DISCOVER ETHIOPIA OCTOBER 8 25, 2014 Discover Ethiopia, a country of striking natural beauty with a rich and deep history. Begin in Addis Ababa with a briefing at the US Embassy. Fly west to the majestic Blue Nile where towering cliffs plunge down to the Tissisat Falls and graceful images depict scenes from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Walk amongst gelada baboons in the Simien Mountains, whose jagged peaks provide breath-taking scenery. Visit Gondar, Ethiopia s 17th-century capital, and Axum, the center of the legendary empire of the Queen of Sheba. Marvel at the remarkable rock-hewn churches in Lalibela before traveling to the southern Omo region where more than two dozen indigenous tribes have existed isolated from the outside world for millennia. STUDY LEADER: SUZANNE PRESTON BLIER is the Allen Whitehill Clowes Professor of Fine Arts and Professor of African and African American Studies. Her work focuses primarily on African art, architecture, and culture. She also is a member of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science. PRICING: $8,995 (per person double occupancy) / Single arrangements $10,590 SCHEDULE BY DAY (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8 DEPART U.S. Depart on an overnight flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 ARRIVE ADDIS ABABA a yearly exhibition to help young Ethiopian artists showcase their work and contribute funds to local art schools in Addis Ababa. This afternoon take an orientation tour of the city. Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Selassie Cathedral) the biggest Orthodox church in the country and burial site of Sylvia Pankhurst, the British suffragette who spent her last years in Ethiopia. Pankhurst raised funds for Ethiopia's first teaching hospital and wrote extensively on Ethiopian art and culture. Tonight enjoy a light dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Sheraton Addis Hotel (D) Arrive in Addis Ababa and transfer to your hotel. The Sheraton Addis Hotel, located in the center of Addis Ababa, mixes African refinement with modern accents. You can explore beautiful Ethiopian art throughout the hotel which launched FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 ADDIS ABABA
Begin today with a visit to the National Museum, which houses Ethiopia s artistic treasures as well as many extraordinary archaeological finds such as the fossilized remains of early hominids the most famous of which is a replica of the skull of "Lucy," a specimen of Australopithecus afarensis, a woman who would have lived in Hadar in Eastern Ethiopia about 3.5 million years ago. Then attend a briefing at the US Embassy from a staff member from the US State Department. Lunch is at the Asni Gallery. The gallery owner, Konjit Pankhurst, will greet the group and talk about contemporary art in Ethiopia. After lunch meet with Dr. Rick Hodes, an American doctor who has lived and worked in Ethiopia for over 20 years. He is the Medical Director of Ethiopia for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a 95-year old NGO. Currently, he is the senior consultant at a Catholic mission helping those with heart disease (rheumatic and congenital), spine disease (TB and scoliosis), and cancer. His work is the subject of the HBO documentary Making the Crooked Straight as well as a new book, This is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes. End the afternoon with a visit to Mercato, the largest market in Addis Ababa and its commercial hub. It s a hive of activity where hundreds of thousands of people visit the market each day. Tonight there will be a formal welcome dinner a traditional meal at the private home of Eyerusalem Godlu. Enjoy the great collection of Ethiopian arts and artifacts and learn more about the history of the home. Overnight: Sheraton Addis Hotel (B, L, D) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 LAKE TANA Take a mid-morning flight to Bahr Dar, a town located at the southern shore of Lake Tana. Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and it is also the source of the Blue Nile. After lunch board a boat to explore some of the interesting and historic churches around Lake Tana, such as Ura Kidane Mehret, a decorative building with colorful frescoes depicting scenes from biblical lore and from the history of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Then transfer to the Kuriftu Resort and Spa hotel. Located on the shores of Lake Tana, the resort offers cool off-shore breezes all year round, breathtaking views of the lake, and a clever blend of native Ethiopian architecture and décor. Later this afternoon visit the spectacularly beautiful Tis Isat (Blue Nile) Falls. About twenty five miles away from the hotel, the Blue Nile plunges over a 130-foot rock face to form one of Africa s most spectacular waterfalls. (Note: you will need to walk for about 30 minutes over uneven terrain to reach the falls this visit is dependent on weather/trail conditions). Overnight: Kuriftu Resort and Spa (B, L, D) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12 GONDAR This morning drive for approximately 2.5 hours to Gondar, the former capital of both the Ethiopian Empire and the subsequent Begemder Province. Upon arrival, check into the Goha Hotel in time for lunch. Goha is sometimes referred to as the "Camelot of Africa" due to the presence of several royal castles. The hotel is ideally situated on the hills of the city offering stunning views of the historical wonders. Spend the afternoon exploring the town. Visit the Royal Enclosure, a large complex of castles, tunnels, and raised walkways in the heart of the city, surrounded by high stone walls. At the end of the day meet with Nigisti Gebreselassie, the young and dynamic director of Yenege Tesfa ( Hope for Tomorrow ), an organization that works with the street children of Gondar to provide shelter and education. Overnight: Goha Hotel (B, L, D) MONDAY, OCTOBER 13 SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK / GONDAR Depart this morning on a 2-hour drive through spectacular landscape for a full day excursion to the Simien Mountains National Park. A UNESCO
World Heritage Site, the park is famous for its dramatic highland scenery composed of jagged peaks, or ambas. These gigantic chesspieces are actually hard cores of volcanic outlets from which the surrounding material has eroded away over the centuries. The Simien Mountain National Park is also home to a large variety of wildlife including Walia Ibex, Gelada Baboon, Ethiopian Wolf and the Simien Fox. Upon arrival at the park, begin a spectacular walk of about 2.5 kilometers before enjoying a picnic lunch. Return to Gondar stopping at the Ploughshare Women Crafts and Training Center where 40 women are producing wonderful ceramics and crafts. The group will be met by Tesfalem Abera, the general manager. Dinner this evening is at the hotel. Overnight: Goha Hotel (B, L, D) TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14 AXUM This morning fly to Axum, the oldest city in Ethiopia and the holiest city of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Its half-buried remnants of temples, fortresses, and rich palaces make this Ethiopia s most historic site and a place that for over a millennium has been the principal center of Ethiopian Christianity. Although it s very early history is still unknown, Ethiopian legends first recorded in the fourteenth century, Kebre Nagast (Book of Kings), make Axum the capital of the Queen of Sheba in the tenth century BC. Upon arrival, transfer to the Yeha Hotel, a basic but charming hotel with hospitable service. After lunch begin exploring including a visit to the Church of St. Mary of Zion whose courtyard contains antiquities including sculpted stones and the sanctuary chapel of the Ark of the Covenant, the repository for the Biblical Ten Commandments, which according to tradition came to Ethiopia with Menelik I after he visited his father King Solomon. The chapel is closed to everyone except the guardian monk, and this lack of accessibility combined with questions about the account as a whole has led foreign scholars to express doubt about the veracity of the claim. Overnight: Yeha Hotel (B, L, D) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15 AXUM Prior to breakfast this morning attend a religious ceremony by the Church of St. Mary of Zion. These ceremonies offer a glimpse into how Ethiopians worship and the importance that religion plays in the lives. After breakfast visit a number of famous obelisks, or monolithic stelae, which are made of singlular blocks of granite. Each stela resembles a tall, slender, multi-storied house in the architectural style of the Axumite houses and palaces. The largest surviving one, which is thought to be the work of King Ezana, is over 65-feet high. The stelae of Axum are not thought to have any religious significance, but to have demonstrated the power and importance of the ruler who built them. Next visit the Axum Museum, which displays tablets inscribed in a variety of languages including a form of Sabean that preceded the ge ez of Christian Axum, and an array of Axumite household artifacts ranging from a water filter to a set of drinking glasses that were imported from Egypt. After lunch drive about one hour to the town of Yeha, considered the birthplace of Ethiopia s earliest civilization nearly three millennia ago. Visit archeological sites such as Grat Beal Gebri, a ruined complex that includes a graveyard containing several rock-hewn shaft tombs, and the Yeha archaeological site, the location of an Ethiopian Orthodox monastery founded according to tradition by one of the Nine Saints. Return to Axum for dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Yeha Hotel (B, L, D) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 LALIBELA Depart on a morning flight to Lalibela, gloriously perched at an altitude of over 7,000 feet and set amongst wild, craggy mountains and vast, rocky escarpments. Upon arrival transfer to the Mountain View Hotel, set at the edge of the Lasta Mountain chain with
architecture reminiscent of the rock-hewn churches that made the area famous. This afternoon begin exploring the churches, which are divided into two clusters separated by the Jordan River. The churches in the eastern cluster are mostly excavated from below the ground and are surrounded by courtyards and trenches. Most of the churches in the western cluster were excavated from a vertical rock face by exploiting existing caves or cracks in the rock. Visit Bet Medhane Alem, the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world. It has classical nobility reminiscent of an ancient Greek temple and some experts feel that it was modeled on the original Church of St. Mary of Zion at Axum. Later this afternoon stop at the twin churches of Bet Debre Sina and Bet Golgolta. These churches share an entrance and together form a threequarter monolith. The interior of Bet Golgolta is remarkable in that it has seven life-sized reliefs of saints carved around its walls. Return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight: Mountain View Hotel (B, L, D) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 LALIBELA Today focus is on the western cluster of churches, including Bet Gebriel-Rufael, a strange church surrounded by a rock trench (thought by some historians to be the residence of King Lalibela), and the isolated monolith of Bet Giorgis, the most majestic of all of Lalibela s churches. Overnight: Mountain View Hotel (B,L,D) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 AWASSA Depart this morning by plane to Addis Ababa. Upon arrival continue by motor coach to Arba Minch, making some interesting stops en route to the southwestern side of the country. Stop first about 50 kilometers south of Addis Ababa at Melka Kunture, an important Palaeolithic site known for a remarkable prehistoric stone-tool factory discovered in 1963. Extending over 5 kilometers on both sides of the Awash River, it encompasses numerous sites dating back 1.7 million years ago. A museum is housed in a traditional tukul and displays some of the tools used by the Homo erectus who once inhabited the area. Next, stop at Tiya, a magnificent site containing around 36 ancient stelae, of which 32 are engraved with symbols. Very little is known about the carvers of these stalae or their purpose other than that they mark mass graves of individuals aged between 18 and 30. Enjoy a wonderful view of Lake Ziway one of the five lakes of the Great Rift Valley. The Rift Valley extends from the Red Sea to Mozambique and passes right through Ethiopia. Enjoy lunch close to the lake. After lunch stop at the town of Shashemene known today as the unofficial Rastafari capital of Africa. In Jamaica, Marcus Garvey s return to Africa movement saw the emperor s coronation as fulfillment of the ancient biblical prophecy that Kings will come out of Africa. The Ethiopian monarch's trip came at a time when Rastafarians were experiencing widespread aggression from Jamaican police and shunned by mainstream society. Selassie's visit to Jamaica was the second stop in a four-country Caribbean trip that also included visits to Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, and Barbados. His visit inspired rebellious Jamaican youth to accept Rastafa-rianism, and by the dawn of the 1970s, the faith was the voice of reggae music standard-bearers like Bob Marley and Burning Spear. Emperor Selassie granted the Rastafarians land in Shashemene and today the town is home to a large community of Rastafarians. Continue a short distance to Awassa, the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People s region. Arrive this evening at the lovely Haile Resort for dinner, where rooms overlook the Awassa Lake. Overnight: Haile Resort (B, L, D) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 ARBA MINCH After breakfast visit the fish market of Awassa where wooden boats line the shore and much of the
birdlife of the Awassa Lake, including the Marabou storks, can be admired. Next, continue on to Arba Minch passing though the wonderful panoramic landscape of the Hadiya and Wolayita people. This is some of the most fertile land in Ethiopia where abundant fruit and cotton are grown. Stop at Lake Abaya, originally known as Lake Margherita. As a result of a large number of sediments suspended in the water, the lake has a red color. After lunch travel along the side of Lake Abaya and arrive at Arba Minch mid-afternoon. Arba Minch meaning Forty Springs in Amharic takes its name from the bubbling streams which spring up amid the undergrowth of the luxuriant forest which surrounds the town. The Lower Omo Valley is a spectacularly beautiful area with diverse ecosystems including grasslands, volcanic outcrops, and one of the few remaining pristine riverine forests in semi-arid Africa which supports a wide variety of wildlife. Upon arrival, transfer to the Paradise Lodge, a luxury nature lodge built by the Konso people along with more than 30 ethnic groups of the southern nation. Enjoy dinner at the hotel tonight. Overnight: Paradise Lodge (B, L, D) MONDAY, OCTOBER 20 ARBA MINCH Today begin learning about the more than two dozen different tribes that inhabit the southern Omo region. Some tribes number tens of thousands, others no more than 500, but each tribe is culturally unique with their own languages, customs, and dress. Most continue their traditional lives with little influence from the outside world. This morning focus on the Dorze people who belong to one of the Omotic tribes and who were once fierce warriors. The territory in which they live is situated high in the Guge Moutnains and consists of 9 villages. The Omotic Dorze people are famous for their beehive shaped huts which are constructed with vertical hardwood poles and woven bamboo. There will also be a chance to learn how they make fermented, unleavened bread from the fibers of the false banana tree as well as enjoy a performance of their traditional dance. After lunch take a boat trip on the sparkling aquamarine waters of Lake Chamo where hundreds of hippos emerge in the morning and afternoon to graze on the grassy shores of the reedfringed bays. Chamo is also sanctuary for several thousand Nile crocodile, some reaching lengths of up to seven metres from snout to tip of tail. The birdlife here is also prolific and admire the many beautiful aquatic birds including the lovely Kingfisher and African Fish Eagle. Dinner is at the hotel this evening. Overnight: Paradise Lodge (B, L, D) TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 JINKA Today, drive to Jinka stopping en route at Konso for a special visit to the home of Gazai Woldawit, ruler of the Konso people. Mr. Woldawit will discuss the Konso (population around 300,000) that live in this isolated region of basalt hills and hard, rocky slopes. Some of the people are moving to town, going to school, forgetting traditions and choosing not to join in tribal rituals. For others, towns are a place to sell surplus produce, and buy goods from outside. It is not uncommon now to see the Konso wearing western clothing another threat to preservation. After lunch at the Kanta Lodge, proceed to Weyto and visit the Tsemay tribe who live in the semi-arid region of the Omo Valley. The Tsemay are agropastoralist and use both livestock herding and agriculture to survive. Common crops grown by the tribe are sorghum, millet, and sometimes cotton. Like other tribes in Ethiopia, the Tsemay boys have to successfully complete a bull jumping event to prove he is a man. Unlike other tribes, the Tsemay have arranged weddings. Continue on to Key Afer to visit the villages of the Bena people (population around 45,000) who practice ritual dancing and singing. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Both the men and women wear long garments and paint their bodies with white chalk.
Finally proceed to Jinka, and the Eco-Omo Lodge, where accommodations are rustic yet comfortable and clean, for dinner. Overnight: Eco-Omo Lodge (B, L, D) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22 TURMI Today, drive to the Mago National Park to visit with the Mursi tribe. The Mursi live in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 100 km north of the Kenyan border. They call themselves Mun and number less than 10,000. They are agro-pastoralists, relying mainly on cultivation and are guided in matters of religion by their experience of the world around them, rather than by a strict theological doctrine. Lip-plates are a well-known aspect of the Mursi and Surma, who are probably the last groups in Africa amongst whom it is still the norm for women to wear large pottery or wooden discs or plates in their lower lips. After lunch drive through Dimeka to Turmi stopping at a Karo village. The Karo, also known as the Kara, are a small tribe with an estimated population of between 1,000 and 2,000. The live along the east banks of the Omo River and they speak a south Omotic language. They are surrounded by relatively wealthy and strong groups, whose population and cattle sizes are significantly larger. When they were rich in cattle, the Karo used to have large, magnificent houses, but after they have lost their wealth through diseases from the tsese fly, they adopted the much lighter conical huts of the Bume. Continue to Turmi arriving late in the afternoon. Dinner is at the Buska Lodge. Situated in the heart of Southern Ethiopia in the Omo Valley and overlooking the plains of Buska Mountain, Buska Lodge is an unpretentious ecolodge offering travelers the best accommodation and meal service in this region. Buska Lodge offers the opportunity to learn about and experience the culture and traditions of the local Hamar community offering a rare glimpse into the cultures of the Omo Valley. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 TURMI Begin today with a morning excursion to Omorate to visit the semi-nomadic pastoral Dassanech people who live on the banks of the Omo River. The Daasanach are semi-nomadic people whose cultural identity is thought to result mostly from a common place of residence than from heredity. Exiles from many groups around the area of Lake Turkana have united in support of one another in this hostile, arid environment. They have developed a unique tradition and culture, and are open to the inclusion of other immigrants who are willing to abide by Daasanach customs and values. Board a narrow dug-out canoe to ride across the Omo River to visit a Dassanech village on the other side. Return to the Buska lodge for lunch. After lunch visit a traditional Hamar village. The 15,000 to 20,000 members of the Hamar make their living as successful cattle herders and farmers. At one time they hunted, but the wild pigs and small antelope have almost disappeared from the lands in which they live. The Hamar do not own their land it is public land and is free for cultivation and grazing, just as fruit and berries are free for whoever collects them. The Hamar move on when the land is exhausted. Drive back to the Buska Lodge for dinner. Overnight: Buska Lodge (B, L, D) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 RETURN TO ADDIS ABABA Return by motorcoach to Arba Minch for a midafternoon flight to Addis. Upon arrival, transfer to the Sheraton Hotel. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at the Serenade Restaurant. Overnight: Sheraton Hotel (B, L, D) Overnight: Buska Lodge (B, L, D)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 ADDIS ABABA This morning drive to the main campus of Addis Ababa University, which is housed in the city s second-oldest palace (Haile Selassie). Visit the Institute of Ethiopian Studies Library and Museum and the exciting Ethnological Museum which provides an interesting overview of Ethiopian culture, art and crafts. End the morning at an area of Churchill Street known for its many curio shops selling many traditional Ethiopian crafts as well as fine quality silver and cotton shops. After lunch return to the hotel for a rest. Day rooms have been reserved until 6.00pm at which point you transfer to the airport for your late evening flights back to the US. (B, L)