What a fantastic day. Our hotel has a beautiful garden with masses of tall yellow or red lilies(??? - perhaps like those in John B's garden) and a massive fig tree supporting the roof of the outside restaurant. It is right on the shore of Lake Tana, which is the source of the mighty Blue Nile. The lake itself is a massive 2156 sq km compared to, say, Windermere at a rather paltry 15. (Lake Victoria is 68,870 sq km!).
Passing by pelicans bobbing on the water and with a flock of terns wheeling overhead, we took a small boat across to one of the many monasteries in and around the lake. An African fish eagle on a tree and a hornbill flying by greeted our arrival on land, followed by a beautiful walk through a forest of "dappled glades", taking in the local flora and fauna, e.g. vervet monkeys running through the tree tops.
We arrived at our destination - a round church in the middle of the forest. Dating from the 14th century (when it of course had a thatched roof rather than metal) and with murals from the 16th, we were all rather enchanted by it - particularly as we had a superb guide. We learnt more from him than in all our previous visits to churches - for example there are many more books in the Ethiopian orthodox bible than "ours", plus the Mary chronicles, which helps to explain why so many of us have been rather baffled by many of the murals previously. He explained quite a number to us - fascinating. And everything, everything, in a church is symbolic. He also said that there is now a phrase in English - "to be Assanged", i.e. to be unjustly accused. Is this now common in the U.K.? Or simply in Ethiopia?
There was a small museum which shows even more crowns of Ethiopian emperors.
Before we embarked again, we had a coffee in a small straw hut, with banana leaves on the earth floor, while local frankincense smoked away in front of us - it's a hard life for we overlanders.
And to add to all of this, our return journey was via the start of the Blue Nile itself, 1450km before it joins the White Nile at Khartoum on its long way to Alexandria. I found it almost exotic to be at the very source of such a great river in history. Although the Victorians of course strove to find "the source if the (White) Nile", the origin of the Blue was in fact discovered by a Scot, James Bruce, way back in 1790 - and it is the Blue that contributes most of the water to the great river north of Khartoum. As we were entering the river, a chap in a papyrus boat paddled by - just like in ancient Egypt.
Later on, three of us went for a walk out from town to the Nile bridge and to the Martyrs Memorial Monument on the banks of the river. Very impressive, but needs a little TLC, e.g. a good clean in parts, and for the eternal flame to be lit! As we arrived, so did the bride and groom - bride gave me a wave and a broad smile. As perhaps in many cities, you see here utter poverty next door to gleaming modernity.
In the evening, we bumped into another bridal party, where bride and groom were just leaving the restaurant, wearing white robes and gold "crowns".
All in all, yet another boring day.
Can almost feel the heat and smell the smells very evocative.
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