Ethiopia – South Omo: Want to buy a goat?

The South Omo region in south west Ethiopia is home to numerous tribes, including the well known lip plate wearing Mursi tribe. An interesting area to visit, but we had also heard that the hassle factor was high. One of our guide books described it as a ‘once in a lifetime experience’, but in the sense that if you visit the area once, you won’t ever want to go through the hassle again! Coupled with a ‘pay per click’ approach to photographs, we headed south, ready to pack away the camera and spend a couple of days just looking around. Continue reading

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Ethiopia – The Northern Circuit: Churches and Football

The northern historical circuit in Ethiopia is a well worn travellers’ route and it was slightly strange to see so many tourists after seeing so few in Sudan. The northern circuit could also be known as the football circuit – if there’s an important football match, it will be projected onto a big screen at whichever hotel has a courtyard. Any tourists that happen to be parked up there and sleeping in their roof tent will inevitably get no sleep. Unsurprisingly, I am better informed about European football than ever before! I’m also incredibly thankful to be sleeping in our roof tent as I certainly wouldn’t want to be sleeping in the beds of some of the hotels whose courtyards we camped in!

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Ethiopia – Trying to find 5 seconds of solitude

Ethiopia is a country on the move – cattle, goats, horses, donkeys, camel, people. At any given time, it feels like 98% of the population of any village or town is on the road the moment you happen to be driving through. And should you stop for a bush wee, you have 5 seconds at most before the remaining 2% will appear through the bushes. So no chance of wild camping in this country I suspect! Continue reading

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Sudan – Catching the sea breeze

Khartoum, Sudan. There are dozens of people selling their wares on the central reservations of the wide Khartoum roads. It’s like watching the conveyor belt on the Generation Game (if you’re too young to remember, phone a friend). Various items pass by that you may or may not want to own: windscreen shade, fruit, Sudanese flag, fishing rod, leather whip, cuddly toy….

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Sudan – Creative Camping on the Revolution Route Through Africa

Khartoum, Sudan. Having seen history in the making in Tunisia and Egypt, the Libyans thoughtfully delayed their revolution until we left. We are grateful, because once they got going the situation in Libya deteriorated fast. I suspect that people won’t be doing the route we’ve taken for some time, which is a shame as there are so many interesting things to see along the Libyan coast. Instead we are in the safe haven of Khartoum, Sudan! Continue reading

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