LLI ==> ADD ==> Road trip to Lake Langano and a poor decision

Itinerary - Day 12: Lalibela - Addis Ababa - Lake Langano

After breakfast, transfer to Lalibela airport for the flight to Addis Ababa. Upon arrival you will be met by your driver for the drive to Langano, part of the Great Ethiopian Rift Valley. where there are chains of beautiful lakes. These lakes are famous for their abundant bird life and local fish markets. Driving from Addis to Langano, en-route you will visit different towns and rift valley lakes including, Zway, Debrezeit and Mojo. You will also visit: Lake Zway and Abijata Shalla before you reach Langano.  After check in to the lake side Bishangari Lodge, at Langano, the rest of the day you have the choice to relax around the lake or trek on the top of the hill surrounding the lake to enjoy the beautiful scenery across.

Journal: Today is an inflection day in our tour. We have completed our tour of the North, and begin our tour of Southern Ethiopia and the Omo Valley. Thus far our tour transpired in the highlands, weather was temperate, and the focus was on history, ancient churches, monasteries and spectacular vistas. As Yohanes says - the south is a different country. We are expecting hot and dry and a greater focus on the peoples and culture of the Omo Valley.

We are back on an Ethiopian Air Bombardier Q400 and flying from Lalibela to Addis Ababa. Alxe meets us at the airport and we begin the long 250 km drive south.  The guys know it's a long haul, and recommend we defer some of the items in the itinerary until we make the return drive to Addis a week hence.  Sounds good to us.  After lunch, we hit the road.

The drive to Lake Langano

 So without much sight seeing, and not much point in again focusing on The Road, we'll use this post to discuss another topic that is always of interest to me. Food.

Coffee ceremony and fresh greens at a roadside stand on the road to Bishingari

I was a little worried after yesterday's binge of local food, some consumed under less than sanitary condition.  Basically I ate everything that was put in front of me, in every location throughout the day, including: injara cooked on an open fire in a traditional thatched home, fresh locally brewed fermented ale, a home cooked Ethiopian feast, honey beer, a couple of coffee ceremonies, and shots of Ethiopian white whiskey. Basically I broke every rule we've made for ourselves about consuming food and drink in a 3rd world country. And the consequences? No problems whatsoever. 

After landing at Addis, we stop at Passion Burger - just outside of the airport for lunch. A burger sounds good to both Sigrid and me so...

Passion Burger

Note the mayonnaise and fresh lettuce, tomato, and onions. Even as I eat this, it occurs to me that if this was our first day arrival in Addis Ababa instead of our 12th day in country, I never would have consumed it.  The rule is to eat nothing that is not cooked or peeled. Particularly immediately before a long drive. And the consequences of eating the burger? No problem whatsoever.

Bishingari Tree House Bar

 Bishigari Lodge  is a very nice resort on the shore of Lake Langano. We arrive in time for dinner.

Toasts and dinner in Bishingari

During the long drive, we discussed a variety of topics, including our two previous trips to Africa. Sigrid explains that over the entire 8+ weeks that we've traveled in Africa to date, neither of us had ever gotten sick.  Not once. What is that proverb?... something about:  Pride goes before the fall?

This was the menu of the day. See that avocado salad on the menu? It was avocado, tomato, and onion with a light dressing.  It was fresh, it looked great, and it was delicious. Avocados are peeled. Onions are peeled. Tomatoes are not.

That's what got us.

Editiors Note: I intend to pre-load and schedule automated blog posts with the daily itinerary for our Ethiopian adventure. For those interested, this may be an easy way to follow along. Since we will not have internet access for most of the trip, my hope is this will make it easier to add some pics and journal commentary if and when we run across an internet connection. If there are no pics or commentary, you'll just have to wait until we get back. We'll see how it goes. UPDATED

Road Trip to Axum

Itinerary Day 08: Simien Mountains National Park-Axum

After breakfast, start driving to Axum through the beautiful sceneries of Simien Mountains, Limalimo, Tekeze River Gorge. While driving from Simien Mountains to Axum, you will have a brief stop at different parts of the park for the best view. You will have picnic lunch under the shade of the tree past the Tekeze River Gorge whilst enjoying the beautiful Simien Mountains scenery from distance. Past the Tekeze River Gorge whilst enjoying the beautiful Simien Mountains scenery from distance, you will have picnic lunch under the shade of a tree and continue driving to Axum.

Even google couldn't find the route

 Journal:  Another day, another road trip. 300+ kilometers from the Simien Lodge to Axum.  The story of this road trip is the road itself. The first part of the road out of the park was built by the Italians during the occupation from 1936 – 1941. Whatever else one might say about the Italians – good, bad or indifferent – they build good roads in tough terrain and they've been doing it since the Roman Empire.

The first part of the road out of Mountains is reminiscent of roads to be found in the hills of rural Italy. Very narrow, cut out of steep terrain, rock retaining walls and terraces, hairpin cutbacks winding down and up and down the shifting elevation with sheer drop off the shoulder.

 Then we ran into the construction. Virtually the entire length of the road from the Simien Mountains to Axum is under repair or being completely rebuilt. This meant the road ranged from rough, to really rough, to barely passable, to literally impassible as we sat and waited for a bulldozer to clear a massive pile of rock out of the roadway. Or wait while our guide Yohanes ran ahead of the car and help some locals push a boulder on to the shoulder (I would have helped him if I knew that was what he was intending - really). 

These pictures do not convey the nature of the road or the ride. I have some video clips that might do a better job, but since I cannot keep the blog up to date with the intermittent internet connections as it is, video additions will have to wait until we get home.

Lunch spot

 Highlights of the day were a “picnic” lunch break under a tree near the top of a pass, and the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at a roadside cafe when we finally got back on asphalt about 30 kliks outside of Axum.

Ahhh... asphalt.

Can't say enough about our driver Alex. He handles the the Toyota Land Cruiser like the pro that he is. Perhaps the best indicator of my confidence in his driving skill was simply this - While he was dodging donkeys, cattle, locals, buses, and trucks around the hairpin turns with sheer dropoffs, I was snoring in the passenger seat for some of  the 10 hour road trip.

Alex

Editors Note: I intend to pre-load and schedule automated blog posts with the daily itinerary for our Ethiopian adventure. For those interested, this may be an easy way to follow along. Since we will not have internet access for most of the trip, my hope is this will make it easier to add some pics and journal commentary if and when we run across an internet connection. If there are no pics or commentary, you'll just have to wait until we get back. We'll see how it goes.

Most Dangerous Drive Redux - Back to Kathmandu and Nagarkot

Itinerary:

"Feb 25 - Chitwan - Nagarkot. 5:30 a.m.: Wake-up call followed by tea/coffee.
6:00 a.m.: Bird Watching / Elephant Safari / Jungle Walk.
8:00 a.m.: Breakfast.
9:30 a.m.: Departure. Drive to Nagarkot. Arrive at Nagarkot and check in your hotel."
Late afternoon - You can choose to wander around the village or indulge in a short trek in the surrounding wilderness."

This day had the greatest variance from the expectations set in the itinerary and your loyal blogger's single biggest gripe about the trip. As I've said before, in general we were very happy with the itinerary, planning and service provided by Easy Tours of India during the trip. But this day was a big time miss.

Our last Elephant Safari was a great start on the day, but the itinerary simply does not appreciate the nature of the drive to get back to Kathmandu, and Nagarkot is on the other side of Kathmandu.


So instead of a miserable six hour drive back on one of the most dangerous roads in the world, it actually becomes miserable eight hour drive...


...with the last two hours fighting traffic in rush hour through the smog choked streets of Kathmandu - before beginning the climb to Nagarkot.

By the time we got to Kathmandu we needed a break, and Surendra wanted to pick up at least one of the sites we missed during our previous strike-hobbled tour of the city. So we spent a few minutes stretching our legs and enjoying the views at the Swayambhunath Temple...


...also known as the "Monkey Temple" - for obvious reasons:

By the time we finally get to Nagarkot it is dark, and the itinerary suggestion to "wander around the village" or "indulge in a short wilderness trek" is fantasy. It just can't happen on the back end of this drive, even if our kidneys had held out and we had not stopped at the monkey temple.

The first Kathmandu - Chitwan drive could be justified based on an opportunity to see Nepal from the road, and to avoid the unreliability of Nepal air travel. But making a long drive back even longer, arriving after dark, and knowing that we would be getting up to greet the dawn and then head immediately back down to the airport - all to get one early morning view of the Himalayas - struck me as batshit insane. Hey - it is a nice view - just not worth that drive.

Kathmandu to Royal Chitwan National Park: Dangerous drives and elephant rides

Sunset at Royal Chitwan National Park

Itinerary:

"Feb 23 - Kathmandu - Chitwan. Check out from your hotel after breakfast and proceed on the drive to Royal Chitwan National Park. Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the best managed and preserved in Asia and is home to many species of rare wildlife, including the rare one horned rhino, the Bengal tiger, up to four species of deer, sloth bear, leopard, and many more. More than 400 species of birds can be seen in the Park, including many that are only found here. During the two nights stay here we undertake jungle safaris, elephant rides, nature walks, canoe rides etc. You are invited to witness the local Tharu stick dance on at least one of the evenings. On reaching the resort, our guest relations officer will brief you on the Park and available activities.
1:00 p.m.: Lunch.
3:30 p.m.: Elephant Safari / Jungle Walk/ Nature walk with Boat ride.
8:00 p.m.: Dinner."

Up early, we repack and reorganize the luggage (again), check out of the Dwarikas Hotel then hit the road to the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Royal Chitwan National Park.

It is a six hour drive over a mountain pass so we settle in for long haul. Nothing like a road trip to better acquaint us with our driver and guide. Surendra and I review the morning Kathmandu Post, and discuss Nepalese politics.

Surendra is an interesting guy. Born in Kathmandu, he has lived in Nepal his entire life and speaks English with a precise British accent. As a boy he remembers his father bringing him to a raucous celebration for climber/sherpa Tenzing Norgay after his successful climb of Everest with Sir Edmond Hillary.

After our exposure to the demonstrations and strikes, I am increasingly intrigued by Nepal politics. Surendra provides an introductory tutorial during the drive as we discuss an article on China relations in the morning paper. There are many factions fighting for power, and an imminent trigger for change . A new Constitution is yet to be written, but is mandated to be implemented in the next 100 days. It does not sound like a good mix to me. Perhaps we will help them get it right. Perhaps not.

We climb out of the fog and smog of the Kathmandu valley. I think we are experiencing an inversion layer that rivals the worst of LA smog days.

Belching brick kiln smokestacks and massive truck traffic spewing diesel exhaust is trapped in the air we are breathing. Sigrid has developed a cough, and the dust and bad air is wreaking havoc on my sinuses. The air gets better as the road climbs higher.

This is a dangerous road. Undivided, narrow, and pockmarked with potholes, a lot of traffic compete for the limited roadspace. Everything from trucks, cars, scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, rickshaws, camels, pedestrians, and ox drawn carts weave through and around each other as the road winds up and down the mountains. The left "shoulder" is an abrupt 2-3 foot drop from the roadbed to ditch. A wheel drifiting six inches off the road could easily roll a van or truck. The right shoulder was a 100 foot drop to the river bed below. Occasionally with concrete or rock protecting travelers against the edge, more often - not.

Over the six hour drive we saw two trucks inverted on the left shoulder, and as we approached the crest of a hill, saw people peering at the wreckage of a vehicle over the side on the right where it had plunged off the cliff moments before.

Okay... I was a bit nervous on this drive. But Hari is a careful driver, and there were great vistas and interesting things to see along the way. We take a rest break, enjoy the views, drink some chai, and use the facilities.

Yeah, we're not in Kansas anymore, but we already knew that.

We are met at the Tiger Top Jungle Lodge landing strip, have lunch and a beer, and are transported to the lodge. We were glad to be here.

At the landing strip.

Next time, we'll fly in.

We join our luggage fording a river.

We join our luggage on a jungle drive.

Our luggage gets a briefing...

...and makes it to our room.

Finally, our first Elephant back safari...

...and we are real glad to be here.

More critters in the next post.

On the road again - Ranthambore to Jaipur - Happy Valentines Day!

Itinerary:

"Feb 14: Afternoon - Check out of your hotel and proceed on a drive to Jaipur. Arrive at Jaipur and check in to your hotel. There is a break for lunch.
Late afternoon - Proceed for a brief city tour of the walled city of Jaipur, including the magnificent City Palace..."

The first part of the Itinerary is the most difficult - checking out of the Oberoi Vanyavilas. Our focus on the game drives left us little time to take advantage of the services and facilities offered at the resort.

One facility I didn't miss was the observation tower that offers a 360 degree vista of the hotel grounds, our "tent" and the adjoining National Park. The previous night, A tiger was spotted walking along the road visible in this panorama.

Sigrid outside our "tent"

Another resort facility we took full advantage of was the courtyard dining room. We did not miss a meal. The food was spectacular.




But this blog, like your travel reporters themselves, must finally, reluctantly leave Ranthambore...

Elephants see us off as we step through the door to our waiting car.

On the road to Jaipur

One interesting sight along the way were the many "Jhogards" or "jugars" on the road:


"Jugar" literally translates as "temporary arrangement". These "temporary arrangements" are hand crafted vehicles fashioned by carpenters and craftsmen in rural India,. They are powered by diesel engines intended for use as water well pumps. Shurveer informs us that the vehicles are unlicensed and completely illegal for use on the road, but very popular among farmers for local transportation. They cost considerably less than vehicles build by legitimate manufacturers. We saw a lot of them, used for everything from a pickup truck, to a mobile bandstand, for delivery services, or even as a bus.

When we arrived in Jaipur we did some touring, but I don't remember which sites we saw this day or the next, so I will consolidate our Jaipur pictures in the tomorrow's post. As a proxy:

Tourist reflected in the largest silver cistern ever created.

We check in at the Taj Rambagh Palace...


...and enjoy a Valentines day dinner under the portrait of Maharani Shri Gayatri Devi Sahiba, the late Maharani of Jaipur, once included in a Vogue magazine list of the '"World's ten most Beautiful Women". I don't think she holds a candle to my valentine.