I am just back from a quick trip to Germany where I went to meet up with Firew Ayele, our Ethiopian guide. Firew is an intelligent, interesting man, who is passionate about his country and people – it is a privilege to have him on a trip, and anyone who meets and spends time with him is usually deeply impressed.

Anyway, Firew has regular groups from the German YMCA who come over to work on various projects – being such a popular guy, they sponsored him to come visit Germany for 2 weeks. It is Firews first time outside of Ethiopia (besides being captured and imprisoned by Somalians as a child…but that’s another story), so I just couldn’t miss the opportunity to go to Germany and drink a large German beer with him (see photo)

When I met up with him, he had already been in Germany 2 weeks and the Germans had of course been plying him with lots of beer and Wurst (although there was still no sign of a beer pot developing). I asked him what his impressions were…he said when he was staying with a family in a village, there was virtually no one on the streets (all inside watching tv no doubt), it was like a ghost town, which made him quite uneasy (in Ethiopia there are people outside all the time). Also, he went to an outdoors shop to buy some equipment – the assistant spent at least an hour with him showing and comparing different tents etc – he said in Ethiopia they would have just told you to buy something or leave! :-

Ethiopia is a fascinating country with amazing scenery, great food (yes, you may even put on weight whilst there!), fascinating tribes, friendly people, astounding history, and …the best coffee in the world! We hike in the Simien mountains, visit bustling African markets, mingle with the locals, see tribal dances, feed hyenas, visit old castles and monasteries, visit local charities (Fistula Hospital) and lots more….We will be back going back there most likely in October 2010, so let me know if you are interested so I can keep you posted. Link to Venus Adventures.

Final words: To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

Then look no further!!!

Venus Adventures has some GREAT fun trips for women coming up in September, October, November 2009, and now is the time to start thinking about them. There are lots of great air fare specials coming out, so now is also the time to book!

Vietnam: 18 days – this is exotic Asia at it’s best – wander the fascinating maze of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, meet the highland peoples of the north, cruise the twisting arms of Halong Bay…and much more!

Ethiopia: 14 days – discover an “undiscovered” destination – forget all the myths, Ethiopia has great food, 1000 year old churches and monasteries and castles, fantastic scenery, and a rich and diverse culture. You have to see it to believe it…go to a country where others don’t go to (only because they don’t know about it!) It will knock your socks off!

Egypt: 11 days – Egypt is just one of those countries you have to tick off as it has an extraordinary history. We visit the Pyramids, Sphinx, tombs, mummies, and take a blissful cruise on the Nile for 3 nights….life doesn’t get much better than sipping a cool drink on the deck of a cruise ship as we float through this historic land.

Morocco: 14 days – ride camels into the romantic Sahara desert for the night, trawl the markets for exotic wares, visit the ancient cities of Fés and Marrakech, hike into the spectacular Atlas mountains and stay with a Berber family – this trip is full of variety and very popular!

If you have any questions about these trips, please contact me:

julie@venusadventures.travel or take a look at the website www.venusadventures.travel

Gobaz Tours - explore the Ethiopian Markets

Pam Robbie is a New Zealander living in Ethiopia who runs tours with her Ethiopian partner – Gobaz Travel. History, culture, nature, treks. Pam’s background is continuing education Travel and Learn programmes and events management, her local knowledge provides a good framework for travelling in the area – it is an area that fascinates me – having explored Morocco – Ethiopia is definately next on my list! Pam’s Website

Read the blog about the Ethiopian Beauty Treatment here

Now we travel to see differences, and I am always up for a cultural experience that is going to push me out of my comfort zone a little. Hence a year later I found myself in an Ethiopian beauty parlour (pink walls, 70s style pull-down hair-driers, satin cushions) with my Venus Adventures all-women tour group, waiting for a traditional “butter massage”. My Ethiopian friend Felekech had called me up whilst we were on the road and recommended it to me – she goes once a week – so I asked her to book us in. Sounded different – and interesting!

In threes we were taken upstairs, stripped naked (get those knickers off you shy Westerners!) and lay on plastic-covered massage beds. We then enjoyed a lovely 45-minute massage by beautiful Ethiopian attendants, albeit with butter (smelt and felt a bit odd!), from head to toe, not forgetting a huge blob for our hair. There was lots of giggling and comments about how we felt like basted Turkeys. Once the massage was over we stood up, naked (except for a coating of butter, of course – a bit strange I know, but you get used to it). The attendant put plastic bags on my feet and hands…and then she put a dollop of butter onto my hand and pointed at my nether regions. (Er….you want me to do what?) OK, I got the picture and obeyed (yes, I was truly having a cultural experience, giggle giggle), now all nooks and crannies were nicely buttered, it was time for the basting….

A large cloak was draped around me and I was led into a room that had what looked like 3 long-drop toilets with small smouldering fires in front of them. I was seated over the hole in the “long drop”, my cloak draped over the box and the smokey fire, and three thick blankets wrapped around me to stop the smoke escaping, and to ensure I get a good sweat up. My knees were pushed apart as far as possible, smoke rose up all around my body, butter ran down my back, and my thoughts flashed back to the Afar tribe a year ago…Holy smoke, I was being smoked!

Laughing to myself I recalled the Afar story to the other 2 girls getting smoked with me, and what Firew had said the outcome was. We could not stop laughing and joking during our half hour smoking session – what were we to do with our “reconditioned” nether regions?! All smoked-up and nowhere to go…!

It took masses amounts of soap and shampoo to get all that butter off, but our skin did feel softer – and smelt buttery and smokey for at least 4 days. That evening we met Firew for dinner and told him we had been smoked – he thought it was hillarious “How do you feel?”, he asked. “Like an 18 year-old again” I said.

Julie Paterson

Venus Adventures, global trips for women: www.venusadventures.travel

There are so many myths about the place ­ it is not a drought-stricken wasteland full of very thin people! It is a beautiful country with amazing scenery, fascinating history and wonderful culture. Most people visit it because it is largely undiscovered by the tourist hordes, which makes it all the more appealing!

The second two weeks of the trip was spent on a private trip to the south of Ethiopia- a complete contrast to the north ­ the south is typical ‘Africa’ for me ­- hot, flat and dotted with Acacia trees, with big, red sunsets. Bliss.

The highlight of the south are all the weird and wonderful tribes that live there, like the Mursi with their big lip plates, and the Hamar with butter and ochre in their hair… Fascinating stuff! Life is simple here, and age old traditions dictate. Africa always gives me a reality check on life…often we were far from mobile phone reception, internet, and…what credit crisis??!

This is a place where ‘wealth’ is often measured in the amount of goats you own. It was great to escape all the bad news and be in a place where banks, savings, mortgages, television and materialism are irrelevant to most peoples lives. More on Ethiopia in future newsletters as I have a couple of funny stories to tell ….about strange African beauty treatments and living with a tribe….

Julie Paterson

Venus Adventures – join a group of women travelers