The largest town on Lake Tana is Bahir Dar. I’ve told you about Lake Tana, so here is a piece on Bahir Dar.

Ethiopians describe Bahir Dar as being their Riviera and, while it has wide streets shaded by palm trees and sweeping views across the shimmering blue waters of Lake Tana, it is nevertheless difficult to conjure up images of the French Riviera when strolling through Bahir Dar. Perhaps you’d disagree though.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, various temporary Ethiopian capitals were established in the vicinity of Lake Tana and Bahir Dar. And it was here that the Jesuits attempted – with disastrous consequences – to impose Catholicism on the Ethiopian people.

In the 1960s Haile Selassie toyed with the idea of moving his capital here.

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Life in Bahir Dar:

Some of the people of Bahir Dar:

A cattle drive through the streets of Bahir Dar… Note the cowboy astride the bicycle rather than a horse – whatever works, right?

The cattle market in Bahir Dar:

A cowboy’s home on the edge of the cattle market:

Remember the Blue Nile outlet? This is around the bend (downriver) from that point and is now unambiguously the Nile River instead of Lake Tana. Hard to tell, but that water is teeming with hippos:

An Ethiopian-style car was along the Blue Nile: