An extreme way of avoiding the traffic lights

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Yesterday in Dire Dawa.

Anyway, just to mention that the reason we have decided to fly around Ethiopia for our trip north is that our time IS limited and exciting as bus trips can be, they are VERY slow and quite tiring. We think we will probably need more than six days to fully enjoy the overland journey from Bahar Dar to Blue Nile falls, Gondar, Simien Mountains and Axum, but we will see.

Also, it is a curious fact that today we have left the Muslim world after 11 weeks and return again in a month's time, thereby completely missing out on Ramadan, when most people are not at their best!

This evening we are staying in what the (excellent) Bradt Guide says is the best value hotel in Ethiopia here in Nazret. And so it seems, our own chalet in the gardens, with abundant water, clean beds, towels and soap and so on... and all for less than 7 euro for the night.

We will not stay here long, despite the good internet connections!!! because tomorrow we take the bus down to Shashamene (centre of Rastafarians - who we wil avoid) to take an onward bus to the beautiful Lake Awassa, which promises to be teeming with birdlife, including pelicans and have two excellent hotels.