Mobile Home Office

To my co-authors: I’m working on it.

Descent into the Danakil Depression

There is a place on this planet where the earth sinks to 100 metres below sea level, where shifting tectonic plates have created an otherworldly landscape of bubbling lakes and stinking fumes, hallucinogenic… Continue reading →

Market Day in Lalibela

Lalibela: Built by Angels

Gebre Mesqel Lalibela had a dream. He was taken to heaven and saw Jerusalem in a vision, and ordered by God to build a “New Jerusalem” on earth. When he became King of… Continue reading →

Following the Blue Nile

Toward the end of the day, our boat floats towards the outflow of Lake Tana: the source of the Blue Nile River. Hippos peer up out of the water at us, as we… Continue reading →

The Hidden Treasures of Lake Tana

Hidden among the shores and islands of Lake Tana in northern Ethiopia are over 20 monasteries, many of which date from the 14th century. Departing by boat from the pleasant city of Bahir… Continue reading →

In a Country Called Somaliland

TO GO OR NOT TO GO? That was the first question. The idea of entering a country that doesn’t officially exist, and that most people would never dream of visiting, fascinated us. Our… Continue reading →

Bizarre Harar

Our first stop in Ethiopia is Harar: “Hrrrrrr” (as we hear it called, with a strong roll on the r’s). The old Jugol walled city, the heart of Ethiopia’s Muslim community, with over… Continue reading →

Welcome to Ethiopia

Ethiopia is immediately striking as a country unique. It welcomes us with its distinct people, language, sights, smells, tastes, and sounds. We arrive in Addis Ababa (አዲስ አበባ in Amharic) on 30 April… Continue reading →