The Most Beautiful Place in The World?

We’re just back from some incredible trekking in the Tigray region.  We hiked with our new British friends whom we met at the kids’ school.  



 Tigray is in northern Ethiopia (close, but not too close to the Eritrea border).  It was the region most severely affected by the 1984-85 famine.




A bit of history about Eritrea/Ethiopia.   At various times in history Eritrea has been either on or off the map of Africa.  Eritreans share the same language (Tigryna) and culture as the Ethiopians of Tigray.

Eritrea had long been an independent nation.  It was then colonized by the Italians in the late 1800’s.  Then in 1948, for various political reasons, the UN’s General Assembly decided that Eritrea would become Ethiopia’s 14^th province.  Eritrea was then off the map of Africa.  

This forced arrangement didn’t work out terribly well.   In 1993, after many years of strife Eritrea became an independent nation (again). Eritrea is now back on the map of Africa.

From what we understand border tensions have eased over the last few years, but VSO still suggests that we don’t wander within 30km of the Eritrean border.

At any rate, we are lucky that we had the chance to trek in Tigray.   We flew into Axum and then drove 2 ½ hours on mildly hair-raising roads to start our hike.  We were rewarded with a four day trek , that took us into some of the worlds most spectacular scenery .  Of course, we came equipped with hiking boots and quick dry shirts, while local kids scampered around vertigo inducing cliffs, in broken plastic shoes.

The best part was that we didn’t have to carry our packs (this job was left to some very hardy donkeys).  As well, our meals were cooked by local women from nearby villages (which meant no cooking or clean up by us).   Our lodging was in “local accommodation”, which was a structure fashioned on local homes; no electricity or running water, but comfortable and clean (with perhaps the exception of the toilet facilities and a few fleas).  

 

We had a terrific guide who had grown up in a nearby village and knew the mountains like the back of her hand.  Every time we thought  “ are you crazy, there is no way we can climb up that ridiculously steep ridge”, she would know a way up.  

Who knew that Ethiopia was home to one of the most beautiful places in the world?