To the end, in the prairie, donkeys graze.

I recommend not missing the visit to the village and the market of Dorze and, if it is not market day, it is still essential to go to Dorze to see this extraordinary village. The village of Chencha, Kalem tells us, is not that interesting, apart from its market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, which might be a good alternative in case it is not a market day in Dorze.

Afterwards, we leave for Sodo, where we spend the night. The town does not have any point of interest. In the restaurant of the hotel we meet a French man, Michel, a professor from the Island of Reunion who is in his way towards the Bale Mountains National Park, which I believe is very interesting.

We leave Sodo. We stop first at the Lake Abiata-Shala National Park to see a colony of flamencos, which is quite interesting, and later on at the Lake Langano, which I must say is not much worthwhile.

We eat on the way, so as to farewell Kalem, who complimented us with some beautiful scarves in white tones. We reach Nazret, which is not worthwhile, where we said good-bye to Kalem and split from him, because it is here where our journey through the South finishes. We stay in Nazret, instead of following the way to Addis with Kalem, because Nazret is a better place to catch the first bus for Harar the day after.

Now that I have done the journey through the South, I am of the view that the area can be visited by focusing on the places of real interest, and with this purpose in mind the best thing to do is to rent a car for four days in Arba Minch immediately after arriving, even do it before arriving. This could mean an important saving exercise in both time and money. If it is money the most important thing to save, a twelve hours bus can be caught from Addis to Arba Minch. Furthermore, the landscape you can see on your way from Addis to the South, either to Arba Minch or Yabelo, is not very interesting and four days are needed to complete the round trip itinerary.

The Tourism Office of Arba Minch (telephone: 251 468 812171 and fax: 251 468 813661) can help in hiring a 4x4 vehicle, with a driver, with a medium level of English, for 80 euros per day, with gasoline included, but without air conditioning, both for the Safari in the Nechisar National Park and the visit to Dorze, as for the trip to Turmi and Omo River. The same, the Bekele Mola Hotel of Arba Minch (telephone: 251 468 810046 and mobile: 251 0916 826456 of Behailu, an employee of the hotel, who speaks English), can fix the hiring of a 4x4 vehicle under the same mentioned conditions, but the price is about 130 or 140 euros per day.

Therefore, I suggest the following six days alternative itinerary to the South, catching a flight, round trip, from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch, and hiring a 4x4 vehicle in the South:

Day 1 - Fly from Addis to Arba Minch. In the afternoon, if it is desired, do the boat trip through Lake Chamo. Spend the night in Arba Minch.

Day 2 - Very early, experience the Safari through the Nechisar National Park and then go to Dorze to see the village and its market (try to do it on Mondays or Thursdays, which are market days). It would be interesting to rent the 4x4 vehicle from this second day, both for completing the Safari through the Nechisar National Park (a 4x4 vehicle is required), as well as for the visit to Dorze and subsequent visits to Turmi and Omo the three following days.

Day 3 - Leave very early for Konso. Visit the villages of Konso Ethnic (especially Machekie and Burgo) and the Pinnacles of Gesergio. Continue to Turmi and spend the night there.

Day 4 - Visit the market of Turmi (try to do it on Monday, which is the market day). In the afternoon visit Kangate and Oromate (if you are very interested in seeing the different Ethnic groups, an extension of two days from Kangate or Oromate is possible to experience the Mago National Park, returning through Jinka and Key Afar). Spend the night in Turmi.

Day 5 - Return to Arba Minch. If the market of Turmi cannot be visited, on returning to Arba Minch, you can stop at Dimeka, which is one hour from Turmi, to see its Tuesdays and Saturdays market, which appears to be very interesting. Spend the night in Arba Minch.

Day 6 - Fly from Arba Minch to Addis. When arriving at Addis airport, it is possible to connect with Diri Dawa flight, one hour from Harar.

We catch the bus at 6AM for Harar, lying 425 km from Nazret. It takes seven hours and a half. It is not tiring, although the bus is not in a very good condition. Besides, and notwithstanding the discomfort, I am happy not to have to use the gold cage of the 4x4 vehicle anymore and being able to share the trip with the people of the land.

The route offers some very beautiful landscapes, especially the 126 kilometres that separate Arbereketi from Diri Dawa, but more beautiful landscapes are to be seen both in Tigray and on the route between Aksum and the Simiens Mountains National Park.

In any case, it is also possible to do the journey from Addis to Harar, round trip, by plane or rather combine one way plane with one way bus. Distance between both cities is of 565 km and it takes some nine and a half hours. The buses come out very early in the morning.

At midday we arrive in Harar. We sleep in Ras Hotel, an alternative which is not bad at all and quite calm, at a price of 21 euros.

We spent the afternoon on a walk through this Muslim town, which has remained almost like it was 300 years ago. We love it. We visit several large harari houses, where we talk with their owners. We did happen to meet on the street Carlos Mariné, a Catalan painter, who lives in Harar, married to an Ethiopian woman and converted to the Islamic faith.

We spent the whole morning walking along the streets of Harar, a place we are enjoying more and more. It is a city to be discovered in its inside, and that is why I advice to stay for two or three days in order to enjoy it, feel it, and get lost into it.

In the afternoon we pay visit to Carlos in his house. The conversation is very interesting. He shows us his works and my travel mate buys a watercolour and two drawings of him.

We continue strolling and enjoying Harar. We come near Rimbaud’s House Museum, where we have an appointment with Carlos. After that, we go to the terrace of the coffee shop of the central square, where we have tea and beer and talk to an Ethiopian friend of Carlos, Shakib, who works in the Rimbaud's House Museum as a guide (Carlos can also be contacted through the Rimbaud's House Museum).

At midday we catch the bus for Dire Dawa, a one hour stretch from Harar, to go to the airport and fly to Addis, because there is no airport in Harar. When arriving at Dire Dawa, we walk around the city and its market. It is not bad at all. Afterwards, we go to the airport to catch the flight to Addis.

In Addis Ababa we sleep in Gion Hotel, which is very standard. The price is 65 euros. The last night in Ethiopia we will also spend the night here, but at that time, the rooms will happen to be much worse.

We leave very early for the airport to catch the 7AM morning flight to Mekele, but, when we arrive, we find out that they have rescheduled the flight for 9AM. Moreover, the flight has two hours of delay, because the one from Frankfurt, which connects with ours, is arriving with a delay as well. We have to wait for a long time. We then chat and have coffee with an Ethiopian man who lives in Australia and has come to visit his family living in a village near Aksum.

At midday we arrive at Mekele airport with a four hours delay.

Our trip to Tigray takes two days. For me it is the most impressive area in Ethiopia and the one that arose the most interest in me: its people, its religious art and its landscape. I have read in different sources that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to visit the rock-hewn churches of Tigray, because many are in remote areas, of difficult access and location and, in addition to that, if one happens to get to the place, the churches are often closed and the priests are not to be found.

For that reason, I decided to try and contact, by e-mail, with the director of the Tourism Office of Mekele, Mr. Kebele. I tell him our itinerary, which he finds titanic, and he arranges everything for us. He sets at our request a 4x4 vehicle, driven by its owner, Gebregiorgis Haddis, and a guide, Mr. Yohannes Kalle-ab, who happens to be himself the director of the Tourism Office of Wukro, city 45 km to the north of Mekele and the door access to the heart of the rock-hewn churches of Tigray.

I do strongly recommend, if you want to achieve this visit of the churches and monasteries of Tigray, that you prepare this part of the journey well in advance.

Gebregiorgis Haddis works as an advisor in Mekele, for Talent Development Consultants. He speaks English and is very nice, but he is not entirely familiar with the area of the churches, neither has he the contacts with the priests, therefore it is advisable to hire a guide, who has both the information and the contacts. His telephone numbers are: 251 0344 407438 (office); 251 0344 407709 (home); 251 0914 701887 (mobile). The price of the car is 80 euros per day, with gasoline included, but without air conditioning (Tigray is not hot in this time of the year and the windows of the car can be opened without problem). As regards Yohannes Kalle-ab he works as a guide for 15 euros per day (as for Spring 2007, Yohannes is no more living in Ethiopia, though Gebregiorgis Haddis is working from Summer 2007 together with a guide, Bereket, who is advisable and charges 10 euros per day).

I consider the choice of the guide as being of enormous importance, as he is the one who has contact with the priests and, at the same time, the only person who really has a command of the different paths towards the churches. On the other hand, I do strongly recommend to close well in advance the visit program that one intends to complete. During the day, there is time for just one pic-nic and this has to be clearly explained to the guide as well.

Just as it was arranged, Yohannes and Gebregiorgis are waiting for us at Mekele airport. They take us on a sightseeing car tour through Mekele, which I do not find special, apart from the fact that the city has grown a lot, being as it is that the current President of Ethiopia is precisely from Tigray.

We drive to the north for Wukro, where we visit the Chirkos Church, at 500 meters height from the town, and of easy access. It is very beautiful and a religious service is taking place, which we find beautiful.

Then, we drive east for one hour and a half through a wonderful landscape of green hills, villages possessing a unique architecture made of mud and straw, and people dressed in green-grey colours. Then, we arrive at the village of Atsbi, to visit Debre Selam Church, belonging to the group denominated with this name. In order to access the church, a 15 minutes walk up a steep hill has to be completed. The church is within an enclosure and the whole compound lets us breathless. It is build following the aksumite style.

The architecture in villages around Tigray causes such a great impression in us, completely different from the one of the South, that we ask Johannes if it is possible to visit one of the houses. A family shows us theirs. It is a great opportunity and we are full of enthusiasm. We then return to Wukro by the same road.

We spend two nights in Beheresege Hotel, which is not particularly advisable, but probably the only possible alternative. This first night I am offered a room without a shower, so that I have to use the one in my travel mate's. The second night, they change me to another room with shower, but as soon as I went to bed, fleas simply eat me. I wake up the guardian, who is sleeping on the floor of the veranda, and by signs I tell him what is happening to me and ask him to bring me back to my previous room, luckily still free. Finally, I manage to sleep.