After the intensve trekking in the Simien mountains, I was sure that I wouldn’t do another trek in Ethiopia. Well, I had time to explore the guide book, and I found an interesting option: a ecological trek.Â
It’s arranged by an oranganizaion called TESFA:Â Tourism in Ethiopia for Sustainable Future Alternatives. The word Tesfa means “hope” in Amharic. Their goal is to provide the community in the villages to help thmesleves by developing tourism.
Apart from a community project, this project also promotes environmental values, such as providing tourists ecoligical toilets. But instead of showing toilets, here’s a flower:
It was leaving from Lalibella, where I intended to go anyway. I was lucky enough to join find a group that was going for a 3 day trek, and I joined them.
The trek began not far from the town of Gashena, in an irrigated field. Very soon, we reached the escarpment that would accompany us for the rest of the trip – the Mesket escarpment.
After a short walk, we reached the first stop – Wajela village. The Tukuls (traditional Ethiopian houses) were modern, spacious and very comfortable. And, tea and cookies were served. I’m mentioning this, since it was a totally different experience than the conditions in the Simiens.
The next day consisted of a much longer walk, but fairly easy. Walking along the cliff allowed fantastic views of the valley below.
At the end of the day, we reached another village (can’t recall the name). Also there, we enjoyed fantastic views from the rooms and also from the toilets…
Before the sun set, we went to see how the locals live. The Tukuls were totally different: shabby, with holes in the ceiling and very crowded. The cows took a lot of space, and locals slept above them. There’s also room there for cooking on a bonfire. Yep, beside the cows. This poor way of living is common to many Ethiopians.
On the third and last day, there was only a short walk back to the town of Gashena, where we were picked up and drove back to Lalibella. The trip ended too soon!
I would definitely recommend to take at least 3 nights (4 days). The views were wonderful, during the walk, and also when resting at the camps. This trek was so comfortable….
More pictures from the TESFA Ecotrek