If you want a real “Wild West” environment in Ethiopia, I would suggest heading to Jijiga. In the interest of providing balance, the British Home Office emphatically does not suggest visiting Jijiga. We advise against all travel to Jijiga town, due to the risk of being caught up in a bomb attack following a number … Continue reading
Category Archives: Ethiopia
War in Somalia: The Ethiopian Military at Dire Dawa Airport
Dire Dawa is the closest Ethiopian military base I know of to the Somalia border. If it is not the closest, it is still a crucial one, and so it was from here that large numbers of Ethiopian troops staged before pouring into Somalia in 2006 (and retreated to in January of 2009). The number … Continue reading
Lalibela, Ethiopia
As mentioned previously, I shall allow my last post on the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to serve as a segue into a discussion of Lalibela itself. And, frankly, I found Lalibela and its environs more interesting than the churches the town is famous for. A little background: Lalibela (also known as Lalibala) was the most … Continue reading
The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia
Lalibela, initially known as Roha, was the Zagwe dynasty’s capital in the 12th and 13th centuries. After the death of King Lalibela, the ruler credited with the construction of the churches, the town was named after him. In an unusual consensus, scholars and local tradition agree that the churches date from around King Lalibela’s reign … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 