Ah, Harar. I have to admit while editing and preparing these posts, I have let out a bit of sigh each time. I miss it so much. While Harar is a small town, and one you can easily see in a day or two, it is a place you will want to spend much longer in.
And while it isn't perfect, with the effects of the local chat trade being clearly evident (chat is native plant to the Horn of Africa. When the leaves are chewed, it acts like an amphetamine stimulant), its positives far outweigh any negatives you may experience. It is definitely a must-do on any visit to Ethiopia!
We spent our last day in Harar walking, buying Somali textiles and soaking up as much of Harari life as possible, trying to savour all the colours, smells and friendly faces we had met. I cannot wait to return one day.
next: we head to Gondar in the historical northern circuit.
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| inside a traditional harari house |
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| eagles |
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| outside one of the gates into Harar |
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| Harar from a distance |
Beautiful! Did you go with a travel group or how did you get to travel to such remote places and get immersed in the local culture? I know you said that you were going to give a run down on planning details later so I can wait if the answer is coming ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith! We mainly travelled on our own, except for the Omo Valley, where we had to have a guide (a legal requirement in Ethiopia). But it was just us and him and our 4x4, which allowed us a lot of freedom. We then travelled independently for the remainder of the trip. I'll do a more in depth breakdown at the end of all my posts. But overall, while there isn't much infrastructure, it isn't too hard to get around - as long as you have the time. Hope that helps for now! Thanks!
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