End of the Historic Route

Park of the Stelae

What are the biblical and legendary allures of Axum?  To name drop:  One of the 3 magis in the Nativity (King Balthazar who brought the gift of gold)  is said to be the Emperor of Ethiopia at that time.  His tomb is in Axum.

King Balthazar (3rd from left),  the bearer of gold

The Queen of Sheba, who became the wife of King Solomon ruled from Axum.  The remains of her palace and bath can be seen today.  Last March 2012, the mine pit believed to be the source of the gold that Queen Sheba gifted King Solomon was reported to have been discovered by Louise Schofield, an archaeologist and former British Museum curator.   

Remains of Queen of  Sheba's palace

The Queen's bath (a lagoon)

Prince Menelik I, the son of the Queen and King Solomon was said to have brought the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablet of the Ten Commandments from Jerusalem when he visited his father.  The Ark is said (as it is off-limits to the public) to be kept in the Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of our Lady Mary of Zion.

Is the Ark of the Covenant inside?

The Ge'ez alphabet used some 2,000 years ago is now extinct.  But some of the books written in Ge'ez are still read in  Ethiopia's church liturgy.

Ge'ez alphabet

Bible written in Ge'ez

Well, before I went to Ethiopia, I thought that I would find Noah's Ark there.  I was wrong.  Evidences of Noah's Ark are supposed to be in Turkey.    What is claimed to be in Axum is the Ark of the Covenant.  But this claim is refuted in several research.

The tallest obelisk in the world

But regardless of religious affiliation,  Axum is famous for its monolith granite obelisks.  The tallest (33 meters high, 500 tonnes) obelisk in the world has crumbled, but the 2nd tallest (24 meters) is now back in the park.  The latter has a very touching story:  It crumbled some years back, then in 1937, it was looted by the Italians during their brief occupation and the pieces were

Details of the obelisk

brought to and assembled in Rome.  Italy was ordered to return it to Ethiopia.  Compliance suffered many delays such as the airport of Addis Ababa had to be upgraded for the arrival of the obelisk and finally in 2008, (after 60 years), it was re-erected, and is now a UNESCO Heritage site.   

Thanks to the Italians, spaghetti is good here.

A long journey home - via Abyssinia

Queen Sheba's palace in Axum (old capital)

Being a volunteer for two years is unlike a business trip where there is little disruption in your usual lifestyle.  That is why, VSO offers a debriefing period when one requires it to enable the volunteer to

Background:  400 year old fig tree

 adjust back easily.  In my case, I chose to do a self-debriefing by prolonging the freedom I experienced in my adventures in Africa.

Coffee ceremony

At first, I wanted to do an overland trip from East to South Africa passing through 10 countries in about 60
 days.  But the thing was, I would have to obtain a prior visa for each of these countries and I was afraid that my passport could be misplaced in the process.  To simplify, I chose an off-the-tourist beaten track and a good-value-for-money destination... and found Ethiopia.  Ethiopia (whose former name was

Vol Alain, at bus station

 Abyssinia), the biblical land of King Solomon's Queen of Sheba,  home of Orthodox Christians
 and where the coffee plant originated from the Kingdom of Kaffa (that's where the word coffee came from).  I was fortunate that Filipinos in Kampala, Uganda put me in

An Orthodox church

 touch with Filipinos in Addis Ababa (capital city), who in turn connected me to VSO volunteers in

Black pepper tree

 Ethiopia, and who in turn gave me information on travel costs, travel time, places to visit.  I couldn't thank them enough for giving

Queen of Sheba's bath

 me the comfort that should I get lost in Ethiopia, any of them will find me.  I felt confident as I made my travel arrangements along the way.  Ethiopia is reportedly the current repository of Noah's Ark.  Well, if I find it, I will request that it be lent to the Philippines to ferry the recent flood victims.

16th century castles, ruined during World War II