For all the countries we are visiting, we have had ChatGPT summarize travel guide recommendations of places to visit. And we supplemented that information with Guide books and recommendations from people we have talked to.
But, we have come to find that it is easy to go from capital city to capital city or to a major tourist destination like the Serengeti or Zanzibar. However, beyond that there’s just no practical way to get to many of the places we want to visit unless you have your own private car. Additionally, for many of the places you would need a guide to find it, or it would be unsafe to go without a guide. Many times roads have no names or if they do have a name, there is no street sign.
Another problem is websites for places don’t list hours of operations, addresses, schedules, or payment options. Or if they do have a payment option, it doesn’t work. This, of course, is assuming you can even get on the internet.
Hence, we are not spending any time alone in Ethiopia. But, instead we are spending our entire 13 days here with a tour company.
But… if somehow, you can get from here to there; and go off the beaten path to that hidden gem; you will surely be amazed.
It was extremely difficult to get to Dollal in the Danakil Depression and to the rock hewn
Abuna Yemata Guh monolithic church at the top of a cliff. But they both just knocked our socks off. More on these places in the next episode.