Calendar notes: as the Ramadan fasting ended in May, the Orthodox Senay Tsom starts on 8th June (running until 12th July). A few weeks later, in Lalibela on 19th June it is the Senay Mikael festival that combines with the anniversary of King Lalibela’s death 799 years ago. This is the 2nd biggest day in Lalibela after Gena and really worth visiting if you can.
Two days later again, on Sunday 21st June there will be an annular solar eclipse. The full eclipse is best seen in Lalibela. While this is not in itself a rare event as eclipses happen somewhere in the world each year, it is a special opportunity. The full eclipse will also be visible from the Tesfa community tourism guesthouses in the Meket area. The moon will move in front of the sun around 7am and stay there for a couple of hours, and at the mid point it will be perfectly in front of the sun leaving only dots of light around the edge – or if a little more light – the famous ‘Ring of Fire’. There is of course a question as to how much cloud cover there will be, and to what extent it might be visible, but it should be worth being there to see this unique event for Wollo if you can. The path of the full visible eclipse will travel from Injibara, to Lalibela and on to Alamata before heading out into the Danakil. Remember do NOT look at a solar eclipse with the naked eye as it can damage your retina. However we are all facing the COVID19 ‘situation’, and it is uncertain whether travel to Lalibela will be advisable or allowed.
With growing numbers of reported COVID19 cases as I type, and a real increase in community spread nobody knows where this will leave us all in the coming months. International travel with quarantines and challenges in many possible destination countries, is looking risky. Anyone flying into or returning to Ethiopia faces a requirement to spend 14 days in quarantine in a designated hotel. While this is in place there will be little or no travel in and out of Ethiopia by anyone planing to live here nor indeed visitors wanting to see this wonderful country.
So where does that leave the tourist sector here? No-one expects a swift return to normal in September even if the quarantine requirement is lifted and even if the virus disappears. It will take months for confidence to come back, and added to that the recession will limit those affording to travel to Ethiopia from abroad.
The sector will need to rely on the resident population to travel and use the hotels, see the parks, visit the churches, museums, castles and the Tesfa Community guesthouses (23 around the north) to keep the industry ticking over. Thousands of families rely on the income that guides, scouts, drivers, cooks and many others bring home in the tourism sector. Many are used to coping with little income from May-August, but will need to start getting some money in September and October. So if, once the virus starts to go from this country and once the regulations allow some travel, please consider a domestic holiday this year. With mountains and lakes, stunning wildlife and dramatic vistas as well as some of the most humbling and beautiful churches you can see in this world – all within a few hours flight and drive from the capital – I urge you to see what you have not yet seen of this remarkable country, you will love it and you will be helping to support the tourism sector that this country so needs to be healthy to earn much needed foreign currency once international tourism returns.
Photo Credit: The Planetary Society
Tesfa Tours – Supporting Community Tourism in Ethiopia
mark@tesfatours.com www.tesfatours.com
+251(0)11-124 5178 /-126 0303 /-126 0301 (landlines)
+251(0) 92 160 2236 (mobile)
