Our last leg of the journey went through Gonder and the Simien Mountains. We spent one night camping in the mountains. In Ethiopian national parks, you're required to have a "guide" and "scout" accompany you during your entire stay in the park. The guide arranges the campsite and takes you on hikes, explaining the flora and fauna along the way. The scout is a schmugly (a PC Amharic term for an old man) who follows us around with an gun that looks like it's from WW1 slung over his shoulder. He also stood guard while we slept in our tents, though we think a little local boy came to help keep our poor schmugly scout awake through the night.
The scenery in the Simien mountains was breathtaking. We were at about 3,200 meters; the tallest moutain in Ethiopia, Ras Dashen is found in the park and reaches 4,543 meters. We also got up close and personal with some baboons. The Gelada baboons are indigenous to Ethiopia and heavily populate the Simien Mountains. They're very docile creatures, allowing us to get within 4 feet before fleeing in fear. Four feet was a little too close to comfort for me, too!
The last stop was Gonder, the former capital of Ethiopia. The city is often referred as "Africa's Camelot" due to the Royal Enclosure housing 17th century castles. It was fun to explore these ancient castles at our leisure, without ropes or barricades like we're accustomed to in the States.
The next morning we began the long drive back to Addis…left at 6:30am and arrived in Addis Ababa at 9pm, thankful for safe travels and the great experiences and eager for a hot shower!!
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