Ethiopia - Cradle of Civilization

Ethiopia in my mind was synonymous for a number of things but tourist destination it definitely was not. All that changed when I made a trip to the country and discovered the culture and history that was attached to this country.

Our arrival into Addis Ababa was on a rainy afternoon and on stepping out of the airport, we were greeted with the sight of mountains in the distance with a light rainfall. This was truly a breathtaking view of the city. Addis Ababa is the third highest capital city in the world which explains the wonderful climate for most of the year. Along with the altitude, it is also set in the valleys of a number of dormant volcanic hills which gives the city a beautiful landscape. Driving into the city, we got a glimpse of the real country. The interesting part about Ethiopia is that 15 % of the population lives in the cities while a majority of the population lives in the countryside which in contrast to the statistics apparent in almost all other countries.

The city of Addis Ababa has definitely cultural connections. As you drive along, you see a number of churches that were built many thousands of years ago and still maintain their pride in the hearts of the people. You also see a number of monuments that were built to commemorate the victory of the Ethiopian people in the various wars that have been fought for the country.

There are a number of museums in the capital that are worth visiting but the main one that everyone visiting the country must go to is the National Museum of Ethiopia. This is the museum which will give its visitors a comprehensive understanding of ancient civilizations in the country, the life of the ethiopian people as well their cultural artifacts. The main attraction at the musuem was 'Lucy' of 'Dinknesh' as she is fondly called in the country. She is the oldest fossil (3.2 millions years) found in Ethiopia. She is the most complete fossil that has been discovered. In addition to Lucy, Ethiopia has also been the location for the discovery of a number of fossils that have provided archaeologists with a timeline of human evolution. These discoveries have been at different parts of the country and at different times indicating that Ethiopia has been the seat of civilization for a very very long time.

Addis Ababa is not the only tourist destination in the country. In addition to the capital, Ethiopia has two other important attractions: one being the rock hewn churches at Lalibela and the other being the location of the origin of the Blue Nile that then goes on to become the Nile in Egypt. The churches at Lalibela were hewn into the rocks in the 12th and 13th century and have been declared world heritage sites. Not only have the exterior of the churches been maintained but one can also visit the interiors of the churches as well. This is truly a breathtaking experience as is evident from the pictures of some of the churches posted below.

To sum up our experience of traveling to Ethiopia, all I can say is that in addition to the sights to see within the country, the other thing that will always stay with me is the hospitality of the Ethiopian people. So for all those who thought or are still thinking that Ethiopia is not a place to visit, I would highly recommend a change in attitude. Sometimes the most unexpected things come at the unexpected places :) Happy travels to all!

Paradise on earth - Maldives

The first place that comes to mind when one thinks of pristine blue waters and rich coral reefs is Maldives. I was also one of those who was completely enthralled by the pictures and snapshots of the seascapes. To say that pictures and movies have not done justice to the beauty of the place would be an understatement!

My first glimpse of the island country while hovering above Male International Airport did not disappoint me but I was surprised at how densely populated the capital city was. This is not to say that Male is a budding New York but the small buildings painted in varied colors and the proximity of the buildings to each other did surprise me. But to be fair to the Maldivians, this is after all a country that is made up of hundreds of islands and to build a capital city on the available land is definitely a remarkable achievement.

The beautiful views of the Indian Ocean definitely did not disappoint me. The ocean stretched out as far as one could see the horizon. You can definitely just imagine how beautiful the sunrise and sunsets would have been. The view of the massive ocean just gave me a sense of how difficult it would have been for the earliest explorers to even go beyond what was known in their times. Christopher Columbus was truly a visionary to even imagine the possibility of sailing the mighty oceans to explore farther lands. His exemplary journey is put even more into perspective when we realize that the thinking of the time was that the earth was flat and not round.

In addition to the beautiful landscape, what stood out most for me was the warmth of the people. They were ever ready to help and seemed genuinely interested in helping you out. There was a congenial atmosphere between the different hotels and resorts that was completely unexpected. Employees from a particular hotel willingly dropped off visitors to other resorts who happened to miss their mode of transportation, which just goes to show the genuine warmth of the Maldivians. My experience with hotels in other regions has shown me that most often there is this subtle underlying competition to try and outdo each other. It was almost as if the Maldivians had adopted the principle that there are enough people visiting the Maldives and enough hotels to accommodate these people so there is no point in competing with one another. It would be fantastic if people in different situations adopted this philosophy without feeling the need to outdo one another.

Being a vegetarian, I was unfortunately not able to fully appreciate the traditional dishes, which are primarily seafood based. I was however able to appreciate the influences that Maldives has had on its culture and cuisine because of its location on historical trading routes. One can see the prominent influences from the Indian subcontinent and most Maldivians can trace their ancestry to the subcontinent as well.

Maldives is truly a place where you can feel one with nature. I was truly able to appreciate the beauty and the wonders of nature in the 5 days that I spent there. Swimming and snorkeling in the water gave me a chance to observe things that I would not have taken the time out to do otherwise. When you are in a place where there is nothing else to do but swim, surf and spend you time in the sun, it is then that you truly realize what you are missing in your day-to-day life. This is what truly constitutes a vacation: when you do not have an alarm clock that has to be set, when you do not have a planned agenda that you need to stick to and can spend the day as you like.

I am definitely not propagating that relaxing in the sun is the only way to enjoy the place but I am definitely propagating that one should appreciate each place for what it has to offer. That in my opinion is the difference between a tourist and a traveler!!!