2010 NHL Stanley Cup Semi-finals Ultimate Guide...

To humour BTOG's non-hockey fans, I give you this week's photo of note of a young Hamer girl at the Turme market in the Omo valley (Ethiopia) posing for two, two, two Birr. Where did she get those seashells for her necklaces???

I'm not the one who toots his own horn too often but I'll take a moment to point out that I've accumulated an outstanding prediction accuracy rate of .750 through the first two rounds of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not bad for a self professed part-time hockey observer.

I take great pride in predicting the demise of the Boston Bruins and the Penguins of Pittsburgh of all teams. I was a little nervous after the Flyers spotted the Bruins a 3-0 games lead to start that series only to come back from that deficit with a historical 4 game winning streak. I was pretty sure history was to made in that series.

I should get these 3rd round predictions off my chest...

San Jose Sharks vs the Blackhawks of Chicago...

I predict the demise of the Sharks who will finally fold like a house of cards this round. Where have I heard that before?

I'm surprised they are still in the hunt. I'm most surprised by the play of Joe "no longer chillaxin'" Thornton. I've never seen him show such urgency as I did in the series with the Wings. Scary stuff...

Even with Joe Thornton on the warpath, it won't be enough to derail the very talented Blackhawks.

It's going to be a close series though. The only chink in the Blackhawk's armour is their goaltending which seems to be a bit shaky at times.

Hence, my prediction is:

Blackhawks in 7 or much earlier if San Jose folds like a house of cards.

Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers...

Hey look what the cat dragged in...two teams that weren't supposed to be here at this stage of the season.

The Canadiens have been a miracle on ice for the last two rounds, knocking off the Cup favourites (Washington Caps) and then the defending Cup champs (Pittsburgh).

In this round, they are in tough against the Broad Street Bullies. They're bigger and play a much more physical brand of hockey than any team the Habs have dealt with so far.

But in my books, you have to first catch up to a speedy smurf before you can drill him into the boards.

That's the only come back I have...

Keys to the series: the Habs have to shut down Flyers' Richards, Briere, Giroux, and Gagne. Hab's goalie Halak must stand on his head again and again...it's like a broken record, eh?

If the Habs stick with their total team concept, I predict:

Habs in 7 (maybe 6, but Habs win nonetheless).

So there you have it. I predict an All Original Six Stanley Cup Final.

the blue list of africa...

Heading north from Sesriem to Swakopmund on the coast, the land was pretty bleak. There weren't many places to stop for gas except for an aptly named place called Solitaire.

The gas station here is famous for it's delish apple strudel. Mmmmm...fresh-out-of-the-oven 10 cm by 25 cm chunk of apple strudel. I looked for strudel in Frankfurt, Germany (waiting for the connecting flight to Jo'burg, SA) only to find out that it originated in Austria. It was ironic that I found it in Namibia (out in the middle of nowhere), a former German colony back in WWI. Anyway, I'm glad I got my studel when I did because shortly after this pic was shot, the "Rollen Hotel", a massive overland truck, rolled into the station. At least 30 German tourists piled out and they went straight for the apple strudel.

The Ultimate African Itinerary.

Recently I received an email from Aubrey (whose thinking of a prolonged 8 month trip through Africa) asking for a top ten list of must see/do's on the "dark" continent. That was a daunting task to say the least. After reviewing my responding list, I don't think I did Africa justice. Here is what I came up with:

1. Egypt. all the big sites in Cairo and along the Nile. if you want to get off the beaten path, i'd get out to siwa oasis in the west. Dahab's ok.
2. Sudan. see as much of this as possible. particularly along the Nile in the north.
3. Ethiopia. If there's only place you want to see that is Ethiopia: Simiens for walking, Lalibela, Gonder, Axum (maybe), Danikil depression (if you can afford it), Harar, Omo Valley, Gambella. you can easily kill a couple of months here. such a beautiful place. Test you mettle as a traveler though. The roads and people will challenge u.
4. Kenya. Definitely head out to Lamu on the coast. Nairobbery is not so bad. Couple of days to re-charge there. Didn't make it to lake turkana. My bad. definitely next time for me. if you make it there, please post the pix.
5. Uganda. Rafting the Nile is a must (here, Zambezi river in Zimbabwe or both). Lake Bunyonyi in the south. Kampala is pretty lively (ie. chaotic), definitely worth a visit. I was going to the north but got side tracked.
6. Rwanda. See the gorillas here. You'll be able to get permits on the spot. Pricey but worth it. Kigali is nice. Lots of genocidal memorials to visit.
7. Tanzania. I climbed Kilimanjaro a long time ago. Don't know if it's worth it anymore. it's nice up there though. Zanzibar is pretty interesting. Good source of photos. Ngorongoro crater is like a zoo (animals and tourists). I really recommend getting out to Kigoma and riding the SS Liemba down Lake Tanganyika.
8. Malawi. Another hangout spot. I'd recommend Senga Bay and Point Maclear if you want to hang out by the Lake. Livingstonia's not bad.
9. Zambia. I wish I spent more time here. Livingstone is a big tourist hangout. I believe that's your base for seeing Victoria Falls. They're pretty nice. But you can't go there without rafting the Zambezi, another must do.
10. Botswana. Expensive place but you must get to Maun and into the Okavango Delta.
11. Namibia. Etosha National Park, Swakopmund/Walvis Bay, and Sossusvlei are the must sees. in fact, if you only go on safari once, i recommend etosha.
12. South Africa. I wish I could spend more time here. Capetown and Johannesburg are nice. Kagaligadi National Park was just brilliant, really wild. The Garden Route is a bit overrated. I'd certainly check out the Otter Route next time. It's a hiking trail along the south coast.
13. Mozambique. Poor poor poor place. Maputo is a must. Pretty vibrant city. Go up to tofo if you're into snorkeling with whale sharks. You don't want to miss Ilha do Mozambique either.

Ok, I tried my best (I couldn't keep it to ten items). Just too many variables to crunch.

Tell me what you think of the list, 'cause I haven't been everywhere in Africa...

Not wanting to sound corny, I should have wrote, "go and meet the people and feel fortunate everyday that you're in Africa." Well, at least that's how I felt when I was there...

Aubrey is based in Dharamsala, India, right now, hanging out H.H. the Dalai Lama. Check out his blog Ketchup with Aubs for swell pix and stories of his travels.

Gedaref, Sudan - Oh how sweet it is!

So long, Ethiopia! Its been a really great time. For the readers of BTOG, if there's only one country you visit in Africa in your lifetime, Ethiopia's the place to be. It's land and people (well most of them) are stunningly beautiful. I'm going to be back some day. There's more to see (Axum, the Danikil, and Gambella to name a few). Photo: the school kids of Arkwasiye, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia.

Well, it's happy birthday to me today. I feel really lucky about spending it on a rickety old bus in the Sudan... How many people can say that!!!??? I was thinking if I kept up this pace of travel I might not reach my next.

Did I miss a journal entry yesterday...? Well, I was getting my hair done up real special. The last 2 days have been tough but exciting. I thought it was going to be a standard slow bus to Bahar Dir (and overnight there). Instead, the Rasta Man's minibus showed up even though I canceled my ticket. I told the driver that 170 birr was way too much and I was on my way to the main bus station. He dialed someone on his cell. The price dropped to 150. I asked for 120. Another call and it was approved. What was the problem in the first place people?

Off we went, bolting into the cool Ethiopian dawn.

Got to Bahar Dir in due time. Because it was the "last" minibus to Gonder, I got burned on the fare. Finally as the sunset, we reached Gonder in the dark. Couldn't get a room at the Selam Hotel. So, I had to settle for the whorehouse, I mean hotel, I stayed at the last time I was in Gonder. Just as well. I had an interesting discussion with an Ethiopian guy (a business man from Addis) in the reception. I asked him what he paid for his room. He paid a paltry amount (something like 35 birr). He laughed at what I was paying. I asked him why I was paying so much. He answered, "because you can." Again, he burst into laughter. Anyway, he was a nice guy. I killed him with the amount of Amharic I had learned during my stint in the country. He was shocked at the amount of birr I was carrying for my last day.

"What would you do if you were stuck at the border?", he asked.

"Probably kill myself," I deadpanned. More laughter...

Anyway, I exchanged 5 USD with him. Damn, more birr in my pocket... What the hell is he going to do with a 5 dollar bill?

I managed to put in 3.5 hours of sleep because of my hair and a Peter Seller's bio pic on TV.

That same morning, I climbed aboard the bus for border town of Metama at 0430. The early morning air was pleasant. By 0800 it was heating up. The surrounding hills were arid, in various shades of brown, populated with occasional stands of conifers. People were far and few between. Those I saw were involved with road construction or tending livestock. It was pretty obvious we were losing a lot of altitude fast. Soon we saw the hills come to an end, replaced by the vast expanse of the Sudanese desert on the horizon.

Metama's street was chaotic to say the least. A wild mix of Ethiopians and Sudanese trading whatever could be smuggled across the border. The bus driver made me walk the last 2 km to the border. Overburdened with my overstuffed backpack, I thought how appropriate it was: leaving Ethiopia and having the door hit me in the ass on the way out.

I walked across no man's land, across a bridge spanning a river choked with dust. When did it last rain here? The border officials seemed rather cold, especially the security guy. There was a bus to Gedaref, the first substantial piece of civilization in Sudan. I needed money. The police assigned a local guy to find me the local black market moneychanger in the local market. Suffice to say, the exchange rate was dubious but the snake had me by the short and curlies. So much for first impressions.

I climbed on the bus to Gedaref. The heat was amazing. Water was dispensed to passengers using a communal stainless steel cup from a big bucket next to the driver. Perhaps the most annoying thing was having to check in with security posts along the way. The moment I stepped off the bus (just me by the way) a fierce hot wind would hit me square in the face. Consolation to having to sit in that sauna-like bus was the immaculate asphalt-surfaced road.


View Larger Map
This is Gedaref. My hotel was directly east of this waypoint. The market was along this street as well.

Arrived in Gedaref at 1800 (3 hr. bus ride). Everyone's been really nice (despite my two word Arabic vocabulary). I'm glad to be back in a Muslim country. The Gedaref market really comes to life in the waning daytime heat. I'm going to need some time to get use to the climate.

I met a couple of Belgian cyclists outside the hotel. They experienced 56C in Wadi Halfa. If it continues like that, it's not going to be fun at all.

[ed. note: Total bus time = 0400 to 1900 on Monday (Addis to Gonder) + 0600 to 1400 on Tuesday (Gonder to Metama) + 1500 to 1800 (Metama to Gedaref) = 26 hrs. on the bus in 48 hrs]

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 8/07
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - It's a Dog Eat Dog World Out Here...

Mother and child, Mulit, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia...

Looks like it's a no go with the minibus to Bahar Dir. I give up. It's too bad. I know it's a pointless debate because foreigners/tourists will never get a fair shake with most transactions here or anywhere in the world for that matter. For example, back home there's a tourist trap called the Calgary Stampede.

Everyone and their dog is susceptible to being burned. The Rasta Man, resident travel agent of the Taitu Hotel, has a white English girlfriend. Nothing is beneath this guy, eh. He sold her a bus ticket for a whopping 150 birr. That's dog eat dog my friends.

Well, I thought seriously about jumping on the Rasta Man's bus but earlier tonight I baled and canceled the ticket. It's back on the big bus. It will add a day to the process but I should still make it in time for the Monday train to Wadi Halfa.

PS. Checked the forecast for Khartoum. It's going to be 45-46C for the next 5 days. Then there's a cooling trend down to 40C. I'm just going to wilt.

PPS. I apologise for all the whining. If I catch any of these bastards in Canada, I'm going to sell them a 6 dollar cafe latte... ok, that's it.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 6/07
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Still here...Part 2

Man #2 - Harar, Ethiopia...

Girl #2 - the poser, Harar, Ethiopia...

Well, you guessed right. I'm still here in Addis. After a full day's research I'm still here. I could not find the elusive minivan to Bahar Dir. Struck out at the bus station and bridge. A lot of people offered me surprisingly exorbitant landcruiser rides at the bridge... Consolation, I did find a hammering bakery on the way back.

There was a slight development this afternoon. I checked in on Dean, the American guy who live down the hallway at the hotel. He had found a ticket for 150 birr from a Rasta guy out on the street. Hmmm... I'll check it out tomorrow or not...

I'm itching to put some momentum back into the trip.

Maybe a haircut tomorrow? Not.

[Ed. note: Dean, the American guy, was an amazing guy. He's actually making money out here traveling. Gettin' it done, gnome sayin'... He's writing articles/books, producing podcasts, and giving slide shows of his travels back in the States. Check his website @ theDeanofTravel -clever name, eh?]

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 5/07
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Rollin' the dice...

Boy #1 - the guide, Harar, Ethiopia...

Certainly a good news/bad news kind of day.

Good news: Finally got the Sudanese visa. As an added bonus it has a period of validity of one month and 2 full weeks of transit time. That makes Thursday the perfect day to arrive at the border. Can't see myself spending another 6 days in Ethiopia though. I have to be aware that my Egyptian via expires on the 26th of May. Perhaps I should go to Gambella for a few days?

Bad news: Still haven't located the Bahar Dir minibus station. The tourist office wasn't aware that it existed and suggested it might be located around Habte Gyorgis Bridge (like the guidebook said). May as well check out the Autobes Terra (main bus station) too while I'm at it. The longer I chase after this, what seems to be mythical, Bahar Dir minibus the more skeptical I get...


Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 4/07
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Bubba and the Big Breakfast...

Breakfast (well, in between orders of firfir) with the new NGO's...

2 developments today. One, the breakfast for all my new NGO's went off without a hitch. Met up with the contact person for "the project", Nezro (sp?). I thought I was treating 4 or 6 kids but eight showed up. Ordered up 3 huge mountainous platters of firfir at a local eatery (a place I'd never find on my own). Predictably, the kids scarfed it down pretty fast. Everyone appeared to have a good time.

Nezro informed me that the kid's need shoes and he wants me to finance the deal. He also wants me to buy them breakfast again tomorrow! Look, I really don't see myself as chintzy but I felt like a walking sack of money, again. I sense very little appreciation when I do this kind of stuff. I don't want these kids to depend on me for handouts but the need for the very basics is so overwhelming.

As my Polish friend said, Ethiopians must look after their own at some point.

In contrast, Nezro said, at the medical clinic where we took one of the kids after breakfast, "only the Westerners care [about the poor]. Rich Ethiopians really don't give a damn."

Well, maybe they, the rich Ethiopians should stop raping and pillaging the place and give back to the community. Suffice to say, I'm kind of torn, as an outsider, as to what to do for these kids... All I know is this lil' project seemed to have fallen on my increasingly reluctant lap...

Nezro's taking off tomorrow to visit his wife. Maybe I should take the day off as well to focus on my impending departure, like Anthony... Ok, I'm waiting for my personal bolt of lightning to hit me square on the ass but, dammit, I'm a poor tourist, not a social worker/philanthropist...

After breakfast, I hoofed it down to the Sudan Embassy... Got there at 1000, plenty of time to submit the application. Mohammed and Sharif (kind of sad when you get to know the embassy staff by their first name for the wrong reasons...) were still acting like complete a$$holes again and not answering my knocking at the steel gate/door on the Embassy's perimeter. I knew I had to be persistent to get any service. So, I kept knocking at the door with a coin in hand. That made such a grating noise. Within minutes, Mohammed cracked the door open. He reached out, grabbed me by the arm and pulled me through the opening and into the compound. I gave Sharif my papers and passport and left as fast as I came in. I should have reviewed my visa requirements but I forgot.

Further logistical problems with regards to finding a minibus ride back up to Bahar Dir. I inquired at the front desk of the hotel, all the receptionists referred me to "landcruiser guy" who charged 250 birr for the trip. Suspiciously, the "Canadian lady" in the room next to mine only had to shell out 120 birr for the Bahar Dir journey just last weekend. For some unknown reason, she was reluctant to share any info on how to get a similar ticket... I don't know what to think anymore...other than I gotta get outta here...now.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 3/07
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Harar to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia... Can you spell numb nuts?

Girl #1 in Harar, Ethiopia...

No pain, no gain seems to be the cliche that applies to traveling in Ethiopia.

I'm happy to be out of Harar. Things went well on the bus today. Could have arrived earlier in Addis if it were for the constant harassment of Ethiopian customs authorities along the way. With each stop, at least 6 times, I and fellow passengers would have to pile out of the bus. The officials would poke around inside while we melted outside in the hot sun. I'd say 20 minutes per stop before we could reboard.

Arrived in Addis at 1800 (clocking in after 12 hours on the road), and took a minibus back to the Piazza and ultimately the Taitu Hotel, a.k.a. home sweet home.

I ate dinner at an old stomping ground, the Omar Khayyam Restaurant. Fell asleep back at the hotel, only to be awoken by Anthony, my Polish friend, knocking at my door. I was about to spill my guts over the news of his NGO in Harar but he already spoke to Solomon the day before (it's a small world). He didn't seem surprised over the difficulties the little boy was experiencing.

While I was in Harar, he had actually sold some of his photos (to a company that published postcards and wanted pix for a Millenium coffee table book) and started a new NGO project. He took me outside to introduce me to 4 very young homeless boys. One of them was without pants. Apparently he had them stolen tonight while he was wearing them. That was crazy...

Anyway, my little assigned project tomorrow was to take the kids to a firfir filled breakfast. Firfir is nasty for me but a treat for them (firfir is injera drenched in beriberi sauce (very spicy) served on top of injera - just makes me want to puke).

After my NGO work tomorrow, I've got to get down to the Sudanese Embassy and finally hand in my visa application. It's time to move on...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 2/07
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Harar, Ethiopia - Do gooders, heinous hyenas, and videotape...

My NGO. Actually, Anthony's NGO. Naughty kid ran away and smoked his inventory of cigarettes. So, I had to convert him into a shoeshine boy. Seriously, I hope he smartens up and makes enough money to go to school. (Btw, Anthony bought him the clothes he's wearing).

I bought him the supplies. The neatest thing was the AK 47 ammo box he was going to use to carry the shoe polish, etc. I wish I bought one for myself... I'd look kind of weird declaring that to customs at YYC.

This is Solomon, man with a big heart. He's the NGO's mentor. He and his family have been kind enough to offer the NGO a place to stay in their house. His payback? The kid runs off with the goods... Good luck, Solomon...

Interesting day. I think I performed a good deed. I'm not sure. I visited Anthony's NGO child today. Apparently, the contact worked at the hotel restaurant. I dropped the name and soon I found myself being led into the slum area under the hotel to visit Solomon, the child's supervisor.

I met Solomon, who seemed to be a real nice guy, in a courtyard, surrounded a group of shacks, home to his extended family. I got the lowdown on Jambirr, the NGO kid. According to Solomon, Jambirr had run away from his adopted home a couple of times since becoming a NGO project. Jambirr apparently fabricated a story that bigger kids had confiscated the materials he was suppose to sell (kleenex, chewing gum, cigarettes, etc...). The money he made was meant to better his life of course. In actual fact, he was spotted hanging around, smoking the very cigarettes he was selling. He only returned to Solomon's house when he was starving for another meal. Next disappearance is supposed to be strike 3. If I were Solomon and his family, I would kick him out now and back to his former life (begging and sleeping under a roadside plastic lean-to) for a while and thing bring him back to the good life. Then ask him which life he prefers.

You have to give Solomon and his family credit. They realized that this kid was a long term project (i.e. you can take the kid off the streets, but you can't take the streets out of the kid - well, they were willing to try again at least). With that support behind him I decided to up the ante and restart the NGO program. We talked a while and agreed that things had to change. Instead of selling nick nacks, we decided to change his career. We turned him into a shoeshine boy. We went back to the local market and, for 70 birr, bought him the necessary supplies. Suffice to say, he won't be eating or smoking shoe polish...

I truly hope it works this time because this may well be the kid's last chance at farangi goodwill. Once I and Anthony are gone the well will run dry unless another do gooder comes long. (highly unlikely).

I'm leaving for Addis tomorrow @ 0500.

I gotta pack and shoot some hyenas tonite before bedtime...

My granny, what big teeth, bad breath, and funny laugh you have...

it's 0046 and I'm still awake. It's really going to suck on the bus today. The hyenas were about a weird, bizarre, surreal experience as it gets.



This is my lame attempt at taping some of the action. First, it was really dark out. I didn't have the luxury of car lights shining on the critters. So, I had to resort to the nightshot feature on my camera. Not good, but it did give the hyenas an extra evil look about them. Second, once the clip underwent the youtube treatment, some detail was lost. For instance, the middle segment featured the eyeshine of the hyenas. There must have been 6 to 8 in the group. Very creepy with that many eyes peering at us. You can still see a couple of pairs, but they're faint. I like the hyenas laughing at us though. As for the third segment, I'm the goof playing the role of hyena paparrazi.

Good night.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 1/07
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Harar, Ethiopia - That's, that's all folks?

The primary attraction of Harar is the old city. Historical records show Harar has been around since the 7th C. AD. The 5m wall that surrounds the 60 hectare town was constructed in the 1560's. Access is gained through 5 original gates (2 were added in the early 1900's). The above is Showa Gate.

There's a mini-market surrounding Showa Gate. I found this young lady selling baguettes. She wanted a copy of some photos I took of her. So, she gave me her email address and, in addition, she gave me a glossy pic of herself. See below.

Pretty nice photo, eh...?

This is a "street" scene just inside Showa Gate. There's only one true, auto-accessible road that leads into town.

The population of the old city is about 22,000 people. Just wandering the alley ways gives you a close look at day to day life. Plus, the folks aren't adverse to having their pix taken. In fact, they'll ask you to take their pic more often than not...

Unofficial guide...

Egg-cellent photo. I'm not sure about the significants of the eggs. The kids were really proud of them though...

You won't believe this but there are a lot of kids in Ethiopia... (refer to the inverted demographic pyramid chart you learned about in social studies class)

The sun's pretty hot even before noon. Must. Have. A. Mirinda. Now...

The level of dilapidation in Harar's not bad. Not bad for a 1300 year old city...

Woke up early and started my exploration of Harar. The Old City was a perfect size for walking about in. Walked through the main Harar gate, down the traffic thoroughfare, and straight out into the country side. Interesting cemetery... Traced my footsteps back into town, finding myself meandering slowly through a labyrinth of cobbled alleys infusing the whitewashed adobe type architecture of shopping and living quarters. Just trying to soak in the everyday life of the people of Harrar.

Except for the lively market, human traffic was relatively sparse. Excellent opportunities for people watching and photography. Everyone seemed quite friendly. I even met a couple of Ethiopian-Canadians who had made the trip home for an extended stay. Surprisingly, the much anticipated onslaught of touts did not materialize.

Like I've written before Harar is the 4th holiest Islamic centre (mentioned in the same breath as Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem) in the world. The influence of Islam on the people was unquestionable, but the influence on the architecture was more subtle. I was expecting mosques of monumental size, but many of Old Harar's densely packed 90 or so mosques are small and private, blending in with the rest of Harar.

I spent the afternoon back at the Hotel since the temperature just soared once the sun reached its apex in the sky.

Restaurant Review.
I thought I'd give the guidebook glorified Hirut Restaurant another try. Failure to satisfy once again on a massive scale. There must have been a change in management. I ordered the mixed grill plate but got a meaty sludge served on injera. Not really good, especially considering the premium price.

The joint itself is really nicely decorated but really needs to work on its cookery.

As for service, it rivaled the non-stellar nature of menu. Very slow and indifferent. I was watching the BBC on their TV (a real treat when I can get it). I guess the bartender was bored and he shut off the TV in the middle of the news and proceeded to crank up the awful Ethiopian pop music. Noooooo..!!

I noticed alot of this inconsiderate behaviour in Africa (eg. turning off/blocking the view of TVs, trampling on each other while boarding buses, talking really loud in the hotel at all hours of the night while I'm trying to catch some zzzz's, and the list goes on). There really is no concept of consideration let alone customer service.

Brings me back to a comment or advice given to me at the Sudanese Embassy in Addis. I had been waiting a long time to see the visa guy when an Ethiopian woman sitting beside me encouraged me to crash the que ahead of me. She said that in Africa you've got to fight for everything you want or you'll find yourself outside looking in, regardless of whether its a bus seat, a train ticket, or even a turn at the toilet.

Dog eat dog my friends...

Think I'm visiting Harar beer factory tomorrow. Hopefully they're giving free T-shirts or hats to tourists...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 30/07
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Heading for Harrar's Hyenas

A vulture-like bird staring into my hotel room... Foreshadowing of things to come....?

After weeks of hemming and hawing and yesterday's debacle of sleeping in, I'm here in Harrar, the self proclaimed medieval capital of "the horn of Africa" and 4th holiest city in the Islamic world. That's of course after a excruciatingly painful 10 hour (0600 to 1600), 525km bus ride east of Addis. It wasn't particularly lengthy on paper but really slow. Plus, it was really hot in the cabin.

The most interesting scenery was the drive through Awash National Park. Cinder cones to craters to volcanoes right next to the highway.

At least I'm in Harrar now. I've checked into the Tewodros Hotel with a room facing the famous hyena field of dreams. No first observations so far other than there are a helluva lot of flies and homeless people here.

I borrowed a can of insecticide spray from the manager. The instructions the can didn't list any dangerous side effects so I nuked the room and shut the door. I got the hell out of there of course.

As for the homeless, I'll try to help them out tomorrow.


View Larger Map

The above map indicates the location of the Tewodros Hotel. Just north of the Hotel is a large soccer field/garbage dump... the Old city is to the right...

Later that day:

It was something like 2145. The football field/garbage dump just behind the hotel turned into a hyena fest/convention. I could hardly see them in the dark but I could clearly see the ones walking along the lit street. Even more eerie was that the fact that I heard them wading through the garbage and their whimpering cries.


Long exposure of the football field/dump taken from a balcony at the Tewodros Hotel...

The scene was freakish. People were milling about, seemingly oblivious to the presence of hyenas. Some idiots were even taunting them, drawing muted or non-responses from some of the most ferocious predators in Africa. I was even more surprised that they didn't go after one of the neighbourhood dogs.

Clearly, this phenomenon or behaviour stemmed from the presence of the garbage dump. Poor waste management.

This may sound ridiculous, but I was tempted to go out and shoot some pix. For chrissakes some of them were huge. Easily take down a human being, eh.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 29/07
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - I am weak...

Ethiopian man in the Simiens (Mulee, Ethiopia) circa 2007.

My heart wasn't into climbing on another bus for 12 hrs. Unfortunately, reception didn't understand my instructions and woke me up at 0430 because they called for a taxi. I kindly declined the taxi service. Then at 0530, the reception guy knocked at my door again. Apparently the cab was still waiting for me. I had to politely send him away again. These guys were killing me with kindness.

Something pleasant happened today. I bumped into my Polish friend, Anthony, here at the Taitu Hotel (remember, I met him in Lalibela). I opened the French doors of my room to let in some fresh air and saw Anthony walking down the driveway. He's been here for the last 2 weeks! Some of his pictures are going to be published (well, at least someone is interested in hiring him to shoot photographs for a coffee table book commemorating the Ethiopian celebrations). I knew he had good stuff.

I told Anthony about my plans to visit Harrar. He has one of his "NGO's" in Harrar. In fact, the "NGO" in Harrar was his first. Walking along the streets of Harrar, he could not help but notice the destitute street boys camped along the side of the streets. He decided to take one of them under his wing (turned out to be the poorest of poor - tattered clothes, shoeless). His philosophy was not to give a handout (in the most traditional sense of the word) but to set up a business for the "NGO" child (in this case selling kleenex, candy, cigarettes, etc...) AND, this is a big "and", find a local person to act as a mentor to help monitor the child's progress. He asked me if I could check up on the NGO. Should be interesting... BTW, when I first met Anthony in Lalibela, he was setting up a shoeshine business for another NGO boy.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 26/07
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Bahar Dir to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Movin' on up...It's good to be back home again...

Ethiopian woman in the Simiens, Mekarebya, Ethiopia...

Man, I'm beat. The minibus ride officially started at 0341 The van was full. Yours truly, the lone farangi as usual, got stuck with the corner seat at the very back. I didn't care much though. I just wanted out of Bahar Dir. Ride was uneventful. Scenery was kind of bland, flatter than an injera at some points. That was until we hit the incredible Blue Nile Gorge. It was huge.



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[Ed. note: the elevation of the south rim of the gorge (10° 1'9.00"N 38°14'49.38"E) was 2485m resulting in a gorge depth here of 1417m]

Arrived in Addis at about 1315. A welcomed homecoming in a sense. I'd spent 3 weeks out in the boonies. The minibus stopped in a familiar roundabout just a short walk from the hotel district of the Piazza. Strange but I found comfort in dragging my overstuffed backpack through the crowded streets despite skirting the numerous beggars at the side of the roads (people afflicted with blindness and one particular guy with horrific boils all over his body).

Not sure what to do next. Two options: 1) go east to visit the islamic town of Harrar (I still have a couple of hundred bucks worth of birr burning a hole in my pocket, 2) get the Sudanese visa and get out of town (the logistical stars seem aligned well for catching the Lake Nasser ferry). I'll sleep on it (at the Taitu hotel where I'm staying now) and make some kind of plan tomorrow.

Bahar Dir, Ethiopia - Déjà vu or who shot JR?

Ethiopian girl, Arkwasiye, Ethiopia - April 19, 2007

After leaving Debark, I was exhausted but the time I got to Gondor. It was already 1630. Buses aren't allowed to travel in the dark of night or would I want to. I was forced to find alternate accommodation when the nice, clean Salam Hotel was fully booked. Instead I made another stupid decision by booking into a dump for 80 birr (combination of being really tired and not giving a hoot). Tried to talk the reception down on the rate but she insisted on the farangi price. I had 3 minutes to take a "hot" shower before the hot water ran out. 3 minutes to scrape off what felt like half of Ethiopia caked on my body. 80 birr also got me a TV. Every TV in the hotel was hooked up to the same satellite dish. So, I was stuck with watching soccer. That was OK, until someone in reception changed the channel to Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ". Kind of a sad movie... I guess Christians, even those in Ethiopia, really get a kick out of that movie. There never seemed to be a dull moment that night. First, a street brawl erupted in front of the hotel and then the loud moans of men and women resonating through the hallways and amplified by my room door. Dang. I booked into another ho house.

Well, I'm back in Bahar Dir. Shite. I bolted outta here over a week ago. For I good reason, I thought. I just don't think it's a pleasant place. Tourism has really screwed it up. Case in point, I was lucky enough to check into the cheap but pleasant Tana Hotel. I struck up a conversation with a guy who I thought was the "receptionist". He had me spilling my guts pretty fast. I needed a minibus for Addis I said. Sure, the hotel was running a service... How convenient I thought. All he needed was a deposit. Long story short, I gave him some money to reserve a seat and that's the last I saw him. I got the deposit back. Not from the scumbag fake receptionist but from the nice owner of the hotel. He had a good idea of who the culprit was (a disgruntled ex-employee). I guess there was justice in Ethiopia afterall. The owner also got me a 120 birr minibus ticket for tomorrow @ 3 AM as well. Wahoo! Why does it take this much effort just to take a minibus to Addis? I better hit the hay or I'll miss the bus...

[Ed. notes: re: the fake receptionist. My bad.]

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 24/07
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Bahar Dir, Ethiopia - What goes around comes around or something like that...

[Ed. note: Two days have gone by since Mulee. I wrote this post in the town of Bahar Dir on the shores of Lake Tana...]

Packing Jackie the Mule on an early Mekarebya morning...We camped beside this shack...

The Mekarebya school yard...

From Mekarebya it's back down to business on the riverbed. I kept stubbing my toes on these stupid rocks...

Climbing out of the river valley towards Mulee. Ambient temperature is rising. Must find water...

Weird rock formations. If you are a regular reader, the monolith in the foreground is part of the flat top mountain and in the background is the submarine conning tower mountain that we saw way back on the plateau...

Now it's really getting hot...

To the left is Fasil's sister. She's holding her daughter's hand. I think she was trying to fix me up with her daughter. Took me a while to figure out she was running the village pub. That's explained the number of hosed people sitting on the veranda...

Little dude #1.

Little dudes #2 and #3...

Walking home from the local Home Depot...

Drink up little dude #4... Not sure what they were drinking other than there were alot of floaties in it...

Mother and daughter in the house...

Fantee...

PLA infantry grunt taking pix of the locals...

Fasil and friend...does Fasil look hosed to you or is it just me?

Landscape surrounding Mulee...

Sundown...

Let me back up a bit. I could not, for the life of me, find my pen. My last entry referred to gale force winds outside tent. Did I mention the resultant dust storm within the tent? I don't know how the tent was completely consumed by dust. All I knew was I had to bail, scram, vamoose outta there, especially when the tent fabric started to rip from its poles.

I was worried about the dust. There's a whole lotta shit lying around (all over). Once it starts flying around, it wreaks havoc on unprotected eyes (perhaps lungs as well). I'm not surprised by all the eye infections I saw in the countryside. In addition, I think I saw a lot of cataracts as well. It was like a ophthalmologist's candy store out there. An eye doctor should really volunteer their services out here, for a while at least.

Yah, it was a very long day coming from Mekarebya. Started at 0618 and took nearly a half hour of steep switch backs to regain the canyon bottom. I certainly did not have a good feeling in my left foot (don't think it's broken though). Once on the bottom we'd follow the dry river bed. Not nice. Big rocks strewn all over the place (hate to see the rage of this river during wet season) plus multiple stream crossings just killed my bruised feet.

Scenery reminded me of the American West: scrub vegetation, odd shaped monolithic structures, and ancient sea stacks. The heat started picking up at about 1000, making the last major uphill to Mulee a real beast of a climb. Reached a point high enough to see the Simien escarpment again. Arrived at the first significant village on the foot of the Mulee butte. I took the chance to suck back a couple of cool Mirindas (aka Orange Crush) in the shade.

We reached Mulee early (1230), setting up camp at Fasil's sister's place. Spent the afternoon taking photos of the village people and watching Fasil drink the local brew. After a couple of pints, he became quite abusive not towards me but to his relatives. That's until he started getting into my camera gear. I should have stopped him. If anything happened to the d70 I would have been hooped.

I was beginning to wish this little adventure was over soon...

A Short Walk in the Simiens - Day 7 to Adi Arkey, Ethiopia...


Sunrise in Mulee...

Exiting Mulee and final glimpses of the Simiens...

Having breakfast with the crew in Adi Arkey...

Next day, in fact, was the last day on the trail . Adi Arkey, on the Debark-Axum road, was a mere 2 hours away. The sunrise was magnificent, casting an awesome yet eerie pinkish orange glow over the silhouette of the surrounding canyon lands.

I was excited. The trek was coming to a end. It was well above my expectations. I did it.

It was pretty much all downhill to Adi Arkey along what I call the freeway. The trail widened and was clear of most debris. I looked back often, wondering how the hell I could have negotiated such a tortured landscape. I will never forget this place.

We got to Adi Arkey. It seemed no different than most dumpy little Ethiopian towns. Hordes of people were out and about, tending to their daily business. I drew a fair amount of attention. A few of them shouted "Japanese" at me but for the most part people just gawked at a strange oriental face.

We found a cafe on the main street. While we waited for the Debark bus, I had the honour of buying brekkie for the crew. After the obligatory photos, Fantee packed up Jackie the mule and set off back to Debark on foot. Earlier, I divested myself of the stove and kerosene by giving it to Fantee as a tip. For the past seven days, he lugged that thing around, setting it up for me when required. He was a hard worker, the best employee I've ever had. Before he moseyed on, I slipped him some money to make sure he got back to Debark in comfort.

Fasil and I would take the bus at 1100. He would disembark at Debark while I would continue onto Gonder. The road would mimick the surrounding landscape: twisted, convoluted and undulating. After almost 3 hours into the ride, we could still see the jagged mountains behind Adi Arkey. As the bus climbed out of the last coulee, we arrived in Debark. I followed Fasil out. After he fetched his bag of belongs off the roof of the bus, we shook hands. I was having second thoughts over his tip while in Mulee because of his antics. But, I gave him a handsome tip as originally planned. Every Ethiopian involved in this trekking business is dependent on his/her tips to feed their families. They, the scouts/muleteers, operate on a rotational basis. So, who knows when his next trip will be?

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 23/07
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A short walk in the Simiens - Day 6 - Mekarebya to Mulee, Ethiopia

Gale force winds. All hell broke loose. Tent imploded. I'm just glad I wasn't blown away with it.

I'm hunkered down in the scout's sister's house. Is she really his sister? Maybe. I'll never know exactly.

It's been a really long day. Tomorrow is the end. I'm looking forward to it.

It's dark. I gotta go now.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 20/07
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A short walk in the Simiens (or The Walk From Hell) - Day 5 - Arkwasiye to Mekarebya, Ethiopia.

Arkwasiye in the early morn... Well, early for me...

Surrounding mountains. Ras Dashen, Africa's 4th highest peak at 4620m, is the flat protrusion (left of centre) in the upper tier of hills in this picture...

Dude #1...

Mini dude...

Fantee and Jackie...

Family that put me up for the night.

On our way to Mekarebya...

The great western plateau in the background...not alot going on in the fields. Wanted to see some farmers in action. Oh well...


Going down, way down. I hate going downhill. Nearly destroyed my knees...

Here I was worried about trekking in the raining season. Doh!

The little walk to Mekarebya nearly killed me today. Started unusually late today at 0848. Fasil, the scout, decided to have a few breakfast brewskies with his buddies before hitting the trail. Nice to know I hired the Foster Brooks of armed guards. I, in turn, had a couple of coffees with the family I was staying with.

Multiple dog fights outside the door, omnipresent roosters AND a rat scurrying around the rafters all night long made for a semi-horrendous night. At least the family (parents and 4 kids) was friendly enough.

Once the walk got underway it was pretty spectacular. Rolling fields of idle farm fields and the east face of the towering plateau in the distance. It was only when we reached the village of Sona, all hell broke loose. Steep switchbacks for 1000m downwards into one helluva gorge. Gravel strewn trails made for exciting times and numerous one point landings on my part.

By the time we hit rock bottom, I was exhausted. Really exhausted. Suffering major toe jam, I hoped my left foot was OK and not broken. We then walked by the near dry river bed. The river itself was a mere trickle. After a couple of hours rock and creek hopping, we reach a gigantic baobob tree that overhung a tranquil set of waterpools. It may have been hasty on my part but I ripped off my boots and dunked my feet into the cool refreshing creek water. While soaking my feet, I washed up a bit. The dirt on my body was so caked on. Must have spent an hour there just relaxing.

Took nearly 15 hours to reach Mekarebya (another small village). Just had enough energy to pitch the tent in an empty school yard. I fell into the tent for a nap. Woke up at 1730 to cook dinner. As it turned out, the boys had no food. So, I had to stretch my supplies. What does the National Park dudes pay these guys? No much, apparently.

Tomorrow's an early start at 0500. Not that we're losing mega-elevation, the daytime temps should make the walking hellish. I'm going to have to speed up the morning routine.

Mekareya's water supply was dodgy. So, I broke out the water treatment (chlorination solution) for the first time. Wish me luck.

The GPS says Mekarebya is at 13°21'8.31"N 38° 1'18.38"E at an elevation of 1879m ASL.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, Apr 19/07
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