Lake Tana

Birds are abundant in the islands

Notice the monastery in the midst of the island

Life is hard aboard a papyrus boat

The attractions of Lake Tana are mainly the 14^th century monasteries found in each of the more than 30 islands.     I went to the ones easier to reach and

where women are allowed entry.  The monasteries are really isolated and some are built on mountaintops that more adventurous tourists find them challenging to explore.  Pictures speak a thousand words.

It's a gong of heavy rock that sounds like a bell

Back in the dry lands, I got several offers from shoeshine boys to polish my boots.  

The sentry (in yellow) 

Well, at the start they would quote 10 Birr around USD 50 cents, but as they proceed, they will now double the price because they say that my boots take too much of their Kiwi.  Oh, well.

Brushing my teeth with the bush in my polished boots