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Axum, Ethiopia, where the Ark of the Covenant is said to be guarded.

Politics is not an exception in the singularity of Ethiopia either. There are many records that prove it. First, it is the only country in Africa that was never colonized. Mussolini tried to invade but 5 years later, the Italians had to run away and come back to their refuge in Eritrea. Secondly, their king ruled more years than any other Monarch in the world in the XX century. So long that he even lost his mind and nobody ever dared to argue his crazy decisions. If that was not enough, in 20 years they went from being an absolute monarchy, to a communist country to end up as a capitalist country. All these swings put it at the end of the line of the world development, which is going to be difficult to overcome as long as the most of its population has no running water.

Ethiopia is so different from any other place in the world that even their most famous monument is a unique form of architecture, the Rock-Hewn Churches of the king Lalibela. Eleven churches of the XII century that instead of reaching heaven, they seem to reach hell. They are monolithic churches carved on volcanic rocks downwards. Like Saint George Church whose ceiling shaped as a cross looks spectacular merging from a 30 meter breach. In the North of the country, they say the famous Ark of the Covenant is guarded, although Indiana Jones had it closer than any other tourist, because they keep it very well hidden behind a curtain. Only a monk has access to it, while the rest of the mortals have to believe that that it really contains Moses tablets. Near that location they also brag about having the palace of the Queen Sheba, Salomon’s wife. These ruins can be visited, but they are only 4 pieces of rock and actually they could use another tunic to cover them. A couple of jumps from there, in Fokker, the plane-bus that the Ethiopian Airlines uses to move its passengers through runways full of cows, you can find the Blue Nile Falls or Tributaries. These falls were the final destination for Western explorers who, for hundreds of years, searched obsessively the source of the famous river.

On the South of the country, however, the past is present. A dozen tribes, the most authentic in Africa, keep living the same way and with the same rituals than hundreds of years ago. Like them, Ethiopian food seems to have stopped in time. Served in big trays, all their food is presented turned on what they call “injera”, some kind of round and fluffy crepe. With their hands, they grab a piece of this local bread and use it to hold their food and bring it to their mouths. As rudimentary as delicious, specially ‘Tibs’, goat meat, diced and cooked with a sauce made with onions, pepper and oil. Their lentils, with sauce or in soup, are also finger-licking good. It is not a good variety for 13 months, but it is very enjoyable for 13 days. Word of traveller.

Ethiopia photo gallery