![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.mjsilver.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1.-catholic-cathedral.jpg\")
<\/a>The Catholic Cathedral in Adigrat<\/p><\/div>\n
Adigrat had a special draw for me.\u00a0 Early on in the stages of preparation for Ethiopia this was the place I was supposed to go.\u00a0 It seems distant history now, but I had invested a lot of time and energy in finding out about this place and its surroundings as well as investigating the local language, Tigrinya.\u00a0 Naturally I was extremely curious about the place.\u00a0 As with so many of my stops I was lucky to be able to visit a fellow volunteer and the local knowledge as always proved useful.\u00a0 My time in Adigrat was short, but it was enough to get a feel for the town and to visit a few places.\u00a0 I wandered down to the Catholic Cathedral and running into a member of the local clergy asked if I could be let into the locked building.\u00a0 Obliging and even providing some information about the building I entered into the tranquil calm of the church a far cry from the bustle of the Adigrat streets.\u00a0 It was a fairly modern building and the priest was clearly extremely proud of the ecumenical work and spoke of a recent funeral where members of a variety of denominations and religions had been in attendance together as well as a weekly ecumenical prayer session.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Inside Adigrat Cathedral (Entry: Free – take note Ethiopian Orthodox Church)<\/p><\/div>\n
There is also a painting above the sanctuary which includes symbols or buildings connected to all the Abrahamic religions.\u00a0 One of things that Ethiopians seem to be very good at \u2013 at least publicly is religious tolerance.\u00a0 Most, if not all, of the countries I have visited previously could learn a thing or two on this front.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Adigrat Street Scene<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the things I enjoyed most about Adigrat was just walking the streets.\u00a0 Since the war with Eritrea this former border town has suffered economically from the border remaining closed and gives the impression of a former glory now slightly decayed.\u00a0 However, it is also a town under construction and perhaps has a brighter future ahead.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The new growing behind the old<\/p><\/div>\n
It was also the first place I managed to get the elusive \u201cdoro wat\u201d.\u00a0 This is the famous Ethiopia chicken dish that in spite of seeing chickens everywhere and the name featuring on numerous menus no restaurant seems to have.\u00a0 It lived up to its reputation of being a fine dish and one that is definitely worth hunting for.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Which came first the chicken or the egg?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Here they come together.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
The volunteer I was staying with was, by coincidence, heading to Mekele the final place on my tour and I was fortunate enough to be able to join her in the hospital car that was taking her to the city.\u00a0 As the car pulled out of the city I found myself hoping to return because there was one thing I had not had time to do.\u00a0 When I had been doing all my research I had read about the rock churches of Tigray and one of the biggest draws when I thought I would be working in Adigrat was that I would be able to take trips out to see several of these.\u00a0 On this occasion I had not had enough time to do see even one.\u00a0 This is the one thing at the top of my Ethiopia \u201cto do\u201d list before I leave.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Is this doro wat made with nestlings?<\/p><\/div>\n
Mekele is quite the city and in many ways more developed than many of the other places I have visited in Ethiopia.\u00a0 Apparently this has happened over the last 20 years or so.\u00a0 I had no particular plans of anything I wished to see there \u2013 most of it is modern anyway, but again it was good to wander the streets and just get a feel for the place.\u00a0 It is also the launching point for those who wish to head out to the Danakil Depression \u2013 the hottest place on Earth (I think its claim comes from having the highest average temperature) and also to where the remains of \u201cLucy\u201d were found \u2013 everyone\u2019s great, great, great, etc., etc., grandmother; this leading to the claim of Ethiopia being the birthplace of modern humans.\u00a0 However, more recent discoveries have led to several other countries nearby countering this claim.\u00a0 The reality being that this was now so long ago we\u2019ll never know for sure.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Streets of Mekele<\/p><\/div>\n
From Mekele I broke my land only rule and took the plane back to Addis, mainly because the bus seemed to be permanently booked for the next \u201cx\u201d days.\u00a0 I had unsuccessfully tried to get the bus from Addis to Mekele previously and then heard, while in Axum, of another volunteer unable to take the bus from Mekele to Addis for the same reason of it being booked out leading to a convoluted and difficult several days travel.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t seem worth the hassle and I get a glimpse of the Afar region as the plane flew via that way.\u00a0 Definitely glad that I hadn\u2019t been posted there, although it may be worth a brief, very brief, visit one day- if I have time.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Addis chaos<\/p><\/div>\n
Addis was Addis; the same hustle and bustle and craziness as ever.\u00a0 I stayed a few days before heading back south with just a brief overnight in Hawassa and then an early morning bus to Adola.\u00a0 There was something pleasant as the bus turned off the main highway onto the side road to Adola and began to climb up into the green hills.\u00a0 Yes, the north had the majestic beauty of the Simian Mountains and Nile Gorge, but it didn\u2019t have the life of the mountains in the south.\u00a0 Both have their charms and the trip north was unquestionably amazing, with special thanks to all the volunteers who accommodated and helped me out.\u00a0 Still, it was good to be heading home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Like many of the bus journeys on this trip I was once again greeted by stunning vistas across unspoilt countryside.\u00a0 Ancient terraces, still in use, cut into mountainsides up steep valleys, wrecked lorries and buses lying crushed a few hundred … Continue reading