Lake Tana is perhaps most famous for the monasteries sprinkled across its shoreline and islands. Many monasteries date from the late 16th or early 17th century, though most were founded much earlier and likely were the site of pre-Christian shrines. One of the best examples of traditional Ethiopian monasteries, Ura Kidane Meret, sits on the … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Lake Tana is Ethiopia’s largest, covering over 3,500 square kilometers, and its waters are the source of the Blue Nile, which flows 5, 223 kilometers north to the Mediterranean Sea. Lounging lakeside and watching squadrons of pelicans skirting the surface might be the most relaxing way to pass the time here, but your editor gets … Continue reading
One does not visit the outlet of the Blue Nile to say hello to the river. One visits it to say goodbye to Lake Tana’s water and wish it well on its 5223 km journey to the Mediterranean (Along the way, it connects with the White Nile in Khartoum, Sudan). And you may even see … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 