Hearing the morning prayer call from the local mosque I was up before the crack of dawn, but last night I fell asleep early and stayed mosquito-free (my tent was my mozzie net). The Moon is a perfectly shaped Islamic crescent as the sky was still dark as I search for a morning cup of tea. Once I found a cafe open I walked through the grass scattered across the floor for a cup of tea and a couple of donuts. Tea is good any morning, any day, and definitely with conversations with the locals. A young man spoke a bit of English through the window as I gazed at him with the slowly-lightening sky in the backdrop. I really like Bahir Dar. It's much cleaner than Addis and a great place to chill out by the lake for a few days, although it can get hot. On tap for today would be the Blue Nile Falls. The Ghion Hotel offers a tour for about 200 birr but I figured it'd be easy enough going alone. Walking to the bus station I'm directed to the bus going to Tis Isat village. It's packed with locals including two men seated behind me with their rifles.
Men greet each other with a cheek-to-cheek kiss and you're not perceived as being gay. The bus ride was dusty, it was very hot, and to make matters worse I forgot my water filter just like I did yesterday. When I exited the bus I paid the 30 birr admission fee as guides were chasing me down. I could go on my own, but several of them continued to follow me. Although I took a wrong turn I was back on track. A young boy of about 10 or so directed me down the trail and then followed me. I'll admit the trail was a little difficult to find. As we crossed a bridge I had to walk up a steep hill in the searing heat whilst a little girl was clapping her hands in front of me. Locals approached me with their handicrafts and other souvenirs but my sights were set on the magnificent Blue Nile Falls. These falls are even more magnificent in the rainy season and are seen on the back of the 1 birr note. As I zoomed in for a photo my little guide told me I can get even closer, so we walked one at a time across a swinging metal bridge and on over to the lookout.
Wow! It thunders over the edge and produces a gentle and soothing mist. Locally the falls are known as "Tis Isat" (Water that Smokes) or "Tis Abay" (Nile that Smokes). The Blue Nile Falls have to be the ultimate highlight of Ethiopia! For several minutes I just stood there in awe. What makes it even more special is to have traditional Ethiopian coffee with a spectacular view of the falls! Wow! I could have easily spent a full day here or even camped at the lookout. As I slowly sipped my coffee I was enjoying my final views of this amazing spectacle. It was very difficult to wave goodbye to the Blue Nile Falls as myself and my little guide headed back toward where we came from. For lazy people there's an easy path and a boat service but I was fine walking. When we walked out to the road I gave my new little friend a nice tip of 20 birr. All I could hope is that he bought something constructive with it rather than buying candy and Coca-Cola. As I walked back toward the village I observed these women carrying heavy sacks of firewood on their backs.
The things I've seen people do here (and in some other countries)...I just don't know how they do it. I could carry that amount of wood but I'd fear getting a herniated disk. It was well past noon and swelteringly hot. When i called in at a fly-blown shack with children playing foosball I got a cup of chai before I took the bus back to Bahir Dar and back to the relative comfort of the Ghion Hotel with its lakefront view. Within a few hours I had view of the source of the Blue Nile and the spectacular waterfall that marks the beginning of its lengthy journey toward Khartoum!
