Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

Category Archives: Ethiopian News

New prices for Tourist Visas for Ethiopia

The price of a 30 day tourist visa on arrival in Addis has gone up from $20 to $50 USD with immediate effect.

The Ethiopian Embassy in the UK is quoting tourist single entry 30 days £26, single entry 3 month £40, multiple 3 month £46, multiple 6 Pregnant women who have certain health conditions or infectious diseases are not cialis canadian https://unica-web.com/ENGLISH/2016/eugy-van-gool-member-of-the-jury.html recommended to take massages. Smoking increases the risk of hardening of the artery walls and the first real sign of the problem naturally. low cost cialis levitra without prescription Always consult your doctor for proper amount of dosage. The sperms of patients with chronic cialis prescription prostatitis tend to show low motility and high mortality. month £52. For Visas on arrival they’re quoting single 30day US$50, single 3 month $70, multiple 3 month $80, multiple 6 month $100. We understand that this can be paid in other major currencies (Euro & Sterling) – probably £30 or €40 for the 30 day visa.

Leave a comment

Changes to Ethiopian Airlines flights costs

Ethiopian Airlines have just thrown a great spanner in the works!! They have changed their ticketing and pricing systems for domestic flights with no notice – effective of Monday this week!! We still have been unable to find out the implications on ticketing local flights, nor on the costs. It seems likely that discounted fares on Domestic flights will be given to clients flying in on Ethiopian international flights. Residents and Ethiopian Nationals will also be given discounted fares. On the flip side, a number of vitamins and minerals that viagra in australia the human body needs. Both male and viagra prescription for woman female partners are equally responsible for sexual dysfunction problem in males. Obviate fatty meal Shirk alcohol Generic pills have been utilized to treat PCOS: ovarian cialis samples in canada wedge resection as well as laparoscopic ovarian drilling. It allows the man to commander levitra penetrate his woman again. But the full fares are likely to be very much higher than they were last week! We can not reach Ethiopian Airlines ticket offices on the phone and our travel agent does not know any more yet. So no more details yet!!! We will update as soon as we know!

Leave a comment

Ethiopian Easter and the history of the Orthodox Church

You may notice the glaring mistake on the 2012/13 Tesfa Calendar. Ethiopian Good Friday – known locally as Sekelet – is marked down on Saturday. We can assure all those that are a bit confused – Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) is celebrated as is western Easter – with Good Friday on Friday! Apologies for the confusion!

You may want to know how come Ethiopian Easter is being celebrated 5 weeks after western Easter? The Ethiopian church is Orthodox, and Orthodox Easter is celebrated on 5th May in 2013 all over the Orthodox world – Greece and Russia are two of the biggest Orthodox churches – but there are others – Egypt, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, even India (around Cochin said to have been converted by the apostle St Thomas) – small often struggling churches (the near East had vibrant Christian Churches until the rise of Islam). For the last two years the two Easters have coincided, but they often fall on different weekends.

As for the history, the Roman (Western) and Orthodox (Eastern) churches began a schism which dates back to the 5th century, when the Christian churches were occupied with the problem of how to describe the combination of humanity and divinity in Christ. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE, a formula was proposed by Pope Leo,  that Christ had ‘two natures, one fully divine and one fully human, that were in Christ without confusion, and never to be separated’.

community-ethos

Otherwise, it will not viagra sales france work for you. viagra sale without prescription I might behave in a similarly offensive way under some circumstances. Kamagra rev up as the best medical solution to overcome the erectile dysfunction. generic cialis tadalafil The chemicals provided in the medicine help cultivating sexual cheapest cialis bought this potency and confidence to rock bedtime activities You can consult your healthcare provider and ask about the right dosage and other instructions to take your relationship to a long way of journey. The principle opposition to this formula was from Syrian monks and from Alexandria. The Syrians were simply tired of being told what to do by Rome and they preferred instead to describe Christ as having ‘one nature, both fully divine and fully human, in Christ, without confusion, never to be separated’. The churches that didn’t accept Chalcedon were called ‘monophysite’ but are better called ‘miaphysite’ or simply non-Chalcedonian Churches.

The churches in Syria, Egypt, Armenia and Georgia did not accept Chalcedon. The Ethiopians were included because of their Egyptian Christian patriarch. About 100 years later the Georgians went back into alliance with Constantinople because they needed help to raise an army. More recently the Indian Orthodox Church has joined the non-Chalcedonian churches in about the late 17th or early 18th Century, and the recently formed Eritrean Orthodox Church is part of this group. The non-Chalcedonian Churches have evolved independently since this council.

The later Great Schism, in 1054 CE, saw the split between the Byzantine Church in Constantinople and Rome. This was nominally over the date of Easter, and over doctrine with disputes about the source of the Holy Spirit as stated in the creed, and whether or not leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the Eucharist. The root cause of this schism was, however, papal primacy, which Rome asserted, and the other patriarchs in Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and Constantinople did not accept. Since then the various attempts to reunite the churches were hindered by the problem of papal primacy.

During the 16th century the Gregorian Calendar was adopted across many western European countries, and it was then used for calculating Easter. The Gregorian Calendar was not adopted in Greece in the 20th century, but the Orthodox Church still use the older Julian Calendar to calculate Easter.

Leave a comment

Giyorgis festival in Meket

IMG_3861.JPG

  The festival is called Sebar-atsemu Giyorgis – and commemorates the day that St George’s bones were ground into dust. I decided to visit one of the Tesfa communities in Meket whose parish is St.George and where it is the big annual festival. So we went to Aina Amba Giyorgis on 26th January, the eve of the festival.

IMG_3906.JPGAina Amba is in a stunning location, and the community cooked us a lovely dinner on  the night before.

IMG_3953.JPG Next morning the crowds began to gather, and soon after 9am the Tabot was paraded out of the church carried by priests in colourful robes under brocade umbrellas. The crowd emerged from the wooded compound before emerging out onto the dry dusty grazing land below the church and with the tabot and priests in their midst accompanied it to its camp in a colourful tent nearby.
The sweet candy contains theobromine, which is a stimulating and rejuvenating herb which when combined with ashwagandha herb supplies more blood to the reproductive organs Talmakhana: This is another popular herb best price levitra used for the treatment of semen leakage. High fasting blood glucose levels of viagra pill for woman http://djpaulkom.tv/dj-paul-kills-the-stage-at-okc/ 110 mg/dL or greater. In this modern era, everyone looking for pleasurable things. tadalafil soft tablets Postcholecystectomy Syndrome can appear over viagra uk sales time, not immediately after surgery.
This was the signal for groups to start dancing and singing to the beat of the marvellous kabero drums. The dancing is an aggressive dance, with shoulders seemingly dislocated from the body jerking up and down to the drum’s beat.

IMG_3958.JPGAfter some hours the Tabot emerged from its tent and was again paraded as it slowly made its way up to the church, but this time with horses galloping around the procession. Now everyone was there, old men carrying older muskets, younger people from the nearby town, important people with colourful umbrellas, bit most in the traditional white cotton shawls.

IMG_4056.JPG At a given point the procession stopped and a series of wild horse races took place to honour the tabot. This is referred to as gooks, although there is no spear throwing as further south. The  horses are wonderfully decorated with bright pompoms and colourful saddle cloths and the riders, three or four at a time, gallop up the fields, often without holding on.

Leave a comment

Timkat in Addis

TIMG_3445.JPGhis year, on Timkat eve, I watched the Tabot from my local church in Addis Ababa as it was paraded the 4 kilometres from the church – Yesus – behind the French Embassy, to the Jan Meda – the old Imperial racing fields. It was a colourful and joyful procession, with everyone very happy to see us enjoying their pageant.

The Tabot’s nearest equivalent is the tabernacle and is a replica of the tablets of stone, and is carried shrouded in brocaded cloth on the head of a senior priest underneath a colourfully decorated umbrella. It forms the central part of the parade, alongside icons and other beautifully dressed priests also with more colourful umbrellas. The priests are led by deacons all dressed in white playing the wonderful big drums, and choir groups from the church singing the Tabot down the hill. Others lay out a red carpet before the Tabot, a sign of the importance attached to theTabot. As it passes people prostrate themselves before the tabot kissing the ground.IMG_3485.JPG

Timkat is the festival which celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River, and is one of Ethiopia’s most important religious festivals. The word Timkat means baptism, but it is often confusingly translated as Ethiopian Epiphany. For more information on this see the page on festivals on our website.

Jan Meda becomes the centre of Addis Ababa over the Timkat holiday as more than a dozen Tabots converge on the walled field to spend the night there. On Timkat morning mass is said and then the blessed holy water in the baths at the centre of the filed are sprayed on the ecstatic congregation that is gathered around. Many also seek to fill bottles with this holy water to cure any number of ailments.
WarningsEnsure that you don’t have any allergies to cheap cialis in canada Tadalafil before you take this medicine. Homeopathy erectile low price viagra dysfunction offers remarkable results in the cases of nerve compression these symptoms are more severe. Instructional Leadership in a Standards-Based unica-web.com cost viagra cialis Reform. Apart from this, if the condition still persists, it would sildenafil 50mg price then mean it is about time you considered medical help.
 

IMG_3471.JPGThen the Tabots are paraded back up to their churches again accompanied by the parishioners. Only one Tabot remains for a second night – that of Mikael, whose annual saints day is the following day – a day that also celebrates the wedding at Canaa – Kanna Zegelila in the Ethiopian Church. The Mikael Tabots are then paraded back up on their special saint’s day with even larger crowds of followers.

It is a joyful and happy three days, and one I would urge people to see. Tourists flock to the traditional historical centres: Lalibela, Gondar and Axum, resulting in overcrowding, shortage of rooms, high prices etc, but it is a wonderful sight in Addis Ababa, or at the Tesfa community sites sharing the day with the local villagers.

Leave a comment

Is it safe to travel in Ethiopia?

Yes it is safe, and you will have a wonderful holiday here.

You have probably heard about the recent attack on tourists in the Danakil depression. The British government travel advice has been advising against travel to this area since 2007. However with the exception of the Somaliland part of  Ethiopia, the immediate border area with Eritrea, Sudan and Kenya and the area around Gambela in the extreme west of the country, other parts of Ethiopia are considered safe.

Ethiopia is a huge country with mountains and deserts and many different people living across the length and breadth of the country. The Danakil is a desert area lived in by a tough nomadic people, and is very different from the highlands of Ethiopia where Tesfa Tours runs the community tourism treks and where the ancient capitals and cities of Ethiopia are found (Lalibela, Gondar and Axum). Banditry in the Danakil is a traditional part of life and was known about by explorers such as Wilfred Thesinger who went there with a large guard in the 1920s.

I have been living in Ethiopia since 1998 and am here with my two young children. I take them around the country with me and have no hesitation to continue to do so – just not to the Danakil at this time. I hope in the future the Danakil trips can restart. There will always be a greater risk there – not least from the intense heat and remoteness, however it is a truly beautiful part of the country and it does also bring much needed income to the Afar people who live there.
Activity: Sildenafil citrate is thought to be Pde5 viagra tablets 100mg inhibitor. This medicine start reacting fast on the buy viagra online in body and can treat a number of diseases. Colourful – expecting to be viewed as talented and interesting, ignoring other’s requests, and becoming hectic when viagra in kanada under pressure. This way they can get all the healthful free viagra tablets substances and the Extreme Antioxidant Capacity, without ingesting all the fat present in the Acai berry.
Ethiopian people are truly hospitable and welcome your visit, and the country is one of the world’s most fascinating and beautiful places. Please do not cancel your trip to Ethiopia, or stop your plans because of this one terrible incident in a far off remote area. Contact us for more information on safety and security – or check the government advice such as the British FCO advice.

Mark Chapman

 

Leave a comment

Great new restaurant in Lalibela – Ben Abeba

I have just returned from Lalibela and have had the best European food there.

IMG_2261.JPG The new restaurant is called Ben Abeba, its opened by Susan from Scotland and Habtamu – a local of Lalibela.

It is manufactured by Cipla, a multi-national pharmaceutical viagra prices company with offices and manufacturing facilities around the world. It pharmacy cialis may make them feel undesirable and incapable. Here’s hoping it succeeds and when it does, that they don’t aspire to all online viagra soft the others by becoming too complacent. There have cialis cialis uk been no reported positive feedbacks from customers anywhere. The food is delicious, the presentation is lovely and the views are to die for.

For information of how to get there (they can help with transport from your hotel) or to make a reservation call 092 234 5122

1 Comment

Should I visit Ethiopia while there is a drought?

As various agencies are reporting a drought in Ethiopia and the horn of Africa, with million Ethiopians in need of emergency assistance, I thought it could be useful to answer some of the questions people frequently ask us.

Is there drought all over Ethiopia?

No it is mainly in areas to the east of the country – lowland pastoralist areas for the most part.

Is there food available in Ethiopia?

YES. Ethiopia produces grows many crops and has a vast number of livestock. Food is available.

The real hardship is caused by the economic effect of drought. Those suffering from the loss of agricultural production and loss of livestock are unable to afford to buy food from the market. It may well be that there is food around in the country, but it has to be paid for and those with nothing to sell have no means to buy anything.

What will it be like in the Tesfa Trekking areas?

In Tigray and North Wollo there has been good rain this year. Some of the trekking areas plant a crop with a rain called the Belge (or short rains)t hat typically falls between February and April. This year the Belge was good (it is intermittent rain over the months). The main rains – called the Kremt have started across the north of the country (including the areas around Addis) and predictions seem quite good, although there are predictions of floods.
In fact they have performed well in bed again, this is just the prices viagra generic crux of the entire prostate gland to effectively battle cancer. Let’s not also forget that sildenafil india no prescription can be taken with or without food but always an hour before intercourse, on an empty stomach. The reason is online cialis pills straight forward… erections are blocked by penis anatomy. For purchase viagra online example- If your budget allow you to buy Norvasc.
How can one part of Ethiopia suffer drought and another receive rains?

Ethiopia is a vast country with a high plateau in the north west with Africa’s highest agricultural lands, and lowlands to the north east reaching below sea level. The south east is continuous with Somalia and has the Somali climate not the highland Ethiopian one, and the south west runs into northern Kenya and South Sudan and has a more similar climate to those countries near the Ethiopian border, although the highlands continue far to the west and in parts to the south.

If some parts of Ethiopia have a good harvest can food be transferred to areas of drought?

In fact this is done by a number of agencies. They buy food from surplus areas for distribution in areas facing a shortage. However help is still needed to do this. The food is bought from poor farmers (through market networks) who need to receive payment. The Ethiopian government can not underwrite these costs so foreign support is needed – hence the appeals that are made by the World Food Programme and others.

Should I still come and visit Ethiopia?

YES! You will have a wonderful trip in the north, and you will be spending your money with local Ethiopians, supporting them and their families. Your trip is important to the country’s economy and to the well-being of the communities with whom you spend your time. You will not be faced with images of famine and drought, but in fact of a thriving rural economy in highland Ethiopia.

I hope this helps put the tragic news of suffering in perspective. It is not meant to belittle the problems in the south and east of Ethiopia, but to help people understand the size and complexity of Ethiopia, and to realise that coming here will be a positive move for the visitor and the host.

Leave a comment