Kosoye and the Semien Mountains

Saturday 26th April

Absolutely the best day yet and has to go down as one of the best ever.

Allan and I started out early in the morning along a new route that I had wanted to explore. We ascended a steep hill for quite some time but still ended up coming back down to the main road. Eventually took a side road off and mixed with a huge crowd taking and fetching goats/sheep from the market. There does not seem to be a general agreement on how to move one of these animals around once purchased so it varies from being carried around the shoulders, being made to walk on it’s hind legs whilst two people hold it’s front legs as though it was walking along hand in hand – except the poor animal clearly does not want this, to being dragged along with a rope round its neck or horns. The route brought us into the livestock part of the market – we decided to beat a hasty retreat!

Managed to attract plenty of attention from would be guides but it felt much easier being with someone else. One boy in particular was trying to guide us around the market. Having made several attempts to lose him, I finally told him that we didn’t need a guide and would not give him any money. He said that was fine, he just wanted to practise his English. So we continued around parts of the market I had not seen before. Whenever, I go with Mekdes, we have a list and she takes me to the appropriate shops or stalls and gets me out of there as quickly as possible.

It was tremendous fun browsing in and out of the stalls. The clothes area is so densely packed it’s like walking round a rabbit warren and not particularly conducive to browsing. Our young man eventually tried to get us to buy some Euros off of him. Both Allan and I were intrigued. He said he had been given them by tourists (about £10 worth). Not at all convinced that a tourist would give him euros! We explained that being British, euros would be no use to us. Gave him a birr for his troubles and then parted company.

By this time we were both feeling the need for a rest so sat out at a café and ordered a juice – mango, avocado and papaya in layers – delicious. (But I have never seen avocados for sale). Allan got out his guide book and said he would like to visit Kosoye – in the guide book it was listed as a place where Queen Elizabeth had asked to stop for tea because it was such a beautiful lookout point. Having nothing better to do for the afternoon, we decided to walk up to the bus station and see if was possible to get there by bus. We were assured it was but not at all convinced by the arrangements. We boarded one bus that we were assured was going to Kosoye but after a short while, all the other passengers disembarked. We were beginning to worry that the other passengers had been told of a change of route!

We decided to get off but by then, the idea of going to this place was firmly established in our minds. We trekked up to Piazza to see if we could get a good deal on the taxis. The taxi driver wanted 450 birr but said he would not wait to bring us back which meant we would not be able to walk. We continued up to the Quara Hotel and enquiries there produced two young men who said they could do it for 600 birr. We tried negotiating the price and appealing our residential status and eventually got them down to 350 birr. They went off to make the arrangements whilst we stocked up on water and lunch (mini pizzas – spicy but without cheese).

We had apparently hired a whole line taxi to ourselves! We had to pay 100 birr to the two guys who had organised the deal and told to pay 250 to the driver on our return. The driver and mate were very relaxed – almost too relaxed! They stopped at the local market to buy a bag of ‘chat’, water and pepsi. They sorted through their discs and settled down for the 32km ride with the ferenjis in the back. A bit anxious at first, I settled down to enjoying the journey when it became apparent that the driver had no intention of speeding or crazy driving. He was super careful and very relaxed.

The road was not much more than a track but because he was driving so carefully, we were not bouncing around in the back and were able to enjoy the views. I won’t try to describe them since Allan took some amazing photographs.

After about three quarters of an hour, the driver – Alemayhu - stopped and took us to a vantage point from where we could see the Siemien mountains. Strange, bleak, dark conical peaks set against a background of huge mountains and valleys. The sun was struggling to break through a mist creating an unearthly atmosphere. Continuing our journey, we eventually disembarked at our destination.


Semien View

The driver and his mate prepared themselves to ‘chill out’ for an hour whilst handing us over to a young lad to act as our guide. By now, the terrain was beginning to look decidedly wild - we accepted the guide gratefully. It was not long of course, before we were joined by several others, but our guide was very attentive and made sure he looked after this ‘mother ferenji woman’ offering his hand and shoulder when walking over tricky sections.

We had not gone far when we turned at shouts from behind. Alemayhu was waving frantically for us to return. Over in the distance was a herd (if that’s the right collective noun) of Gelada baboons. Alemayhu was determined to get us to turn around as it is apparently rare to see so many on the edge of the national park.


Baboons

We continued our trek along a mountain track admiring the views- my descriptions will never match the views and I didn’t think the photographs would do it justice – I’ll let them speak for themselves.

Our guide carefully directed us off the track at one stage down to the edge of a deep ravine – Allan became a little anxious at this stage. However, the two main guides held my arms firmly on each side and encouraged me to look down and there, on a tree at the bottom of the ravine was a family of small, black and white Columbus monkeys. I tried to take photos but my camera was not good enough. Allan finally overcame is anxiety about the height and came to take the photographs
.

Columbus Monkeys

A little more walking and then we sat and just looked at the view.

Time to get back to the line taxi and the journey back attracted yet more people - from where I have no idea. We saw no dwellings no signs of civilisation as we know it e.g. power cables, huts. But nevertheless we ended up with quite an entourage including some young girls, one of whom suddenly yelped and became very excited. Rushing down the hill not far ahead of us were presumably the same herd of baboons that we had seem in the distance earlier only this time they were startlingly close and the males were looking fierce.


Mummies and babies

They were magnificent with their long manes and bright red chests. Many of the smaller females were carrying babies on their backs. I have since told several people about what we saw and they have all confirmed that this was indeed a rare sighting – even in the middle of the mountains, you rarely see them so close.


Young Males

I tried to photograph them but realised that I was looking through a lens and at a screen instead of at the real thing! So I put away the camera and just looked. A huge moment, magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.


Not pleased to see us