Hunter and I checked out of the Milano hotel around 5:20AM
to catch a minibus to Axum. Merijn also going to the bus station but one for Lalibela,
he needs 2 transfers. The day before we were told by Abeba that there will be
no minibuses as they will be all fully booked due to government gathering. As
anyone who been to a bus station in Africa would tell you that it can be a
chaotic place, and there are no signs to tell where the buses to where at
located. But usually someone will approach you and ask where you are going and
they will take you to the bus, but hopefully no tip is asked. We asked for Axum,
but it didn’t look like that anyone knows where it is, and we wanted to avoid
going through the slow route (two routes to Axum). After a while we gave up and
grabbed one for Adigrat which is about halfway to Axum on the fast route.
Our driver drove pretty fast and we got to Adigrat in less
than 3 hours. Once at the Adigrat bus station we started to for a minibus for
Axum, but it didn’t seem to be one for Axum, although there were other bigger
(means slower) buses heading that way with stop in Axum. We decided to wait for
a little. But after a while there was still nothing, so we asked around for the
big buses, and finally we got on one, but it was almost full, so we had to pay
extra. There were many who weren’t able to get on. May be Abeba was right.
The winding mountainous road from Adigrat to Axum means it
was a slow going for us. So we didn’t arrive in Axum until after 1PM, so much
for hoping for 5-hour journey. Luckily the bus dropped us off right in front of
Africa hotel so we didn’t have to find it. Africa hotel according to what I
read online, it is the happening place for backpackers, but may be it was low
season still, we only saw few. I dropped off my dirty cloth for the hotel
laundry service (charge by piece) after I checked in, and hoped that it will be
done before this evening. It did get done, but with cloudy weather, it was
still a little damp when I got them.
As we were checking into the hotel, a guy presented himself
as a guide and offered to take us for all the major sites in Axum including
transportation. We said yes to him as we thought he was with the hotel since
the receptionist didn’t say anything. So as we were eating our lunch at the
hotel, another guy came in and introduced himself as manager of the hotel and a
guide. But we told him that we already got a guy from the hotel, and he told us
the other guy is not with the hotel and he can offer us a lower price. Not know
or care who was telling the truth, we decided to go with the lower offer. Then
the first guy showed up, and the two go into a argument after we told the first
guy about the lower offer. Then the two guys left. But soon the first guy came
back and told us the second guy is not the manager of the hotel and that is
when the second guy came back in and the two just decided to go at each other,
wrestling, punching (no one landed anything solid), and chairs fight around the
restaurant. Hunter tried to break it up initially, but it got too intense to do
anything at that time. Finally we decided to step out the restaurant to avoid
being caught up in the fighting, and we heard a loud bang as something broke on
the ground as we stepped out. Very soon after we went out, they stopped (may be
by the hotel staff, which by that time has attracted a crowd). The real manager
of the hotel eventually came and offered his apology and offered us another
guide, which we glad to take instead of the two fighters. He didn’t offer any
discount as we hoped.
Quick note about Axum, it was the center of the marine
trading power known as the Aksumite Kingdom from 400BC to 10th
century (Wikipedia). And at Tsion Maryam church, the original Ark of the
Covenant is claimed to be held here.
We first stop by Ethiopian Airlines office as Hunter wanted
to see if he can change some of his flights including the one for Lalibela tomorrow,
so we will leave Axum on the same flight. But there were no seats available
(but I did see empty the next day, there is no penalty for changing flights for
Ethiopian airlines, so last minute change is highly possible). After that our
first stop is the main stelae field in the center of the town. There were many
stelae there as well as some tombs. One of the largest Stelae was broken and
according to the expert that it was probably never erected as its base was too
small to hold the tremendous weight and likely fell over as they tried to stand
it up. There were couple large raised stelae nearby with one being returned
from Italy only in 2005 (taken to Rome in 1937). We then went to visit the Remhai's
tomb and the museum at the site. There were other packaged tours groups here (my
first tour group sighting) as Axum is a must see on the historical Northern
circuit. We then drove past Queen of Sheba's Swimming pool (local naked men only)
on our way to the tombs of Kaleb and Gebre Meskel. It was cloudy and tombs are
protected from the elements on the outside and dark inside, so I didn’t take
any photos, but the road leading to it provided a nice view of the rural life.
On the way back to town we stopped by Ezana Stone written in Sabaean, Ge'ez and
Ancient Greek in a similar manner to the Rosetta Stone. There were other tour
groups there, so we had to wait for our turn. There were vendors around and one
of the little boy (looked little, but in middle school I believe) caught
Hunter’s attention as he spoke good English and wants to study medicine like
Hunter when he grows up. And according to Hunter he also lost the souvenir he
was trying to sell to an older kid and bully by his cousin or someone who took
his school uniform. So Hunter decided to buy a set of school uniform for the
kid so he can go back to school and study to be a doctor one day. We asked our
guide to stop by the tailor shop and the tailor measured the kid and said the
uniform will be ready by next morning. Before we left for our last sightseeing
stop, Hunter and the kid exchanged contact information and agree that they will
meet next morning at the hotel to show off his new uniform, which he did. We
arrived at our last stop on the outskirt of the town: Dungur, aka Queen of Sheba's
Palace just ahead another tour group. It is a nice ruin, but the overcast sky
so poor photos.
With our tour of the historic Axum done, we were dropped off
at our hotel, where the manager brought us to his office where the two fighting
guides “offered” their apology with handshakes. One was smiling; the other (the
first one) just has a stone cold facial expression of angry person.
We went to the internet café to use Internet and grabbed
fresh made avocado juice there, which actually was pretty good. After a break
in our room, we went out to look for a place to eat. Not far from our hotel, we
chatted with an American (from Virginia) who is married to an Ethiopian outside
of their restaurant and we decided to check the Ethiopian restaurant out. There
were few locals eating there, but the price seems to be high compared to what I
used to. But since we talked to the owner, so we decided to stay just to be polite.
The food actually was pretty good. The owner said there will be a new high end
hotel opening across the street from them soon, so I guess he is hoping for
good business from high end tourists.
Back in our room, we watched the movie “The Island” on the
cable tv (Dubai) to the accompanying mosquitoes in the room. There were no screens,
so the mosquitoes were free to come in from the openings that have no windows.
Luckily I had mosquito net for my head, but it was still kind of unnerving to
have them buzzing and landing around your head all night long.
I told Hunter that I wanted to visit a nearby Pantaleon
Monastery that is perched on top a hill; we went for a nice short walk in early
morning. There were no one else at the monastery, but the priest in charge was
there and wanted 100 birr for the entrance fee to see the church, but we both decided
not to go inside the church and just wanted to walk around the quiet monastery
and enjoy the early morning views from here. So we negotiated the price down to
50 birr. The 360 degree view from the church in the early morning sun was very
nice. We saw the mountains of Adwa where the Ethiopian army defeated Italian
army in the climax of First Italo-Ethiopian War. One proud Ethiopian told me,
it is only time that a colonial power has been defeated in its African colonizing
effort.
With my final sightseeing in Axum done, we went back to the
hotel and ate breakfast, where the kid that Hunter bought the cloth for was
waiting for us. The kid was very happy and proud. I went back to the room to take
a shower before my hotel shuttle ride to the airport.
