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Ethiopia:
First and Lasting Impressions
 An
aura of excitement and anticipation
electrified the morning air, as our team
of journalists gathered in the Newark
Airport lounge, taking our seats after a
brief introduction. Representing
Washington Times, Christian Science
Monitor and a variety of other media, we
would soon share our impressions of
Ethiopia as a tourism destination, with
each other and the world. For weeks
leading up to departure, many of us
haunted the book stores and combed local
libraries like students cramming for an
exam. Yet no amount of reading could have
prepared us for the surprises that lay
waiting in exotic places like Lalibela,
Gondar, Bahar Dar, Harar, Dire Dawa and
Addis Ababa. Here at Africa Travel
Magazine it became a lifetime pilgrimage
-- a precious opportunity to preview the
Host Country of ATA's 25th Anniversary
Jubilee Congress. Our flight originated in
Washington DC, with a stop at New
York/Newark, reaching Addis Ababa some 16
hours later, after a brief refueling stop
at Rome.
Since
Ethiopian
Airlines
is the only carrier providing direct
service from the USA to Northeast Africa,
Ethiopia is positioned to become a hot new
destination for Americans seeking nature,
adventure and culture, plus Christian and
Jewish pilgrimage travel. Ethiopian
Airlines is becoming a hub for combination
tours, including the Middle East, Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and
offshore
islands.\
Two
remarkable and unforgettable journeys to
Ethiopia took place in 2000, the Africa
Travel Association's Jubilee year. Each
time, our agenda in the country was
arranged by the Hon.
Yusuf
Sukkar,
Ethiopia's Tourism Commissioner, who
greeted us at the airport and arranged a
private lounge, which is a touch of class
in my book of public relations protocol.
This
professional touch continued and the whole
project turned out to be one of the best
organized trips we have ever experienced.
It provided enough pleasant memories to
last a lifetime, plus souvenirs galore,
purchased at a wide variety of
marketplaces and souks. As an introduction
to the charm and mystery of Ethiopia, we
joined ten other journalists from the USA
on a week long trip which included
Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar and Lake Tana
and Harar.
On
the second flight to Ethiopia we followed
the Rift Valley south from Addis Ababa.
Several pages on this site cover the
various segments of our Historic Route
journey. Back in Addis Ababa, after the
tour, it was our turn to be interviewed --
this time by Ethiopian press, radio and
television. To a person, each journalist
agreed it was a positive experience with
no feelings of concern or anxiety about
personal health and safety. The climate in
mid February was perfect, and the
hospitality of the people was second to
none. What a beautiful prelude to the ATA
congress, Africa's 1st major tourism event
of the new
millennium.
Continued-
In the Queen of Sheba's
Footsteps
Adventures
on the rivers of
Ethiopia and East Africa
C
Contact
Mario at Wonz Dar Expeditions
PO Box 19913, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
251-1-757604, Fax 251-1751 377
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