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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Category Archives: Ethiopia

lake langano in ethiopia

30 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Africa, Bishangari Lodge, Ethiopia, Lake Langano

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Ethiopia, Travel

Tuesday, October 30:  Since I’m not reblogging my posts about Ethiopia onto this blog, I invite you to come along on my visit to Lake Langano, about 3 hours south of Addis Ababa.  Click on any of the links below to read about my time at Bishangari Lodge.

pelicans and cormorants along the shores of lake langano in ethiopia

pelicans and cormorants along the shores of lake langano in ethiopia

a drive to lake langano in ethiopia

the bishangari eco-lodge at lake langano, ethiopia

the dry pumice stone eco-zone at lake langano

the beach at bishangari lodge

fine feathered friends along lake langano’s shores {Sunday}

a dawn birdwatching expedition at lake langano

massages & creature encounters at lake langano

a hippo-spotting walk in the blue light… {…but where are the hippos?}

hobnobbing with the shorebirds at lake langano

I hope you’ll come along on my journey and enjoy some spectacular sights through my eyes. 🙂

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Lalibela, Ethiopia

27 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Africa, Ethiopia, Lalibela

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Saturday, October 27:  I decided not to reblog my posts from my trip to Ethiopia on to this blog.  However, if any of you are interested in reading about my time in Lalibela, here are the links to my posts.

arrival in the land of lalibela

legends of lalibela & bet medhane alem {northern group of churches}

bet maryam {& the small chapels of bet meskel & bet danaghel}

bet mikael, bet golgotha, bet uraiel & the tomb of adam {northern lalibela churches}

the tukuls of lalibela. {hadish adi.}

the wonder of lalibela: bet giyorgis

lalibela’s southeastern churches

evening in lalibela

the lalibela saturday market

Man heading to market in Lalibela
Man heading to market in Lalibela
Worshipers leaving Bet Mikael in Lalibela
Worshipers leaving Bet Mikael in Lalibela
Me on the edge of Bet Giyogis, Lalibela, Ethiopia
Me on the edge of Bet Giyogis, Lalibela, Ethiopia
the magnificent Bet Giyorgis
the magnificent Bet Giyorgis
the valley near Lalibela
the valley near Lalibela

I hope you enjoy my Lalibela experience. 🙂

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eid al-adha & a birthday escape to ethiopia

24 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Addis Ababa, Africa, Bishangari Lodge, Ethiopia, Lake Langano, Lalibela, Mountain View Hotel Lalibela

≈ 34 Comments

Wednesday, October 24: Tomorrow, October 25, is my birthday!  At my age, this shouldn’t be anything to celebrate.  After all, who wants to be a year older?  Yet.  I always believe in celebrating my birthday (hey, at least I’m still alive!) and I love to have people celebrate with me. In addition to it being my birthday, it is also Eid al-Adha in the Arab world, and so luckily my birthday coincides with a 9 day holiday in Oman.  Lucky me!

Eid al-Adha is the “Festival of Sacrifice” celebrated by Muslims the world over to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to God.  Lucky for Abraham, God intervened and provided his faithful servant with a ram to sacrifice instead of his son.  The actual Eid al-Adha holiday is Friday, October 26, but the government grants a week off, as does the university.

Soon after the clock strikes midnight on this 57th birthday of mine, around 1:00 a.m., I will hop in my car, suitcase in hand, and head to Seeb International Airport in Muscat for a 4:50 a.m. flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  I dread the early hour of this flight, but I’m excited about my trip.  As all of you know, I LOVE to travel!!  I’m happiest when I’m thrown into a foreign culture and left to my own devices.

I came across this quote today on Facebook: “There are seven days in the week and someday isn’t one of them.”  It gives me food for thought.  I am thankful that in the last six years of my life, I have been able to do things that I used to say I would do “someday.” I am still trying to do this, as much as I possibly can, despite the fact that often I have to sacrifice a lot in this life journey of mine.

My long-time friend, who works in the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, will be my travel companion and guide.  He has been in Ethiopia for a year already, so I’m lucky to have someone who knows Ethiopia.  He has planned some fun excursions, and I’m happy to have him work out the logistics.  I can’t wait!!

So far, here’s what he has planned.  Aware of the fact that I will arrive without having had any sleep, he hasn’t planned much for my first day, even though I arrive at 7:30 a.m.  I told him not to worry, I will be too excited to sleep anyway.  He says we can go celebrate my birthday at an Ethiopian restaurant within walking distance of his house.

Early the morning of the 26th, we have a domestic flight and private tour of the 13th and 14th century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, where we will stay overnight in the Mountain View Hotel Lalibela.  The next morning, we will go to Lalibela town’s weekly open market and then fly back to Addis that afternoon.

The morning of the 28th, we will drive 3 hours outside of Addis Ababa to Lake Langano, where we will stay two nights at an eco-lodge called Bishangari Lodge.  According to the lodge’s website: Imagine a natural retreat of outstanding beauty that combines five unique ecological zones, a secluded setting that is host to over 400 bird species, a diverse range of wildlife, spectacular array of plant life and un-spoilt biodiversity. Bishangari Lodge is less than 250 km South of Addis Ababa, situated on the shores of Lake Langano, Bishangari’s secret has been safe thanks to its inaccessibility.

The lodge has been designed on sound environmental principles utilizing solar power and biogas for energy. The lodges have been constructed using natural materials and traditional techniques, without compromising on the quality and luxury of the accommodation. It is a natural retreat of outstanding beauty that combines five ecological zones;- wetlands, beach and lake, the forest, the dry pumice rocks and the acacia shrub.

The rest of our time, we will spend exploring Addis Ababa and all the city has to offer.

According to Visit 2 Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is the capital of modern Ethiopia and gateway for most tourists, as well as the political and commercial heart of the country.  Now a city of around 4 million people, it was founded by Emperor Menelik the second in 1877.

The name Addis Ababa means “new flower.” This big, sprawling, hospitable city is more than 2,200 meters high in the foothills of Entoto Mountain. Addis Ababa is one of the third capital cities in the world with high altitude after Katmandu and La Paz. Modern buildings and wide-open boulevards stand side by side with historic churches, palaces and monuments, as well as simple country-style huts. The air is filled with the scent of flowers and eucalyptus trees, and the rich vibrancy of a city that is home to so many cultures.

Modern Addis Ababa also plays a vital role in hosting many international organizations, including the AU, ECA (the Economic Commission for Africa), and other multi-national organizations, who all have their headquarters here. Addis Ababa is as well one of the most crowded diplomatic cities of the world.

If you’d like to come along on my journey to Ethiopia, please visit african meanderings {& musings}.

I’ll see you all when I return home on Friday, November 2!

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~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

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PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

life at the edge

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

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Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

Storyshucker

A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

Thee Life, Thee Heart, Thee Tears

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

life at the edge

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

Storyshucker

A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.

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