For a travel enthusiast like me, coming across the opportunity to visit a historical place was priceless. Ankober, a mountainous place at 2000+ meters elevation in my country – Ethiopia, was an amazing experience to start with.
The goal was to reach out to the lifestyle outside my city, Addis Ababa – the capital of Ethiopia, and connect with travel maniacs like me. And I wasn’t disappointed. The adventure started the moment the bus moved.
The group I was traveling with was built by lovely and friendly travel maniacs. Every step of the way felt like I was on vacation with family. The opportunity to explore the lifestyle out of my city and introduce myself to the traveler community was so exciting.
The hike officially started after 2 kilo meters of walk towards the bottom of the mountain. It took only hours to find myself in the middle of an actual adventure. WOW! Climbing up the mountain, I felt like, this is it Kalkidan. This is step one. You shall see wonders of the world from now on.
Hiking continued.
At some point, I realized what I was doing right there resembled what life is about. I was there, lying among amazingly unique flowers, knee high long, covering most parts of the mountain. And I look back. Back to moments ago where I almost didn’t breath. As exciting it was to start the hike, it was also very tiring and challenging to bare.
The local people, passing by on the way to and from their villages do not seem to feel any challenge going up and down the slippery hills. And I, was taking a moment to catch a breath every few minute, which gave me the time to take a look around the beautiful landscape.
While sitting in the woods and flowers, I wondered, how life can get that hard and challenging. But in the middle, there is no going back. Just to move forward after catching a breath. Cause the purpose lies at the top. With the view. Embarrassing those who cherishes the accomplishment with us. That was a fuel to my tired mind. An energy to walk me through the stone stairs.
And I made it. To the freezing cold pick of the mountain. To the astonishing view of the central area where Emperor Menilik the second resided at by the time he ruled Ethiopia. It’s amazing how fast the exhaustion washes away with the pure, cold breeze and satisfaction. The smell of the flowers, mixed up with the dinner prepared by the generous locales was so refreshing.
That was Ankober, the place I started my journey with and loved so very much.
- Kalkidan Taddesse
- : A 25 years old I.T girl based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A wanderlust doing the very best to make it to the pick of travel world.
- : https://www.facebook.com/kalkidan.taddesse.7
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- : My story isn't one of the greatest stories. But it was one of the greatest experiences I came across. And I believe there will be someone out there to relate to it.
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- : This is the first time this story has been published.