ETHIOPIA - THE SOUTH
A travel report - Part 4 03.06.2019 - Dorze People - Hike to the Dorsso waterfall
- Market - Tej-Bar (26.09.2011 according to the Ethiopian calendar)
As
announced yesterday, our driver has his day off today and we will
explore the surrounding area on foot. At least four hours are estimated
for the hike, if we don't pause too long in between. But we already
know, that if we want to visit the market and enjoy the Tej, it will
take longer.
It rains all night. We
actually love this beautiful sound in the leaves and on the roof of our
hut, but the closer the morning comes, the more worried we become.
After all, we would have to throw our daily schedule upside down if it
doesn't stop raining.
Image 237 - 240: Views from the Dorze Lodge
shortly before sunrise
When the daylight slowly gets brighter outside, the big cinema show
begins over the landscape around Lake Abaja and Lake Chamo. The rain
has almost stopped and the sun is still hidden behind the mountains.
The natural spectacle changes every few minutes and again and again new
pillows of cloud roll over the mountain, revealing new views or
covering them up again. In addition, the light is constantly changing,
as the sun, which has not yet appeared, naturally rises higher and
higher. This creates new impressions of the landscape.
Image 241 - 246: Views from the Dorze Lodge
shortly before sunrise
The animal world is of course already awake and accentuates the scenery
with a wide variety of voices and chants. Among old friends like
monkeys, ore ravens and pigeons, but mostly we get a polyphonic and
completely new background noise.
Image 247 - 250: Interior views of our bungalow Image 249 + 250: Visit at morning dawn - A
poisonous "Shererite", as the locals call them. But we only find out in
the evening.
In the meantime we have uninvited visitors in the hut who do not make
any noises themselves, but the presence of the uninvited visitors can
cause the hosts to make very loud noises. ;-) We actually have bug
spray with us, but I'm sorry for this stately species and we don't have
to kill everything if we can prevent it. But I don't want to catch them
either. That's too much even for me. So let's leave them next to the
light switch ... we still have enough others. Let us hope that the
adage, "The morning spider brings sorrow and grief" will not haunt us
today. After all, we left the spider alive.
At breakfast we are a bit annoyed about the emotionless behavior of the
boys from the lodge, but the nice thing is that the weather is getting
better and better. At least there is no more rain. Unfortunately, we
almost have to chase after every part of breakfast and try to scrape
off the remains jam from five different jam jars. Without a suitable
spoon this is a lot of fun. But at least the coffee is good when it
finally arrives almost after breakfast. Somehow the guys all look like
they said too much "Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo - Joooooo" during the night (see
previous day).
At around 8:30 am we are finally ready to go ... unfortunately without
Rainer, he actually forgot to take the right shoes with him. He can't
do anything with his Sunday shoes today and the weather is too
uncomfortable to walk barefoot. After all, we are also at an altitude
of 2,732 meters. Because this is the height of the nearby town of
Cencia (Chencha). So Rainer decides to enjoy the view from the lodge
for a day.
Image 251 - 256: Hike from the Dorze Lodge to
the Dorsso waterfall
Starting from the lodge, we hike to north. In addition to Mastu, we are
accompanied by a boy from the lodge who, bored, carries a few bottles
of water in a plastic bag. We probably won't need them. We always have
a bottle with us anyway. But we can also give the water bottles from
the lodge to people we meet on our way.
We initially hike for over an hour in thick fog, over muddy and stony
paths, through forests and loose settlement areas. Unfortunately, we
can only guess what an idyllic landscape is hidden behind the fog and
we cannot take a single photo. Rainer made the right decision. Up to
this point he could have disposed of his shoes twice. Somehow our shoes
are getting bigger and heavier. The mud is very stubborn and just won't
let us go. You have to peel it off your shoes every few hundred meters.
But at least the waterproofing spray does what it says on the tin and
your
feet stay dry.
The walk is tiring and we are really happy when the first gaps in the
fog finally appear and something of the landscape can be seen.
Image 257 - 262: Hike to the Dorsso waterfall
Image 260 - 262:
The tree trunk bridges are covered with mats made from Enset leaves.
It's almost like playing the lottery, because it doesn't always
withstand loads. ;-)
This hike should actually say: "The path is the goal." But at least
it's not raining. Every now and then we meet locals in the fog, who
apparently make fun of us, because we always hear the laughter of women
near us, which we couldn't hear in the distance. Yes, we would prefer
to be on the road with better weather conditions, but that's the way it
is, because tomorrow we'll be somewhere else again.
Image 263: Traditional Dorze houses near
Cencia (Chencha)
Image 264: The Holo
Angle Mikaheal Church,
at least that's what the card says. ;-) Presumably
the Holy Angel Mikael Church is meant by this. Click on the
link and follow the hiking route.
Image 265: A sacred
spring about
20 minutes later. Click on the link and follow the route.
About half an hour later further north, we reach the main road, which
comes as a sand track from the center of Cencia from the north-east. We
meet a large, wildly gesticulating crowd of over 100 people who are
surrounding a police officer. As we learn, a bag thief has just been
caught and the police called in. Apparently such crimes are still
classified as very criminal in the country and therefore cause a lot of
excitement. In town, apart from the person concerned and a few
witnesses, nobody would be interested in the matter. At the spectacle
one could almost believe that the thief had stolen from everyone there.
We prefer to go further, now follow the main
road to the west and leave it again shortly before it turns
south. We hike further west in the direction of the Dorsso waterfall on
barely visible paths, through an agricultural area with lush green
pastures and red-brown fields.
Image 266 - 272: On the other side of the sand
road to the west.
We still have about 20 minutes to walk to the waterfall. A few
youngsters are literally on our heels. I don't like it at all, if I
don't know what's going on behind my back. So we play the game of
"letting them overtake" several times. As soon as they have overtaken
us, they sit down on the grass and wait for us again. We are annoyed,
but then all of a sudden they run up a hill and disappear ... at least
that's what we thought.
Our local guide from the lodge unfortunately shows no commitment in
many aspects of the hike. Often we have to find the right path for
ourselves if we don't want to walk through water and mud like him. Then
he always waits bored on the other side and chews bored on a blade of
grass. Mastu takes it with humor and just shakes his head.
Image 273 + 274: Arrived at the Dorsso waterfall
When we arrive at the waterfall, a strong and cold wind with lots of
water droplets blows towards us. The 31 m high waterfall lies at an
altitude of 2,660 m above sea level. Bathing weather is not exactly
either, although we are a bit heated up from the hike. We keep hearing
rumbling in the gorge. Stones rumble down the rock face and splash into
the water. Now we also know why the youthful gang ran up the mountain,
it's they who throw stones into the ravine. So our feeling has not
disappointed us about these youngsters. Our local companion, on the
other hand, only looks tiredly at what is happening and shows no
reaction. He can't necessarily do something about it, but at least he
could have made a strict statement in the local language. This tour
guide is really not helpful to us. We decide to leave the place as soon
as possible before one of these projectiles injures us.
Image 275: Edible berries in the bushes
by the waterfall Image 276: Ethiopian Cobra lily / Arisaema
flavum
Image 277 - 284: On the way back the same way
as we came
We go back the same way until the main road from Cencia to Arba Minch.
The last fog has finally cleared and sometimes the sun can even be
seen. For the rest of the way back we stay on the main road.
Nevertheless, we still have about 10 kilometers to go to the Dorze
Lodge. From this point of view, the schedule outlined at the beginning
can no longer be kept at all. We are surprised, because we haven't
dawdled that much. Even if the better weather improves our mood again,
maybe we should take some relief now. Mastu apparently just had the
same idea and suggests ordering a Bajaj for the rest of the way.
Image 285 - 290:
On the main road from Cencia (Chencha) towards Dorze Lodge
Obviously, getting a Bajaj on the endless sand road is not as easy as
in the cities. Mastu has to order one by cell phone. It takes some time
until the Bajaj slowly approaches us, while we can finally enjoy the
fog-free landscape. Finally the curtain of our taxi opens and we can
sit down on the back seat. We are now much faster than on foot, but we
are now shaken vigorously on the bumpy ride, still better than walking
another 10 kilometers on foot.
We do not drive directly to the Dorze Lodge, because a large village
market is being held about 2 kilometers from the destination. Of course
we shouldn't miss that. Markets are always very interesting and you
should take as many as possible with you. Every market is different.
Image 291: Google
Map -
Marketplace south of Cencia (center) - Simply click on the image or
link and continue exploring the location.
Image 292:
Village market a few
kilometers south of Cencia (Chencha)
Before
we devote ourselves to the hustle and
bustle of the market, we first go to the Tej bar on the edge of the
market plaza. Tej (pronounced Tedsch) is a traditional Ethiopian
alcoholic drink. Since the main ingredient is honey, it's also called
honey wine. After fermentation, the brew has an alcohol content between
6-11 percent. According to the legend, the consumption of the drink is
associated with the meeting of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.
Makeda once had this royal drink in her luggage and enjoyed it
extensively with King Solomon, and 9 months later their son Menelik was
born. As is known, he became the first king of the Solomonic dynasty
Ethiopia. In addition, alcoholic beverages made from honey were once
considered sacred.
Image 293:
In the Tej bar
Image 294: Tej-Bar south of Cencia
The common
people were not
allowed to produce and enjoy it, which is why in Ethiopia until the
19th century the consumption of Tejs was reserved only for the
nobility. The shape of the typical drinking vessels has been preserved
from this time until today (compare picture 2.004 in "Ethiopia Again" -
part 15 or picture 1.342 in part 11). Currently, however, this does not
prevent anyone from having the drink filled into other vessels.
After we have also emptied a few "vases" of this delicious drink and
all together have eaten two large plates of Injera with mutton ragout,
we now want to explore the market. Unfortunately, the beautiful weather
says goodbye before I have finished my video shoot and the clouds
envelop the scenery in thick fog again, so that it is no longer
possible to take beautiful photos.
Image 295 - 301: The smoking club :-)
True
to the motto "After dinner you should smoke ...", Mastu
spontaneously joins a local smoking club and takes a deep drag from the
extremely long-stemmed pipe. What old women and men can tolerate, he
should also be able to do ... that's what he thought, but he must have
been very wrong with his assessment. The group looks expectantly at
Mastu and is extremely amused when Mastu is breathless. We don't even
want to test it. I usually like to take part in every "bullshit", but I
am not comfortable with these black balls that smell like cow dung. We
do not know exactly what is contained in this black drug.
Image 302 + 303: Maybe ensete dough (?) And
potatoes
Video: Tej bar and market bustle
At
the edge of the market there are also football tables, another bar
and a sound system from whose speakers you can even hear Ethiopian
reggae. Also included "Eyob Mekonnen", which we would like to remind
you of at this point.
Eyob
wEyob was born on October 12th, 1975 in Jijiga in the Somali region in
eastern Ethiopia. His father Yalem Mekonnen was an officer in the
Ethiopian army during the Ogaden War, which particularly inspired Eyob
to spread peaceful messages in his songs. At a young age he moved to
Addis and attended school there. He joined the reggae band Zion, which
became a fixture in Addis Ababa clubs. In their music they combined
elements of modern Amharic music with those of Oromo and Reggae.
In
2010 he released his first solo album "Man Ende Kal". After 2012 he
also started touring abroad, which led him to Canada, the Netherlands
and also to Germany. Unfortunately, Eyob suffered a stroke on August
13, 2013 and fell into a coma. Donations were collected for his
treatment and he was transferred to a hospital in Nairobi on August
17th, where he died of complications on August 18th. His posthumous
album "Erotatalehu" (picture above) presents with 14 songs a
significant increase over his debut album. Unfortunately, we will never
know how things would have gone on with his music. R.I.P. Eyob Mekonnen!
Eyob
Mekonnen - Semahuachew (Erotalehu)
Eyob
Mekonnen - Wede Enate Bet (Erotalehu)
Since the visibility in the market is getting
worse and worse because of the fog, we decide to visit the Tej-Bar
again and wait a bit there. Maybe we'll be lucky and the clouds will
disappear again.
The multi-room location is still full of people and the Tej flows
freely. But it tastes really good and costs next to nothing (5 birr).
This is now also being noticed by numerous women who come here without
a male companion.
As is common in many traditional Ethiopian restaurants, they also have
their own butcher, where you can choose the meat you want. At the same
time, the butcher also cuts it into the right size. So everyone knows
what's on their plate.
Image 304: Inside the Tej bar
Image 305: Butcher in the Tej bar
Image 306 - 308: It tastes good again in the
Tej bar
Unfortunately,
our hopes are not fulfilled because the view doesn't get
any better even after a long wait and a lot of Tej enjoyment. In
addition, it looks as if rain is coming, which we don't need at all,
because we still have a few kilometers to go to the lodge. So we decide
to leave and take a shortcut next to the main road through the forest.
This starts right at the southern end of the market area and saves us a
lot of meters and a lot of time. In our luggage we still have a couple
of water bottles filled with Tej so that Rainer, who stayed in the
lodge, can still enjoy the delicious drink.
Image 309 - 314: "Cinema" again in the Dorze
Lodge
We
are lucky. The initially isolated raindrops are becoming
increasingly rare, and when we arrive at the lodge after about 30
minutes at around 3:30 p.m., the sun actually comes out again. So we
can end the day again with a beautiful view. The guys at the lodge
offer to clean our muddy shoes and pants for a fee. Let's see how it
works.
Image 315 + 316: View of the restaurant area of
the Dorze Lodge
Image 317: The shoe and
trouser washer
Image 318 + 319: Dorze ceramics and bracelets
Image 320 + 321: Dorze Lodge - View from the
restaurant terrace of our bungalows. The smaller one is the one-person
household. ;-)
The
boys laundry didn't work that well. But no matter, the will counts.
The profile of the soles is still completely filled with mud. Why
should you also clean them, after all, they're not slippers. ;-) Even
the mud on the trouser legs, the boys have probably noticed. The traces
of dirt have become noticeably paler, but they now also take up a lot
more space. So we do a little aftercare before we lay everything out to
dry. Since we do this with a beautiful view, we also enjoy it.
Image 322 - 325: Slowly the shadows of the
mountains are getting longer and the sun is disappearing behind our
backs.
The
time for dinner is approaching and with it the hope that we will
get a decent open fire today after the wet and cold day. But we didn't
take into account the extraordinary hard work of our boys. The
restaurant's fireplace greets us just like it did last night, with a
black, empty opening. I'm trying to order an appropriate fire. I would
do it myself, but there is simply no wood available next to or near the
fireplace. Only the boys at the lodge sit around, bored, and yawn in
competition. The answer is extremely baffling. When it rained, you
couldn't go to collect wood. After all, everything has gotten wet now.
I beg your pardon?! Is there a hidden camera here somewhere? They have
probably heard nothing of rainproof storage. I think our boys urgently
need their own household or a real winter someday so that they can
learn how to do business. The job at the lodge is probably not
beneficial to them. So we are sitting in the semi-dark restaurant again
and have to make warm thoughts. But Alex still has a secret weapon in
the car that he brings to dinner. He actually organized a bottle of
schnapps when we visited the Dorze village, which we can now mix a
little with the lodge's hot tea. If that doesn't help, then we still
have a few bottles of Tej. ;-)
We still have a question for the boys and show them the picture of our
eight-legged pet, which, amazingly, was still sitting in the same place
after our return. Now there is discussion and movement in the group.
They have the same opinion. It's a poisonous Shererite, as they call
her. This illegal bungalow resident must definitely be kicked out. The
spider was obviously not thrown out, because when we return home there
is a dark, muddy patch on the wall where the spider was previously
sitting. I'm sorry about that now. Maybe I should have tried to catch
her after all.
We will meet again tomorrow at this point when we travel to Konso via
Arba Minch and visit the people of the same name in their village,
which is under the protection of UNESCO. In addition, we will explore a
sandstone formation, also known as "New York" by the locals.
Copyright: www.reggaestory.de
Photos: Marion & Peter Joachim
Text und Videos: Peter Joachim
English version: Gabriele Brown