Day 30 - Gonder

An early start to try and get to the border before the forecast rush which we seemed to manage successfully. A border crossing like I have never seen before - nothing for example like a sign saying "welcome to Ethiopia" or flags of both nations, Ian described it as "low key". On the Sudanese side, you somehow find which building you go into first, and then another etc etc for some very laid back passport checks, and suddenly you are over a small bridge and into Ethiopia.

And quite a change. Everything seems different - and not just the immediate, and very obvious, change in lettering. Although small and dusty, the Ethiopian immigration office had chairs and air conditioning (!) and no fewer than four computer terminals with integral webcam (?) for taking your photograph as you sit there - and this plus electronic finger printing machines (four fingers, and then thumb separately, each hand). This is very definitely a different country.

And then we were off into Ethiopia and perhaps the most obvious change was the fact that women do not wear the hijab. The countryside became greener and greener as we ascended into a different world from that we have experienced for the past month. The countryside is so green! So unexpected after the Ethiopian famine pictures we all remembered from our tv screens all those years ago. And the soil looks so rich and dark. (are other parts of the country still in famine?). And then came the real highlight - the six of us climbed up on to the roof seats and sat there as Helena climbed up and up through ever more beautiful countryside. And the people all seem so friendly, waving and smiling at us almost before we waved at them. In the end, I just stopped taking pictures as no photograph or whole series of them can give more than a mere hint of this experience. Quite quite wonderful.

For once, we arrived at our destination well before dark, to find a most acceptable, upmarket hotel - even complimentary flip flops, and HOT WATER. !!!! After the Sudan, we feel we have earned it. Went to the local brewery for dinner (beer at last!) to find the place thumping with pop music being blasted at seemingly several thousand decibels - very definitely not my scene. But then it all went quiet before nine o'clock, and we had the place virtually to ourselves as we tucked in to Ethiopian style spaghetti bolognese, washed down with glasses of Dashen's best local ale.