Danakil Depression

Sun- cracked salt-flats stretch like blinding-white crazy paving towards a shimmering flat horizon. Salt-bearing camel caravans traipse mirage-like across grassless plains of rock and sand swept by a merciless gale known as the Gara, or fire wind. Volatile volcanoes rise into the cloudless desert sky, their calderas cradling bubbling cauldrons of molten lava, or brooding hyper-saline crater lakes. Explosive geysers feed sulphurous pools enclosed by strange pastel-hued crystalline formation. A true desert that stretches across northeast Ethiopia for tens of thousands square kilometers, the Danakil is also one of the lowest-lying and hottest places anywhere in the planet, dropping to 116m below sea level, while temperatures frequently soar above 50^oc.

These are sights typical of the Danakil: one of the most harsh and brutal landscapes anywhere on earth, but also a place of rare geological fascination and immeasurable beauty to those few adventurous souls fortunate enough to spend time there. It lies in the northern part of Afar, a region named after its pastoralist inhabitants, who traditionally eked out an income as herders and seasonal salt miners. Their salt was transported by camel to the highlands by Tigrean caravaneers. Camel Caravans still operate in the region, as they have for millennia, but for most visitors the biggest highlight of the Danakil is Erta Ale, a climbable volcano that encloses the world’s oldest permanent lava lakes.

Tips

      Afar region is widely regarded to be the cradle of humankind. The most famous skeleton unearthed there is ‘Lucy’. Whose discovery in 1974 pushed backed the timeframe of human evolution by more than a million years. the world’s oldest undisputed human remains, dating back 5.5 million years, were unearthed here in 1997.

      Until the modern era, the Danakil served as the unofficial mint of Ethiopia since it was the origin of the hefty salt bars (amoles) that served as currency in the highlands for many centuries.

      The kilometer-thick salt deposits that covers much of the Danakil are a relic of the days-up until 30,000 years ago-when much of the region was submerged by the Red sea.

Rock hewn Churches of Tigray

The Tigray region is the major playground of rock hewn churches in Ethiopia. The churches are older than the rock hewn churches of Lalibela. Most churches are carved out of the rocky walls of pre-existing caves and often only accessible after a long and steep climb up the rocks. Local tradition attributes most of the churches excavated by the famous Axumite kings ofAbreha and Atsbeha around the fourth century.

A cluster of churches can be found near Hawzien on the impressive Gheralta rock formation, it seems to be a kind of Ethiopian Arizona. Here also a quite comfortable accommodation can be found: The Gheralta Lodge One of the most famous of the churches, Abuna Yemata Gheralta, may be reached only after a climb of about an hour. The willingness to undertake this is said to be a “proof that you truly believe in God”. The church is famous for its extraordinary view and for the splendid frescoes it contains dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, which are well preserved.

Abreha Atsbeha and Wukero Cherkos are two of the best accessible churches near the main road. The former is dedicated to the twin brothers Abreha and Atsbeha, the mythical kings of the Axumite kingdom. The church is noteworthy for its structure and the fine frescoes it contains.

Omo valley Tribes

“Mosaic of Diverse Culture”

Throughout its long history, Ethiopia has become a melting pot of diverse customs and varied cultures, some of which are extremely ancient.

Currently Ethiopia has a population of over 87 million people. This makes the country the second most populous nation in Africa. There are four different linguistic families, speaking over 80 languages with 200 dialects, constituting 12 Semitic, 22 Cushitic, 18 Osmotic and 18 Nilo- Sahara languages. The Semitic languages of Ethiopia are related to both Hebrew and Arabic and derived from Ge’ez, the ecclesiastical language. The principle Semitic language spoken in western and central part of the country is Amharic, which is also the official language of the country.

As regards Ethiopian culture and tradition, Christianity, Muslim, Jewish and traditional believers have exerted much influence in the development of complex and diverse cultural traits.

Particularly, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has dominated religious life in the country since the fourth century. Its religious settings, celebrations and festivals play an important part in every ones daily life. Church ceremonies are a major feature of Ethiopian life. Such as Meskel “the finding of the true cross”, Genna “Ethiopian Christmas”, Timket “Ethiopian Epiphany”

The Omo valley is a popular ethnic treasure and a place where about 50% of the total Ethiopian ethnic groups reside. Many ethnic groups in the region still practices traditional beliefs which remain almost entirely intact Konso, Gelebe, the Bodi, the Mursi, the Surma, the Arbore, the Hamer, Tsemay, Ari, Dorze, Karo, Bena to name but a few.

Their lifestyles are as various as the tribes themselves. Lacking any material culture and artifacts common to more 'civilized' peoples, these tribes find unique ways in which to express their artistic impulses. Both the Surma and the Karo, for example, are experts at body painting, using clays and locally available vegetable pigments to trace fantastic patterns on each other's faces, chests, arms, and legs. These designs are created purely for fun and aesthetic effect.

Scarification, on the other hand, which is also popular amongst most of the peoples of the south, does contain a number of specific symbolic messages.

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