Bahir Dar: Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana

Nature. Photo: Adrienne C. Wilson

After building the team took off for some R&R to reflect and mentally prepare for the trip back home. R&R also provides the opportunity to see a different part of the country depending on the type of Global Village build. I have been informed though that the R&R will no longer be a part of Global Village programs and for several good reasons. Some of which I can relate to from leading on this first trip. Expectations are harder to manage and it often involves a major amount of planning on the in-country host. There are other reasons the change is being implemented, but I’ll save that for a future post.

The team prepares to take on the Blue Nile Falls. Photo: Tour guide

Our R&R was two part. The first was for nature and history lovers in Bahir Dar, where we explored the Blue Nile Falls (Tis Isat). Tis Isat, a name given by the locals means – water that smokes. There are three ways to get to the falls once you reach the village of Tis Isat (32km southeast of Bahir Dar). We decided to take the hour and a half hike up with a three minute boat ride back. The hike was more than some of bargained for and I wasn’t given the right details to provide to my team. (Lesson learned: Ask more/many, many detailed questions.) Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the Blue Nile Falls as much as I would have wanted. When you are busy trying to keep people on schedule it becomes a lot more like herding cattle.

Still, I had the opportunity to witness such a beautiful place in nature’s space and for that I am grateful.

Photos: I. Williams

Blue Nile Falls. Photo: Adrienne C. Wilson

Blue Nile Falls. Photo: Adrienne C. Wilson

Lake Tana. Photo: J. Seson

On our second day in Bahir Dar we hoped on a boat to cruise Lake Tana’s brown water in search of the many monasteries. By this time many of us just wanted to cruise on the boat and catch some sweet African sun. After you’ve seen two or three churches in Ethiopia it feels like you’ve seen them all. So unless you are ridiculously into the history of each one they can become a bit of the same. Secondly, women aren’t allowed inside several of the monasteries, but the few they can visit are said to be some of the more interesting one. Our first stop was the Ura Kidane Meret, the Zege Peninsula’s most famous monastery. Our second visit was at the Entos-Eyesu Monastery. It wasn’t as interesting as the first in my own opinion, but I was on the verge of church and monastery burn out. All this could have very well happened after Meskel in Addis.

I’m not too certain of the timing, but I do know that the boat ride on Lake Tana was quiet pleasant. We also celebrated Zinash’s birthday that day and had ice cream for the first time in Ethiopia. It actually tasted pretty yummy even though I got stuck eating the extra chocolate. But I will silence this babble and let the pictures do the talking.

All photos above by yours truly.