Category Archives: travel

Ethiopic languages and the status of Amharic

Posted on April 25, 2015 by jewamongyou

Ethiopia contains upwards of 80 distinct ethnic groups, and just about every one of them has its own language. For a traveler who is language-conscious, such as myself, this can be bewildering. At the same time, it’s refreshing; the Ethiopian … Continue reading →

Posted in language, travel | 13 Comments

Similarities between Hebrew and Amharic

Posted on April 21, 2015 by jewamongyou

My journey to Ethiopia was actually two journeys. I’ve already written about one, and the one I have yet to write about actually began on the Ethiopian Airlines jet that took me to Addis Ababa. As soon as I boarded … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish stuff and Israel, language, travel | Tagged , , | 87 Comments

Ethiopia and Jews

Posted on April 20, 2015 by jewamongyou

The relationship between Ethiopia and Jews is complex enough to fill entire books, so don’t consider this post as a comprehensive source on this matter. Most of y’all have probably heard of the Falashas. The State of Israel airlifted most … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish stuff and Israel, travel | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Odds and ends from south Ethiopia

Posted on April 18, 2015 by jewamongyou

Here are some miscellaneous items, mostly photos, from south Ethiopia that I missed in my earlier posts. Even with the crudest architecture, one can sometimes see creativity, as in this house/shop in the south: This is the traditional type of … Continue reading →

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There are no homosexuals in Ethiopia

Posted on April 16, 2015 by jewamongyou

I count, among my many talents, the ability to make people feel uncomfortable by asking awkward questions, or by telling random stories at inappropriate times. But in Ethiopia, anyone can do it! All you have to do is bring up … Continue reading →

Posted in human sexuality and morality, travel | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Some lovely Ethiopian women

Posted on April 14, 2015 by jewamongyou

I’ve written about Ethiopia’s geology, it’s fauna, it’s cultures and its architecture – but no honest visitor to Ethiopia can deny that some of the most beautiful women in the world are found there. Indeed, this was the consensus of … Continue reading →

Posted in travel | 7 Comments

Melka Kunture, Lake Ziway, another rock-hewn church and a fish market

Posted on April 13, 2015 by jewamongyou

There are many important archeological digs in Ethiopia. One of these sites is Melka Kunture, which we (I was with a British tourist) visited. The site features a museum, which consists of several modest structures and some replica bones. We … Continue reading →

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The villages of Danakil

Posted on April 10, 2015 by jewamongyou

Our journey to the salt mines, and Erta Ale volcano, took us through a few villages. My understanding was that these were mixed Tigre/ Afar villages. They are very conservative, and the locals didn’t always appreciate our roaming around shooting … Continue reading →

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Lalibela

Posted on April 9, 2015 by jewamongyou

As in other Ethiopian points of interest, the journey was almost as interesting as the destination itself. Here are some photos I shot on the way to Lalibela: Lalibela is famous for its 11 stone-cut churches. I’ll quote Wikipedia: Lalibela … Continue reading →

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The road back to Addis and the "Merkato"

Posted on April 7, 2015 by jewamongyou

The drive back to Addis Ababa, from Harar, took a long time. It’s only one lane in each direction, and there are a lot of trucks in Ethiopia. One thing I noticed, almost from the beginning, is the shocking number … Continue reading →

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