On the (Bumpy) Road to Bahir Dar
We were awakened by a phone call Thursday morning at 1:45 AM from our mini-bus driver who indicated that he would be by to pick us up in 20 minutes. By way of background, we had decided to travel to Bahir Dar by mini-bus with 11 other random people because you could make the trip for $12 Cdn, whereas a flight cost $220 Cdn. The driver had initially told us that he would pick us up at 3:30 AM, so the call, nearly 2 hours earlier was a jolt to the system, especially since we had only gone to bed 2 hours earlier after partying it up at Terefe’s house the night before.
We met the mini-bus driver 2 blocks from our house and boarded what appeared to be a much newer mini-bus than the blue and white relics populating the streets of Addis. We boarded this bus at 2:15 AM and set out for what we assumed would be our imminent departure and comfortable, affordable journey to Bahir Dar. You know what they say about “assuming” don’t you? Well, the old adage fit this experience to a T.
The mini-bus proceded to drive in circles for the next 2 hours within Addis trying to pick up passengers to fill up our bus. I may not have noticed that we were driving in circles but for the fact that we passed the electric palm tree (a metal contraption with lights shaped like a palm tree) at least 6 times while the driver and conductor called various people to fill up the bus. At 4:30 AM, we were finally on our way to blue skies, smooth sailing and a weekend away from the hub-bub of the capital city. Or so we thought.
First, the mini-bus was much newer, but the driver sure made up for any comfort by driving on the bumpiest road ever built and by filling the bus to the rafters. Every seat was occupied. Every square inch of floor space was covered in luggage. And yet, the ride was the quietest mode of transport ever. Nobody talked with anyone. There was only the low drone of the music the driver insisted on playing over and over again to stay awake.
The scenery en route to Bahir Dar is beautiful – lush green trees, rolling lanscapes, blue skies, and fresh breezes. The mini-bus makes very few stops – a few quick washroom breaks and by washroom breaks, I mean stopping at the side of the road and everyone running to an isolated spot on the side of the road to take care of business. We made 1 stop for a longer time (45 minutes) for lunch, but Mary, Eric and I had packed our lunches in Addis (thank goodness – thanks Mary for making the Nutella sandwiches!). This stop that we made for lunch is a story in and of itself. So I walk into the restaurant to see what I can order and realize that there is grass on the floor and a sheep walking around the restaurant. Yes, a sheep in the restaurant. If you can see what is coming next, you are much more astute than I am, because I used the washroom and then went and sat in the car for a while. After a while, I got out of the car again and walked back into the restaurant and realized that I had walked into the ceremonial killing of the poor sheep. There was no way around it I guess. I thought I had avoided the ceremony when I left Addis the day before, but no such luck. Needless to say, being a vegetarian at that instant never felt so good.
After lunch, we boarded the “mini-bus”, exhausted but still excited about the untold adventures we had yet to experience in Bahir Dar. I fell asleep for what felt like a second when the bus pulled over and the door opened and 20 people tried to rush in to sit in our already full mini-bus. Apparently, the driver thought he could make a few extra bucks by picking up more passengers when we were already full. Despite our entreaties to close the door, the driver let on 3 more passengers. One sat on the floor beside me, one sat on my backpack and the other lay across the luggage in the trunk. Standing so close to someone is one thing on a local mini-bus to the office or on a subway in NYC, when you know the trip is not going to last longer than 20 minutes – but for 4 hours. Well, new experiences – that is what I came to Ethiopia for and by golly, that was what I was going to get!
We finally arrived at our hotel, the Summerland, and were super excited to check in and wash the experience of our never-ending mini-bus ride away for good. You see, the Summerland is listed as a mid-to-high range hotel in Bahir Dar which costs about 29 Cdn. Dollars per night. The Lonely Planet describes the Summerland by reference to its gleaming marble floors, immaculate rooms, hot showers, satellite TVs, friendly service and scrumptious restaurant. It was good to be home or so we thought…..
