When you finally drop over the last summit, after the bus has weaved its way up and down the hills from place to place, the towns laid out in front of you are always something to gaze on. Arriving in Adwa was no different from any other town. There's no ring road or main inlet route. You could well be driving through the market or even someone's driveway. All markets, everywhere, of all sizes, sell the same goods. Plastic bowls, metal utensils, rubber sandals and fabric. Adwa is a relatively large town, what would be a key border trading town, if the border was open with Eritrea. The "centre", like many towns, is a basically a long road.
I was visiting friends - I mean "experience sharing with co-volunteers". Not surprisingly, the computer lab and college are not that different. The 12 new universities currently under development around Ethiopia are completely identical. My colleagues informed me before leaving that the accent would be very different here and I may struggle to understand them. Mmmm, I thought! The day is spent learning a straight forward drinking game. After opening our bottles, we look on the base of the top for a number. Lowest pays. Later that evening, I enjoy some habasha–style ferenji food. Expensive, and it would appear time consuming to prepare, but always very tasty.
Monday was "Victory in Adwa Day". This momentous occasion marks the defeat of the Italians invasion from the north on 1 March 1896. Humiliating at the time as it was the first time a European army had been defeated by an African one. It remains an intensely proud moment for all Ethiopians as it reminds them (and every foreigner) that they are the only country never to have been colonised in Africa. The celebration was held in the football stadium, which saw all the local schools spectating in their array of colourful uniforms. After persuading someone that we did not need a 4x4 to drive us across the field to the stands and we were happy to sit with everyone else, we settled down. Unfortunately on the far side of the action and struggled to see the floats, dances and singing from each region. Maybe we should have accepted the invitation. Later on, a Catholic school, run by an Italian nun, was given the honour of presenting a "dance". They began by marching to "Colonel Bogey", followed by a quick step of Presley's "Hound Dog" and then spelt out something to some pan pipes.
The following day, we visited Axum, a short distance from Adwa. Outside Addis, Axum probably has the biggest tourist attractions. The first being the "stelae" fields – 75 solid granite carved rocks of various shapes and sizes. Most are carved with a door and nine windows which are thought to symbolise the chambers of Ezana's tomb. The largest (see photo on flickr) is 23m tall originally from a quarry 4km away but recently returned by Italy. Various stories exist on their purpose and how they were constructed, the most interesting involving the Ark of the Covenant's mysterious powers. Raiders of the Lost Ark fans will undoubtedly remember the Nazi face being stripped away by the very same artefact. Ethiopia claims that the Ark is stored over the road in the Church of St. Mary of Tsion. However, only one priest alive has ever seen it and his role is guardian and keeper.
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