Ethiopia Revealed. October 23 to November 8, a program of the stanford alumni association. legendary land of churches and mountains

Transcription

1 S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y Ethiopia Revealed legendary land of churches and mountains October 23 to November 8, 2013 a program of the stanford alumni association

2 Ethiopia is both breathtaking and extraordinary, a country perched on a high plateau in a region known as the Horn of Africa. Its independence and regional role in Africa extend over a period of more than 2,000 years. A country of surprising contrasts, it has maintained its autonomy and its cultural, religious and artistic traditions. Ethiopia is home to an indigenous Christian Church centered in Lalibela where remarkable churches have been hand-carved out of solid red volcanic rock. Its rich religious and social history is matched by amazing natural wonders such as the Tis Isat Falls and the Simien Mountains. We are fortunate to have Professor Joel Samoff, an African studies expert, leading the way. His knowledge of the area s history and his experience in advising international agencies and African NGOs on development and education provide the perfect educational focus for this journey. Brett S. Thompson, 83, Director, Stanford Travel/Study Highlights WATCH the Blue Nile plummet over a 130-foothigh wall at Tis Isat Falls near the river s headwaters at Lake Tana. EXPLORE the amazing rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, carved below ground from the red lava soil in the 13th century. VISIT the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, believed by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to contain the Ark of the Covenant.

3 R SUDAN Gondar Axum SIMIEN NATIONAL PARK Lake Tana Lalibela Bahr Dar E THIOPIA Itinerary Wednesday & Thursday, October 23 & 24 DEPART U.S. / ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Depart the U.S. on an overnight flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia s largest city and third-highest capital in the world at an elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. Upon arrival on Thursday, transfer to our hotel and check in. This afternoon, enjoy a brief orientation tour that includes a visit to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the country s largest Orthodox church. SHERATON ADDIS HOTEL (10/24: D) Friday, October 25 ADDIS ABABA Here, tall office buildings, elegant villas and marble theaters vie for our attention alongside traditional homes formed of wattle and daub, a 6,000-yearold building method in which lattices of wooden strips are held together with clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Visit the National Museum to view a replica of the 3.5-million-year-old skull of Lucy, whose remains, discovered in 1974, forced a complete rethinking of human evolution. Continue to St. George s Cathedral, an elegant domed church Blue Nile Addis Ababa with modern paintings and mosaics. Explore the Mercato, the capital s biggest shopping area, where grain, spices, clothes, ironware and baskets are sold. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner at our hotel this evening. SHERATON ADDIS HOTEL (B,L,D) Saturday, October 26 ADDIS ABABA / HARAR This morning, fly to Dire Dawa and continue by bus to Harar, enjoying spectacular views of the Great Rift Valley plains en route. This afternoon explore the walled medieval town of Harar, the spiritual heart of the large Muslim community in Ethiopia. Its 90 mosques are said to form the world s largest concentration of mosques. RAS HOTEL (B,L,D) Sunday, October 27 HARAR Explore Harar s Christian and Muslim markets where colorfully dressed Harari women stroll through the streets in red, purple or black dresses and bright orange shawls, balancing heavy bundles of cloth or baskets on their heads. This afternoon visit a gegar, a typical Harari home, and admire antiquities at the Government Museum. RAS HOTEL (B,L,D) Monday & Tuesday, October 28 & 29 HARAR / BAHR DAR / LAKE TANA Fly to Addis Ababa and connect with our flight to Bahr Dar, a town located at the southern shore of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the Blue Nile. This area is the traditional home of the Christian Amhara people, who make up approximately 30 percent of Ethiopia s population. Enjoy an excursion to Tis Isat ( Blue Nile ) Falls, where the Blue Nile plunges over a 130-foot-high rock face. Learn about the Woito people who live by the lake and visit with one of their lakeside communities. Back in Bahr Dar, wander through the local market, known for its wood products and basket weavings. KURIFTU RESORT AND SPA (B,L,D both days) Wednesday, October 30 LAKE TANA / GONDAR During a boat cruise around Lake Tana, discover the area s historic churches and island monasteries, including Ura Kidane Mehret with its colorful frescoes of biblical scenes. After a picnic lunch onboard, disembark and drive to Gondar. TAYE HOTEL (B,L,D)

4 e d S e a DJIBOUTI Harar Thursday, October 31 GONDAR Founded in 1635 by Emperor Fasilidas, Gondar is home to Moorish- and Portuguese-style castles and imperial buildings that are some of Ethiopia s most fascinating sights. Visit the Royal Enclosure, where high stone walls surround five castles and a complex of connecting tunnels and raised walkways, and Fasilidas castle, a mid-17thcentury melange of Portuguese, Axumite and Indian influences. TAYE HOTEL (B,L,D) Friday, November 1 GONDAR / SIMIEN MOUNTAINS Depart in the early morning for the spectacular Simien Mountains, whose highest peak stands at 15,157 feet. Simien Mountains National Park is home to a large variety of wildlife, including the Gelada baboon and the Simien fox. Spend the night in Ethiopia s first eco-lodge. SIMIEN MOUNTAIN LODGE (B,L,D) Saturday & Sunday, November 2 & 3 SIMIEN MOUNTAINS / AXUM Continue our journery north to Ethiopia s oldest city. Axum was the capital of the far-reaching Axumite Kingdom, which dominated the vital crossroads of Africa and Asia for almost 1,000 years. During our two days here, visit the Church of St. Mary of Zion, where according to legend, the Ark of the Covenant resides. View the city s famous obelisks and monolithic stelae, and tour the Axum Museum with its fine display of inscribed tablets. Explore the remains of King Kaleb s Palace and the ruined city of Yeha and its Temple of the Moon, thought to be over 2,500 years old. CONSULAR INTERNATIONAL HOTEL (B,L,D both days) Monday & Tuesday, November 4 & 5 AXUM / LALIBELA Fly to Lalibela, set among wild, craggy mountains and vast rocky escarpments in the mountains of Lasta at an altitude of 7,000 feet. The 12thcentury king, Lalibela, gathered together the world s greatest craftsmen and artisans to carve a number of churches that he claimed to see in a visionary dream. Spend two full days exploring these spiritual wonders, carved below ground level and connected by a tangled maze of tunnels and passages. In the eastern cluster of churches, visit Bet Medhane Alem, the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world, and Bet Golgolta with seven life-sized reliefs of saints carved into its walls. The western churches were excavated from a vertical rock face and carved into existing caves or cracks in the rocks. Explore Bet Emmanuel, considered by art historians to be the finest and most precisely worked church in Lalibela, and Bet Giorgis, carved in the shape of a symmetrical cruciform tower. MOUN- TAIN VIEW HOTEL (B,L,D both days) Wednesday, November 6 LALIBELA / ADDIS ABABA Fly to Addis Ababa and enjoy an afternoon at leisure before our farewell reception and dinner. SHERATON ADDIS HOTEL (B,L,D) Thursday & Friday, November 7 & 8 ADDIS ABABA / U.S. Visit Addis Ababa University, which is housed in Emperor Haile Selassie s former palace. Tour the Institute of Ethiopian Studies library and museum and the Ethnological Museum. Explore the craft and silver shops of Churchill Street before dinner on our own. Late Thursday evening, depart on flights to the U.S., arriving on Friday. SHERATON ADDIS HOTEL Dayrooms on 11/7 (11/7: B,L)

5 Trip Information Dates October 23 to November 8, 2013 (17 days) Size Limited to 34 participants Cost* $8,695 per person, double occupancy $9,995 per person, single occupancy *Association nonmembers add $200 per person Included 14 nights of best-available hotel accommodations, plus use of individual dayrooms in Addis Ababa on 11/7 14 breakfasts, 14 lunches and 14 dinners Welcome and farewell receptions Bottled water on all excursions Gratuities to porters, guides and drivers for all group activities All tours and excursions as described in the itinerary All transfers and baggage handling between the airport and our group hotel in Addis Ababa Internal flights and coach transfers within Ethiopia Minimal medical, accident and evacuation insurance Educational program with lecture series and pre-departure materials, including recommended reading list, a selected book, map and travel information Services of our professional tour manager to assist you throughout the program Not Included International and U.S. domestic airfare Passport and visa fees Immunization costs Meals and beverages other than those specified as included Independent and private transfers Trip-cancellation/interruption and baggage insurance Excess-baggage charges Personal items such as internet access, telephone and fax calls, laundry and gratuities for nongroup services Air Arrangements International and U.S. domestic airfare is not included in the program cost. Round-trip, economy-class airfare on a combination of Lufthansa and Ethiopian Airways from San Francisco to Addis Ababa is approximately $1,900 as of November 2012 and is subject to change without notice. What to Expect We consider this to be a physically demanding, strenuous program, suitable only for travelers in excellent health and with greater-than-average stamina as well as enthusiasm for adventurous travel experiences. Ethiopia s tourism industry outside the major cities is still developing, thus patience with local services and standards will greatly improve your enjoyment of the trip. Daily activities may involve several miles of walking, often on uneven paths and rocky terrain. Our journey from Gondar to the Simien Mountains and on to Axum requires two six-hour drives by motorcoach. Roads may be winding, bumpy and unpaved due to poor repair, and travel may be slow. Accommodations used throughout our program are the best-available, but may not meet some travelers expectations of cleanliness and comfort. Travelers should be prepared to handle their own luggage in those airports where porters are not permitted. In many ways, the challenges of this program are part of the learning experience. We expect that participants will be a self-selecting group whose interest in the places we visit outweighs the need for creature comforts. We welcome travelers 15 years of age and older on this program.

6 Pavlovsk Palace bet giorgis, lalibela Terms & Conditions Deposit & Final Payment A $1,000-per-person deposit is required to hold space for this program. Complete and return the attached reservation form or place your deposit online. Final payment is due 120 days prior to departure. As a condition of participation, all confirmed participants are required to sign a Release of Liability. Cancellations & Refunds Deposits and any payments are refundable, less a $500-per-person cancellation fee, until 120 days prior to departure. After that date, refunds can be made only if the program is sold out and your place(s) can be resold, in which case a $1,000-perperson cancellation fee will apply. We recommend trip-cancellation insurance; applications will be sent to you. Insurance Stanford Travel/Study provides all travelers who are U.S. or Canadian citizens with minimal medical, accident and evacuation coverage under our group-travel insurance policy. Our group policy is intended to provide minimal levels of protection while you are traveling on this program. We strongly recommend that you subscribe to optional baggage and trip-cancellation insurance. A brochure offering such insurance will be mailed with your confirmation about one week after we receive your deposit. The product offered in this brochure includes special benefits if you postmark your insurance payment within a specified window: 15 days of the date listed on the confirmation letter for the Waiver of Pre-existing Conditions and coverage for Financial Insolvency; 21 days for the Cancel for Any Reason benefit. Eligibility We encourage membership in the Alumni Association as the program cost for nonmembers is $200 more than the members price. Parents and their children under 21 may travel on one membership. For more information or to purchase a membership, visit alumni.stanford/ goto/membership or call (650) Responsibility The Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford University and our operators act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation and exercise every care possible in doing so. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with the service of any automobile, motorcoach, launch or any other conveyance used in carrying out this program or for the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the program. We cannot accept any responsibility for California Seller of Travel Program Registration # losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, force majeure or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to make such alterations to this published itinerary as may be deemed necessary. The right is reserved to cancel any program prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the program. No refund will be made for an unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. Baggage is carried at the owner s risk entirely. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time that passengers are not onboard their plane or conveyance. Neither the Alumni Association, Stanford University nor our operators accept liability for any carrier s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable ticket in connection with the tour. Program price is based on rates in effect in November 2012 and is subject to change without notice to reflect fluctuations in exchange rates, tariffs or fuel charges. Tel (650) FAX (650) travelstudy@stanfordalumni.org COPYRIGHT 2012 STANFORD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed on recycled, FSC-certified paper in the U.S. photos by gary krosin.

7 Faculty Leader Professor Samoff was tremendous. He has great knowledge about history and politics, and I learned a lot about a developing African nation. Richard A. Klein, 52, JD 55, Tanzania Family Adventure, 2010 JOEL SAMOFF is an internationally respected educator and researcher who combines a scholar s critical approach with extensive experience in international development. His lifelong fascination with how people in diverse settings organize themselves to transform their communities has taken him across the African continent to work with local communities and senior officials. Over the course of three decades, he has worked regularly with international agencies and NGOs involved in African education. Joel currently chairs the International Advisory Council of the University of the Free State of South Africa. Perched in the horn of Africa, he notes, Ethiopia has played a prominent role in Africa s development over more than two millennia, from having Axum as a regional power prior to the Christian era to being the contemporary headquarters of the African Union. During our program, Professor Samoff will discuss Ethiopia s role as a regional leader, its unique mix of orthodox Christianity and Muslim influences, its transition from imperialism to independence and the country s current development challenges. Consulting professor and former director, Center for African Studies, Stanford University Recipient, Stanford School of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching and University of Michigan Distinguished Service Award BA, history, Antioch College; MA and PhD, political science, University of Wisconsin Honorary doctorate, University of Pretoria, South Africa S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y Reservation Form Ethiopia Revealed SIGN UP ONLINE! MR. / MRS. / MS. MISS / DR. / PROF. NAME AGE STANFORD CLASS MR. / MRS. / MS. MISS / DR. / PROF. NAME AGE STANFORD CLASS ADDRESS CITY / STATE / ZIP PHONE CELL / WORK / HOME ADDRESS BED PREFERENCE: Twins Double Here is my deposit of $ ($1,000 per person) for space(s). Enclosed is my check (payable to Stanford Alumni Association) OR Charge my deposit to my: Visa MasterCard American Express I/We have read the Terms and Conditions for the program and agree to them. CARD # SIGNATURE If this is a reservation for one person, please indicate: I wish to have single accommodations. OR I plan to share accommodations with: OR I d like to know about possible roommates. EXPIRATION DATE CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE DATE Mail completed form to address on mail panel or fax to (650) or place your deposit online at alumni.stanford.edu/trip?ethiopia2013. Submit your reservation only once to avoid multiple charges to your account. 8774

8 Stanford Travel/Study Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center 326 Galvez Street Stanford, CA (650) Ethiopia Revealed legendary land of churches and mountains October 23 to November 8, 2013 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Stanford Alumni Association The academic underpinnings of these trips cannot be matched. My travel with Stanford brings me a fuller understanding of the world. Diane Wara, 64, Silk Road Suitcase Seminar, 2011 S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y tis isat falls