Road Trip Through the National Forest to Debre-Libanos

On a weekend it's nice to be able to jump into ones Rav 4 and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Addis Ababa as I've mentioned before is a rather busy city of over 4 million people.  Although we reside in the "relatively" quiet suburb of Bole Sub City, I welcomed  the opportunity to see beyond the congestion and activity of Addis.  Debre-Libanos is around  a 100 km from Addis so this would also give Ravi a nice change from short city excursions which have been to date the extent of  Ravi's Ethio-experience.  Truth be told Paul was a bit worried that Ravi might not be up for the challenge.  We purchased Ravi in a rush last December and by January she was on a ship to Ethiopia.  We never drove her in Canada and though she looked good, we still weren't sure if she was up for African driving.

Paul, get dressed, we're going on a road trip. Lexxie too!

Sunday morning, we packed up our cooler with Canadian fare (potato salad and fried chicken) and Ethiopian fare (lentils and injera).  Aynalem and her husband Baracat joined us and along with Lexxie we were off.  We have a GPS (we call her Aussie) which although it has the Garmin program for Ethiopia, has had it's share of problems.  There is a lot of construction going on in Addis at the moment as the Chinese (transportation gurus) are currently supervising the construction of a rail line right through the middle of the city.  It is going to be an amazing improvement once it is finished, but like with most construction, it's wreaking havoc on current traffic patterns.  No matter how many times I hit "detour" Aussie kept trying to steer us through roads that are torn up or completely blocked.  Fortunately Paul has a pretty good sense of the city, so in spite of Aussie's confusion and my keen sense of direction (right or left?) he managed to steer Ravi out of the city.

The first thing you notice as you leave the city is a sense of openness and fresh air.  Well perhaps fresh air is pushing it as most vehicles here use diesel fuel and clearly we weren't the only ones trying to escape the city. The road is paved as it is a direct access route to other towns, but I wouldn't suggest taking this road at night.  The road is not lit and it follows a very up hill, windy path as you begin your climb through the National Forest from the base of the Entoto Mountains.  The road is bordered by tall Eucalyptus trees and for us passengers it was a nice, green view. Paul as the driver had to keep vigilant for pot holes. I used to think Quebec held the record for the worst roads and biggest potholes, but no more.   Oft times as we approached a curve there would be on coming traffic in our lane. This was only other drivers trying to avoid driving over a crater.  This is one thing I have become accustomed to here in Ethiopia.  Drivers think nothing of coming into your lane to avoid a hole in the street. I think to myself that if anyone came that close to me at home, I'd be screaming, "stay in your lane!", but here, no one thinks twice about it.  Note to self: "Driving by another car with inches to spare at home could induce road rage. Safer to risk wheel alignment and suspension damage."  As we drove higher along the mountain road I pulled out Aussie to check the elevation.  When she's not busy "recalculating", she can be useful.  Although Addis has an elevation of 2341 meters and we have become accustomed to living at this higher altitude, our ears told us we were climbing even higher.  The highest point we reached was  around 2850 meters above sea level.  Just to put that in perspective, Ottawa has an elevation at the airport of 114 m,  Toronto is around 75 m and  Banff Alberta varies from 1400 to 1600 meters.  When you reach the peak and look down on Addis you can see the haze that hangs over the city; a combination of dust, exhaust fumes and industrial pollution.  During the dry season the haze seems to just hang, whereas it dissipates somewhat, but never completely goes away, during the rainy season.                                                                                                                                                                

Addis: view from the top of our climb

Green backdrop can't hide the haze over the city

After we reached the highest point the road continued to follow a winding path, with sharp turns to keep you alert as we drove up and down through Ethiopia's Highlands. We travelled through several small towns towards our destination of Debre-Libanos. The landscape between towns is generally farm land. You need to be on the lookout for cows, sheep and donkeys because like most Ethiopians they do not adhere to any road rules. The homes along the way were constructed from mud, densely packed around sapling frames and thatched roofs. Most people we came across walking along the side of the road or through the fields
were herding animals. The towns, by Addis standards were very small, though they still had the requisite number of shops, restaurants and hotels.  It's interesting that even in leaving Addis you still see evidence of construction and development albeit in a rural and somewhat pastoral setting.

We stopped at a look out which was still under construction and it gave us a beautiful view of the gorge below, the terraced fields and the rugged valley sides.

Look-out Under Construction, but the view needs no improvements

Gorge below, tributary of the Abbay River

Ethiopian Highlands

Highland Beauty

The fields before the gorge

Terraced grain fields

Cliffs featured here are side fissures feeding into the Rift Valley

The distance to Debre-Libanos is approximately 100 km, but the journey took about 2 hours. Although the roads are paved, high speed is out of the question; too windy, narrow, asphalt damage and too many animals along the way.  We maintained an average speed of 80 kms, but that's because Paul was driving.  I suspect if I had been driving the trip would have taken considerably longer.  As it was the scenery along the way made it an enjoyable drive.  We arrived at the Monastery at Debre-Libanos and decided to take a tour. Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed so Paul chose to stay behind while I took a tour.  The monastery dates back to the 13th Century.  It sits high on a terrace between the cliff and the gorge of one of the tributaries of the Abbay River.  None of the original buildings from Debre Libanos have survived, but in 1961 Emperor Haile Selassie had the present site constructed.  He had a special place of honor where he sat whenever he or his wife attended.  

Debre Libanos Monastery

Front Entrance

The Apostles, but why only 10? TIA

Pic inside of  the Monastery before I was told no flash. Oops!

View from the Monastery

Lunch time

Cattle, sheep and donkeys, Oh My!

View from the car. This is going to be a long drive home.

View from the road.

Keeps getting better.

The return drive home was another 2 hours, but what a great day. It gave us a glimpse of the beauty just beyond our Addis door. It has whetted our appetite to see more.  Now that we are confident that Ravi can handle African roads, our next trek will be to see Wenchi Crater.  It is an extinct volcano around 100 kms west of Addis.  Stay tuned!

Signs, Signs Everywhere A Sign, but what do they all mean?

Five Man Electrical Band released this song in 1970 (am I dating myself?), but the message is still relevant.

                                                         Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
                                                   Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
                                                Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?



During my travels throughout the UK I came across numerous signs covering the spectrum from humorous to bizarre to no, what??  Signs on the whole have universal meanings, but the signs that drew my attention were those with distinct regional appeal.  That same sign at home would be met with laughter and confusion, but here in the UK they appear as natural as fish and chips.  

Signs are intended to provide you with clear direction.  There is no mistaking that only in Britain would a "No Parking" sign have such a polite tone.  As I walked around Ryde I wondered if this would work in Ottawa or Toronto or how long it would remain graffiti (comment) free?

Manners never hurt.

Word signs should be clear so there is no room for confusion.  It is inevitable that words that carry a different meaning at home warrant inclusion in this blog.  The word "hump" is used a lot in British signs.  They may be pointing to a pedestrian crossing or  indicating upcoming speed bumps.  On the scale of "words should not be ambiguous" the word "hump" fails miserably.

This refers to a pedestrian crossing, not a new breed of zebra

Does NOT refer to a potential red light district for 65 yards

Well then, let's just move away from words for a moment, while we wipe the smirks off our faces and look at picture signs.  You're not going to see any of these signs any time soon, but they are everywhere throughout Scotland.  A bit redundant in my opinion as the livestock aren't hiding. They are everywhere, so why announce them?

Sheep Crossing

What, you didn't believe it was me?

Cows and Oxen, oh my!

Not sure if he saw the sign. He could do with a trim.

What are you talking about?

Some signs can be outright  insulting.  I mean sure I may have felt like this at times, but is it necessary to announce it for all to see? Keeping up with the long strides of Al and Kat sometimes had me almost jogging. I said almost since everyone knows I do not jog!  They were always so apologetic because their natural strides leave most people in the dust. Thankfully they didn't hold it against me, though they seem to have reduced their pace after seeing that sign. (coincidence?) 

No offence................none taken.

Buses, like at home also sport signs. Three such signs caught my camera's attention. The first sign was of  M & M's.  I thought it funny to think of them speaking with British accents, but mostly I wanted to know where to find them so I could "test" if they tasted the same. The second sign looked like something from the 50's with Happy Days, Marion Cunningham offering to inoculate you.   The third sign just made me laugh.  Have you ever seen a cruise ship and a pussy cat in the same sentence? Yeah, me neither.  

English right down to their "Royal" bearskin hats!

I'm not convinced

Well of course not, it's a cruise ship.

Then there are those signs that stretch your credulity.  I was almost tempted to look for the hidden camera. The sign below had so many instructions that I was momentarily confused.  I then focused in on "no ball games". This sign stands in the square outside of the Cowes train station.  It is a relatively small, but crowded square filled with tour buses, cars, taxis and pedestrians.  Who honestly believes this area is in danger of someone suddenly coming up with the brilliant idea to start a (base) ball game?

Then there's this ludicrous access sign.  So is the sign saying that I need to be 6'6" high or  6'6" wide or, d'oh who has a measuring tape?  I am sure the sign makes sense to the locals, but for all we non-British perhaps we should be granted free access pending a review board's acceptance our eligibility. Otherwise, hit detour on your GPS and avoid these roads at all cost.

How about this next sign we saw outside the Household Cavalry Museum?  The wording is certainly clear.

Except perhaps for this lady.

Whoa, Nellie. Ahh, Lady did you not see the sign?

Of course with Nellie preoccupied with the Lady, Al, Kat and Steph posed for a photo op.

The problem is sometimes there are just too many signs and it can become a bit overwhelming.  We were standing outside Trafalgar Square and looking up the street.  There were crowds of people and signs and more signs.  Our eyes spotted one particular sign: the small oval black side that read:  "The Old Shades".  It had all the "signs" (excuse the pun) of being a typical English pub.

Once inside, the first sign that met us was one that is quite common in pubs.   It's actually a pretty efficient "serving" system.  Efficient, that is, once you know that sitting and waiting for a server is just not the British way. You go to the bar, order, pay, take your drink and a server brings your food order.

To be the one who avoids having to pay the bill, just say,"I'll stay here and "mind the bags".  Works every time!

This brings up a word that the Brits just love using: "mind".  It's a word you will hear or read over and over again whether you are riding a bus, train, tube or elevator.

Sign we read as we went through the walkway/entrance towards our Loch Ness tour

I cannot see this or re-call hearing it without an all out smile.  Good times, good times!!

This reminds me that Brits are indeed very safety conscious.  They are always alerting you to danger and telling you to "mind" your way.  At the London Tower they had a Health and Safety sign.  I sincerely doubted whether any "vest",  Kevlar or otherwise would provide protection, but I did "mind" the message.  Al, graciously tried on the safety helmet, to the whir of snapping shutters and looks of numerous onlookers.  She did confirm that the metal helmet likely would safe guard you against all assaults, with the exception of  the headache from wearing such a heavy helmet.

It will take more than protective clothing

Nice hat, Al.

Now here comes those signs that you'd recognise anywhere.

London's underground  transportation is amazing and really needs no introduction.

Al in front of Westminster Station 

Underground Tube 

The comfortable clothing sign that makes you look so darn good.

This plaque in Royal Victoria Park, Bath could not have a more worthy recipient for a Tree Hugger award.

 Plaque reads, "Tree Hugger, You are Home"

Many of the stores throughout our travels had souvenir paraphernalia that read:

I thought, how cool is that?  England too is part of this craze that has swept the Internet through Twitter and Facebook among two of the most popular social media platforms.

We in Ottawa were all over the phrase during the 2013 hockey playoffs.

Maybe WE shouldn't have been so calm, now that our beloved Alfie is gone!

How was I to know at that time that this phrase had actually originated in the UK?  It was the basis of a motivational poster created by the British government in 1939, just prior to the beginning of World War II. It ties in with the universality of signs and that brings my blog full circle.

 Five Man Electrical asked: "Can't you read the signs?"   I'd say  50/50, but I had a blast trying!