The bus journey takes longer than one might expect
as the road isn’t very good and because it’s mostly uphill on rough roads. To
my surprise it was colder than Debre Birhan even though it is not as high.
Emperor Menelik’s palace is no longer there, but
there is now a hotel on the grounds of the old palace – The Palace Lodge. It is
situated on top of a mountain so to get to it is quite a trek. From the bus
station in the centre of the town where we got dropped off, it was about an
hour’s walk down, then up again to the palace. However, it’s a very beautiful
place, very green and lush – so different to images of Ethiopia most of the
world is used to seeing. From the top you have 360 degree panoramic views which
are stunning.
Because of the altitude it is a very good place for
bird watching (– I did see some beautiful birds, but have no idea what they
were). For the first time I saw a pack of gelada baboons in Ankober. They are
indigenous to the Ethiopian Highlands and are also found in Debre Birhan (in
the gorge especially) although I’ve never seen them here. I also saw a snake in
Ankober. It was while we were walking and exploring the area around the palace
- a black and yellow snake – I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Thank God I
was too tired at night to think about snakes and other such things in my hotel
room.
At night the stars were amazing. I thought the stars
were clear in Debre Birhan but they were even better in Ankober. I sat out very
late into the night just watching the stars until I was too cold and had to go
inside. I even saw a shooting star which was pretty amazing!
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| Inside the restaurant that now stands on the grounds of the palace |
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| I loved the ceiling in the restaurant |
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| My view while having breakfast |
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