Jun 7, 2011

(Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 6) Art of Ethiopia 2011 will be exhibiting nearly 400 works of art from 43 of Ethiopia’s leading established artists from August 26-29, 2011 at the five-star Sheraton Addis Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in the elegant Lalibela Grand Ballroom from 10am-10pm, with entrance being complimentary. In addition to the well-known

Ethiopia’s people walk the dusty streets of Axum like characters from sun-bleached pages of a biblical picture book. I catch them in mid-stride, fetching water, going to church and carrying wood. The town is big, but almost everybody is traditionally dressed. Dignified elders sit on street benches and swat flies with horse-hair brushes, their respectable

His eyes are in the shade of massive brows. A ridged muzzle, small angular nostrils, and a round jaw with the top lip curling back suddenly to expose sharp fangs set in wide pink gums. If I didn’t know better I’d be convinced his get-up is skillfully sewn of lion skins, so splendid is his costume, from mane to tuft. A cocked fur hat, and on his chest

It there was one church that won my heart in Ethiopia, it was the Debre Birhan Sellassie of Gondor. Stepping into it was like stepping into a children’s biblical storybook. Angels adorn the roof and pillars of this truly divine dwelling, while every single other holy character is depicted on the walls in fading, though still very vivid colors. Its keeper

Sometimes, it seems like Ethiopia is all lakes, birds, and monasteries. Dirty swimming water and organized religion I can do without, but after seeing a silvery-cheeked hornbill I doubt that I could keep living my life and not become a serious twitcher – a bird-watcher who tries to spot as many rare varieties as possible. My new found obsession with birds

“You! YouyouYOUyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!” There is a reason every travel report from Ethiopia comes back with the same general complaint. The call of the youcalls (a nickname coined by Russian hitchhikers late in the last century) will ring in your ears the entire stay in the country. Farangas are rare in most of Ethiopia and they seldom stop to socialize

Never go caving with a whiner – he’ll scare off all the bats. I entered Sof Omar cave with a mandatory guide in tow – a teenager in a leather jacket. As soon as I turned the corner my respectable guide began whining. Was I going to give him a tip? How much? “A tip,” I said, “is determined by how well a job is done,” and he, my

Just as the little bastard had probably planned it, only a few kilometers later I’ve discovered that the basket of berries he sold me was half full with banana leafs. Cursing aloud, but smiling inside, I had admit to myself that it was kind of clever and my own fault for not checking. I was on my way to the Bale Mountains. African scenery is often

Ethiopia is one of the most interesting, memorable, and difficult countries in Africa, and I’m happy to say I was in love with it at first sight. The countryside is lovely. I never knew if the subject of my next spontaneous rural shot will give me a big smile and then come see what’s on the screen, or will bend down for a rock. On that note –

Legend has it that 3,000 years ago, in the mountains of Ethiopia, a peasant first noticed the hyper-activeness of his goats after they nibbled on certain red berries. He plucked a handful for the monks in his village, who dismissed the berries as sinful and cast them into the fire. Later, the sizzling scent of roasting beans proved too great a temptation, and

Land Ethiopia covers an area more than the size of France and Spain combined, and nearly twice the size of Texas. About 65 per cent of the land is arable, with 15 per cent presently cultivated. Climate There are two seasons: the dry season prevails from October through May; the wet season runs from June to September. Topography Ethiopia has an elevated central