Awards

I also hosted an 'awards' evening for the trip. I am sure all will be explained when at home:

1: Billy - Sick note award

2: George - Waiters nightmare award

3. Amelia - mother goose award

4. Christian - lovesick puppy award

5. Lucy - Big appetite award

6. Dan- Safari man award

7. Arseniy - Energiser bunny award

8. Hollie - Embarassing Stories award

9. Pete - Gold DofE award

10. Hinnd - The Natural born game player award

11. Will - Clumsy award

 12. Emma - Surfing award (Internet)

13. Ellie - Best Hair Award

14. Jack - Best dressed award

15. Michael - Telephone Voice Award

16. Phoebe - Shop till I drop Award

17. Bryony - trekking Hero award

18. Tom - Bear Grylles award

Gondar and the End

Before leaving Bahir Dar we head to the market. Here we were able to grab a takeaway pizza lunch. Great excitement. More presents bought!

We then board our last bus journey. The journey is a pleasant 3 hours to Gondar which is green and wet.

We had saved enough money in our budget to have a nice hotel. The rooms are comfortable, clean and complete with a fridge!

For dinner we feast on roast beef and head to bed. The bed is comfortable, this promises to be a good night sleep. At 3.30 however something extraordinary happens. Loud, warbling chanting followed by vitriolic ranting erupts from the very loudspeaker from the church behind us. This cacophony lasts until 10am! Apparently they don't believe in sleep in Gondar.

This makes everyone a little tired during our trip to the Royal enclosure. This is an extraordinary collection of castles of the the Abyssinian Emperors. It's like a little bit of Europe in Africa. Our guide was particularly excellent as well. I was happy for the mini-history school trip within this trip.

The streets of Gondar are busy due to graduation and we squeeze though crowds as we head to the market. The market is frenetic and chaotic and final gifts for home are bought. Fun but tiring, especially to our interrupted sleep. 

After a rest however we are ready for dinner. We had been recommended a restaurant called the Four Sisters. It was a short distance from the hotel so we thought it would be fun to arrange for the journey by tuk-tuk. A fun time was had zipping through the streets.

The restaurant was extremely pleasant and the buffet dinner was excellent. The real highlight was the music and dancing. The four sisters who own the restaurant put on a traditional display for us. Things quickly escalated and before we knew it, we were all on the dance floor.

With spirits high we went back to the hotel. The ranting and chanting priests were kinder and woke us up at 4.40 this time. Luckily we had to be up for 5 to grab out flight back to Addis. Jokes on them!

Gondar airport was very small and disorganised with only 1 gate but 2 flights leaving at the same time. Luckily we got on the correct Addis bound flight although the plane was very dirty. 

Upon arrival in Addis we had lunch (more pizza!) and then headed to the National Museum. Our intention was to see 'Lucy' - the first humanoid, our earliest known ancestor. She lies resplendent in her case. The rest of the museum has a few exhibits. It is interesting to see where the human race started and reflect on how Ethiopia is cradle of humankind.

We are now preparing for our flight home. People are looking forward to going home but have really enjoyed their experience. All of the challengers have matured, developed new skills and grown experiences. They are now well-versed in organising tours, cooking, shopping in markets, booking restaurants and communicating. They have all taken every opportunity and hopefully will remember the skills they have learnt.

It's been a privilege being a part of this group and the expedition. The students of Therfield have been funny, hard-working, considerate and respectful. There have been no arguments or cross-words and everyone has put all their effort in.

We return home triumph and happy and planning where our next trips might take us.

Photos!

The school in Garamba that was built

 

A trekking camp

Our volcano view

Rift Valley

Addis Ababa

Gondar

A normal Ethiopian road 

A Bahir Dar boat

Bahir Dar

On the move again, this time back to Addis Ababa. Timings are vague. It all depends on Addis traffic. The roads of Ethiopia are interesting. On the whole the quality is good however the main road seems to be more than a road. It is also a farmyard, a bathroom, a shopping precinct, a promenade, a donkey sanctuary, public swimming baths and school. All forms of life are found on these roads.

Eventually (5hours) we reach Addis. This time we are staying at the much nicer Ras Hotel. What a treat! It has hot showers, carpets, electric key cards (they never work!) and Roast Chicken on the menu. The hotel also played to Nelson Mandela in the 1960s are there is plenty of memorabilia around, especially in the room he stayed.

After the suptous lunch (chips and ice cream as well!) we embark on a shopping expedition. Addis is big, busy, bustling and a little grimy in the late afternoon room. We stumble on a western style supermarket and the faces of the challengers are lit up by the availability of Pringles, Galaxy Ripples and chocolate cereals.

It would seem priority number 1 for several of the challengers now is shopping. The hunt is on for jewellery, trinkets, scarves, fabric, fridge magnets etc to be taken home.

We go to bed early because breakfast is booked for 5am, with the bus leaving at 6am. We have a 10 hour bus journey ahead of us.

This journey turned into 13 hours. This was due to a flat tyre and a slightly longer lunch. Also the sudden return to rich, copious and meaty food compared to the healthy yet simple trekking meals has meant a few stomachs turning. Not to mention the countless herds of cows, donkeys, chickens, horses and baboons that we have to dodge.

Eventually we reach Bahir Dar. It is hotter here are a malaria zone so cover up, spray on the DEET and get in that mozzie net.

The next morning it's raining. With enthusiasm however we clamour into boats and head to an island in Lake Tanna. The island is home to a ornate monastery. The lake is a little bit choppy, and the rain decided to pick up. It got quite heavy and by the time we reached the island we were soaked through! The monastery however was extraordinary. Stories from the bible we're beautifully and colourfully portrayed across the walls. 

On the way back to the boats several makeshift stalls had been set up with trinkets to buy. Shopping!

Thankfully the journey back was rain free and we even combined a stop at the source of the Blue Nile.

In the afternoon we drove along the Nile to the Blue Nile Falls. The falls were stunning and full because its the rainy season. At 400metres wide the falls are loud and powerful. A real highlight of the trip.

Walking back there are suddenly salespeople. Shopping! Scarves! Flutes! 

Tomorrow we drive to our final stop, Gondar. Many of the challengers are excited to return home but have had and continue to have a great time.

Rift Valley

Jubilantly we left Dinsho. We are heading for rest and relaxation. We travel back along the windy road and through the fog (under the cacophony of Ethiopian pop music). We reach DOdola again where we have to change bus. Herewe feast on Beef tibs (fried steak). Very much appreciated. It is here that we also say goodbye to our very reliable guides Aiano and Hussen. They have been very friendly and helpful to us since Garamba and will be missed.

We press on in a nice bus to Lake Awassa. The journey is uneventful but the temperature increases and we head to the lower Valley. Eventually we reach our lake side resort. The setting is stunning. A smooth lake set in a mountain valley with birds and wildlife teeming.

Here is malaria zone though so we are extra observant with mosquito nets, copius repellent and long sleeves all the time.

The pace of thr trip slows down. We were hoping to have a boat safari but doesnt seem to be on offer so instead we eat a lot of fish and rest in our rooms and watch the lovely lake.

We have now moved on to Addis Ababa again. We are staying in a slightly nicer hotel and have just feasted on Roast Chicken for the first time! Spirits are high but we are not sure we are looking forward to the 10 hour bus journey to Bahir Dar tomorrow!

Hopefully keep you informed there!

Trekking

On Saturday 27th July Therfield School finished their trek in the Bale Mountains.

6 days previously we had left Dodola. Dodola had done us well. It provided us with lots of necessities for the trek like biscuits, tinned tuna, pasta, rice, vegetables and toilet roll (very important)

On Sunday Morning we drove to Dinsho in the Bale Mountains national park. The drive took us on a nice Chinese built road that twisted through the mountains. We drove into the mountains. Excitement broke out when we spotted baboons, warthog and nyala.

After only about 2 hours we reached the campsite. Unfortunately the parking was at the bottom of the hill so we had to schlep all our heavy equipment up hill dodging wild life.

In the night there was a sudden burst of hailstones. We hope this isnt the pattern for the next few days?!

The following day we started the trek. It is cold and rainy as we start but clears quickly. We walk deep into the national park. The scenery is stark, undulating and spectacular. We are particularly remote as we reach the Ethiopian wolf sanctuary. From there we have a walking safari to spot the wolves. These wolves are rare, only about 300 in existence, but we are lucky and spot several.It is hard however to get close as they would hurry away.

The trek took in 5 days of steady walking through amazing, remote landscapes. One campsite was set amongst boulders and was inhabited by several Rock Ajax that would scurry down their burrows. Another campsite was under the shadow of an extinct volcano.

Our days would start early, with porridge. and we would get on the road early to avoid the afternoon rain. There were some tough uphill slogs, especially the one that took us up to our maximum height of 4000 metres! Up there the air was thin but what a tremendous achievement. Our dinners with good,pasta and rice usually but there was some craving of meat, which is impossible to transport.

All the challengers (and the leaders (just about!) finished the trek with ease and aplomb. There was a bit of the sniffles and a cold going round but nobody let it affect them.

We triumphantly walked into Dinsho Lodge again. We were able to hire the bunk beds for the night which was a welcome relief from camping.

That is the hard and tiring bit over, now time to head for the rest and relaxation phase and the Rift Valley!

Project Phase

Yesterday (July 19) the Therfield School World Challenge team finally emerged from the African bush to the small metropolis of Dodola. We had just completed 10 days of our project in the village of Garamba.

Our journey there was adventurous as we did it on horseback. The horses were very docile which as excellent on a safety front but perhaps not on a speed front. Progress was a bit slow but the scenery was spectacular. It was hot, and the field verdant. Eventually we entered the forest which had tall willows and babbling streams. After a day's climbing we made camp.

During our first night under canvas we encountered a thunderstorm. We were all safe and dry in our tents as the far off lightning lit up our camp site.

The next day we finally reached Garamba, our home for the next week. The village is dotted with a few houses, a stream, a football pitch and the shell of a school building which we have come to help build. The team roles have also changed: Christian and Amelia have the important job of organising food, Ellie and Dan checked our accommodation, Lucy and Pete organised transport, Hinnd and George our linguists, Will, Briony and Arseniy on morale with Billy and Phoebe overall leaders.

Here is a summary of a typical day whilst on project:
0630: Wake up have porridge/grul (who is going to wash up?!?) Fetching water

0800: Head to work. This ranged from digging, de-weeding, building classroom walls, carrying wood (heavy!) and building a huge fence.

12.00 Lunch (super noodles), chatting

Afternoon: More work or obligatory fooball match with locals (the high altitude does us no favours and they clearly dont play the offside rule)

1900: Dinner - vegetable soup, flatbread, pasta, rice, fresh fruit (mangoes) and nettle soup (not a popular one). We also decided to buy a goat. Although met with some suspicion, the desire for meat overcame us and we all tucked into every part of the animal.

2015: Look up at the amazing stars and go to bed

As we were up in the mountains it was quite cold and wet in the mornings and evenings, but everyone had packed appropriately.

On our last day the children from the sdurrounding area came and we gave them gifts of  footballs, balloons, frisbees and bracelets. There were a lot of smiley faces going on. The village gave us a goodbye and thank you ceremony in which they gave us a gift of a sheep!

In 6 days we had acheived a lot. A building had firmly taken shape and a community had rallied around us. The students of Therfield have had a huge impact on Garamba, and Garamba has on us.

Another 2 day trek was needed in order to return to Dodola. This was without horses so a bit more ardous. The rain has meant that it was quite muddy so there were several occurrences of slipping over. Our campsite had a wonderful view of a deep valley opening out into the Ethiopia plain. It was here that I think the group had a real sense of acheivement.

We returned to Dodola triumphant and went out for a celebratory coke and samosa (huge). We now have a couple of days rest before we start our main trek in the Bale Mountains national park on Sunday.

Spirits remain very high!

Day 3: Taking a Long Lunch (written by Emma Terry)

An early rise follows a solid night of rain. Today is the day we drive south. Impressively we are on the road by 7.10! The streets of Addis are already clogged with traffic however. Most of the disruption seems to be caused by flooding. Drainage isnt so good!

Soon we break through the traffic and descend into the Rift valley. Its warmer and drier here. There is a fun atmosphere on the bus. Songs are sung, jokes are told, quizzes set and a running commentary on what's going on outside.

The roads are fine, smooth and not too busy. The driver has to slow down a lot however for all the donkeys in the road. After about 3 hours we stop is Sashashame for lunch. The waiters are very friendly and the food is good but it was extremely slow coming out. We were there for 2 and half hours! This is African time.

Eventually we were back on the road but e needed to stop for bread and bananas. Right in the midst of our shopping excursion the heavens opened and once again we were caught running through torrential rain.

A little damp, we pressed on to Dodola. Dodola is a quiet one street town where we will be based out of. Here we met our guides and friendly hotel owner. The rooms are comfortable with hot showers. The rest of the bathroom however leaves a lot to be desired. Pretty basic!

The mood is good as we have a lovely dinner of spicy spag bol. We have a busy itinerary ahead so we go to bed at 8.30.

Tomorrow we trek to Garamba, the village where our project is. In 10 days time we return to Dodola.

Day 2 "It goin rain!"

Wake up time is 8.30. 2 hours sleep doesn't feel great but at least it's something. Nothing that a freezing cold shower won't fix. 

We head for breakfast. We now see Addis in the light of day. It's hilly, cool  and a little rough around the edges

We wait for a long time for our tea and breakfast, but it is good and needed.

Decisions and roles and jobs need to be divvied out. Mike and Jack have the very important and responsible job of organising and administering the budget, Ellie and Lucy are our chief linguists, Will and Phoebe are the morale boosters, Emma is malaria-tablet-taking officer and Arseniy is in charde of decanting meths. George and Hinnd are the formidable food team, Billy and Briony are sorting accommodation, Dan is chief journalist and Christian and Holly are organising our transport. All of them are under astute leadership of Amelia and Pete.

First up is meeting and talking with our in country agent, Andarg. His English is fantastic and he supports Arsenal!

Mike, Jack, Tom and I then go on an adventure to exchange a lot of US dollies into even more Ethiopian Birr. The first bank said their 'machine wasn't working'. I'm not sure what machine was needed. We found another bank which was pretty chaotic. We were sent from pillar to post trying to find the correct teller. Eventually we got the cash, however it had taken so long that the weather had turned drastically on us. The rain was torrential. We were late for lunch! Tom made the decision, we will need to run. We regretted wearing just a shirt shorts and flip flops.

The first 100 yards of our storm dash went well. The hotel however is on a hill and we had to negotiate cascading water coming down the hill  . The altitude in Addis (2200m) suddenly became noticeably as the run became harder and we were short of breath. Disaster struck! My flip flop broke! I had to do last few metres with one bare foot, with local children goading me.

For lunch we had some lovely Ethiopian food of beef with the tangy injera bread. It is still raining however. 

Some of the group have gone to the supermarket to stock up on supplies for the next few days. Others shelter from the rain in the hotel planning our next activities and adventures.

Tomorrow we drive to Dodola in the south for the start of the project phase

Day 1 - written by Dan Crow

It's the hottest day of the year as the World Challengers meet at Heathrow airport. The day had finally come that we would go off to Ethiopia, we had been preparing for this day for over a year, we raised all the money for it and we had all our equipment.

We arrived at the airport to meet our trip leader, Tom, who has done loads of world challenge expeditions before. Tom briefed us about airport security and then it was time to say goodbye. It was a sad moment saying goodbye to our friends and family, and some people began to cry.

Once we had said our goodbyes we headed over to the check-in desk to hand over our big rucksacks. Whilst this was happening and two challengers, Jack and Michael, went off to the bank to collect our trip budget.

We all went through security swiftly although some people had trouble with their liquids. And a penknife! We then collected some supplies and went to our gate.

Egyptair was pleasant enough and we started to watch films and have a laugh. Many of us decided to braid bracelets for the children of the village. 

Before we knew it, the plane had landed in Cairo but because of delays we only had a 30 minute  change over. 

We hurried onto the older plane and prepared for the long night flight

By the time we had landed and gone through immigration it was about 4.30 am, and we were all very tired.

The temperature is cool but not cold and the streets of Addis were very quiet in the early morning. We l

Build up day

On the 6th July 2013 20 people convene in the lower dining hall of Therfield school. This is the start. The start of the world challenge expedition to Ethiopia. 17 students (3 from Year 11, 2 year 13s and 12 year 12s) 2 members of staff (Miss Warman and Mr Coulson) and Tom, our World Challenge leader are embarking on a month long trip taking in community projects, trekking, safari, waterfalls and horse riding!

There is an excited atmosphere in the NDH as we all compare day bags and waterproofs and bowls and socks. We purify our water and have our first shared experience. We practice getting into a group shelter. This involves us throwing a piece of tarpaulin over our heads and sitting on it enclosing us under this luminous canvas. It very quickly became very hot in there!

Time to check the tents. Uh oh! Somebody has forgotten to bring their poles! This is a crease which will definitely need to be ironed out by tomorrow.

With all kit checked we all disperse to spend our last evening with our families for a while. A great adventure awaits us, make sure you keep on reading to find out more! 

Welcome

Welcome to Therfield's blog for the World Challenge expedition to Ethiopia! If and when we are able to get internet access we aim to update you with tales of our adventures!