After returning from the Simien Mountains, it was necessary
for Mark and I to spend the night in Dabark. It is a cold, gloomy town with a
lonely highway passing through. And how will I remember Debark? As being
probably one of the scruffiest places I have ever laid my head. The hotel we
chose looked decent on the outside, the lobby a bit worse, and the rooms
disgusting. As I was being shown my room there was a shallow basin filled with
human feces blocking the door which our host casually kicked aside. Luckily, I
was tired enough from walking all day I slept surprisingly well and I don’t even think
I picked up any fleas.
In the morning, we hopped a bus for the northern town of
Axum. I was under the impression that Debark sat at the base of the Simien
Mountains; not more than an hour outside of Debark the bus approached a
harrowing drop that made the hair on my neck stand. From the side window was a
shear drop that left me wondering where the heck the bus was going to go. Turns
out, there is a narrow dirt/mud highway that, sorry to say, puts
Going-to-the-Sun road to shame. Tight switchback after tight switchback, the
bus wound its way down the front of the escarpment. Had the road been in proper
shape, and the bus not falling apart, it might not have been as nerve-racking a
descent. Mark and I were very grateful that the rains hadn’t come that day.
Switchback upon switchback, winding our way out of the Simien Mountains.
Typical Ethiopian bus; goats on top, chickens inside.
The Simien Mountains are just as impressive from below as they are from within.
The bus continued in this manner for hours as it traversed
the steep and rugged foothills of the Simien Mountains; down one harrowing
descent, across a river, drive straight up to a wall of rock, shift into low
gear and navigate a narrow series of switchbacks. Repeat. Finally, the land
began to mellow out and it appeared we were out of the mountains. In relatively
quick time, we had left the lush highlands; scrubby acacia began replacing tall
eucalyptus, temperatures warmed, and the earth became less fertile
while taking on a red hue. Then out of nowhere came another harrowing drop. The
bus made yet another descent, which by the bottom we were choking on dust, wiping sweat from our brows and watching camels plying the highway. It was a breathtaking change in scenery
that left me feeling like I had just entered an entirely different country.
Axum, like so many other places we have visited in Ethiopia,
is known for its ancient history. It is claimed that Axum was home to the Queen
of Sheba, is where Moses carried the Ark of the Covenant to from Mt. Sinai and
where it still resides to this day, and whose king was one of the three to
visit Christ at his birth, taking frankincense as a gift. Great empires have
reigned here and it is from near here that Ethiopian civilization was born.
It’s a fascinating place with lots of sites to see. It only took a day
(actually less) for me to get my fill of peering at carved stones, wandering
stinky tombs, and staring at ancient script with no idea what it says. As
usual, the best parts for me were the journey here and just being here, walking
amongst the dirty streets and interacting with the local folk.
Axum is dominated by giant obelisks, dating back to 1,700 years ago. It is believed that these mark important graves from the great Kingdom of Aksum.
The ancient Ezana Stone is inscribed in three ancient languages, Ge'ez, Greek, and Sabaean, and documents the conversion of King Ezana to Christianity in the 4th century AD.
Terraced fields of tef and maize, cactus, a few eucalyptus, and hilltop churches dominated the Axum outskirts.
Axum has its share of intricately painted churches and monasteries.
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