ETHIOPIA INFO:
  
General Info
Visa & currency
Vaccines
Health
Anti-malarial drugs
Communication/Internet
Food & Water
Time & calendar differences
General tourist attractions
Civil unrest
Climate and bugs


General Info
Ethiopia is a unique country in Africa with most of the population of ~95 million living in the high cool tableland that experiences a strong northern summer monsoon season. The official national language is Amharic which is spoken by the majority and in all the major cities, but there are many languages spoken among the different ethnic groups, especially among those living in the low altitude areas. Many people also speak English (accepted as the common international language). Over 50% of the population is Christian (most belonging to the coptic orthodox church), with about 30% Muslim. Modern hominids are thought to have originated or at least been present in Ethiopia, with one of the most important intact human remains (Australlpithecus afarensis or “Lucy”) found in the eastern area of the country (Awash valley; part of the Rift Valley). Ethiopia is also where coffee originated, and it still is a very common drink.  Currently, although the typical wildlife of deep Africa does exist in Ethiopia, it is not as prevalent as in some countries to the south. Addis Ababa is the the largest city and capital of the country (~5 million people in the metro area) and all international flights will land you at the airport there (called Bole; airport code: ADD). Bahir Dar is a city by Lake Tana at the start of the Blue Nile and is a ~14 hr drive to the north (airport code: BJR). Our main rendezvous will be either Addis Ababa or Bahir Dar depending on which point on the river you will start. 

Visa
Ethiopia allows US citizens and most Europeans arriving at Addis Ababa airport to obtain a tourist visa on arrival for 1 month ($50) or up to 3 months ($70).  Other requirements, restrictions and such can be reviewed at the US Dept. of State webpage on Ethiopia.  It is possible now to apply for and receive the visa online. See EthiopianVisaOnline.

Currency
 The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr [ETB; current exchange rate is ~27 birr/USD in 2018]. You should bring some cash with you into the country but note there is an official limit of $3000USD per person.  Addis Ababa has ATMs where you can withdraw local currency (some support Cirrus and Plus but many are unreliable except for credit card cash advance withdrawals). While some hotels and Ethiopian Airlines may accept USD and credit cards, expect to pay for most items/services in birr (ETB). Money exchange is usually accomplished at the airport or banks (passport required) - the rate is fixed by the government and is generally the same at all locations, including in the airport. The amount of cash you bring will depend on how much you budget for hotels, food before/after the trip, local transport, souvenirs, damage deposit (if you haven’t provided elsewhere), and tip to the guides at the end of the trip (we suggest 10% of full trip cost as a general guideline for gratuity amounts).

Vaccines
General info on health and safety can be found at the Saftey/Heath page. Specific information on health recommendations for visitors to Ethiopia can be found at the CDC_Ethiopia page.  After reading this page, if you're concerned about specific health issues, you may want to pay a visit to your doctor to get any recommended vaccinations or other prescriptions. Note that anyone traveling to Ethiopia should have routine vaccinations (against polio, MMR, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, chicken pox) as well as against Hepatitis A.  You might also consider getting vaccinations against Typhoid, Rabies, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis B, and Encephalitis. It is especially important on these trips to take anti-Malaria medicine (see below).  There is no effective vaccine against schistosomiasis (bilharzia), a parasite transmitted through river snails that live on plants in slow-moving water areas of the river, but you can minimize your contact in the water in these areas to help prevent contracting them. Also, there is an effective treatment consisting of taking a few pills of praziquantel that will eliminate the parasites should you contract them.  The tsetse fly can transmit a trypanosome parasite (African sleeping sickness) but previous accounts and on our initiial trips we have not encountered these on the initial Blue Nile.  It is best to protect against all insect bites with repellent, sleeping in tents, and wearing light clothing that covers your skin.  Probably the most common ailment folks suffer from is gastrointestinal distress or traveler's diarrhea. You should try to minimize chances of suffering from it by avoiding potentially dirty foods before and during the trip. If you do end up suffering diarrhea, vomiting, and/or nausea more than a day, you might consider taking ciprofloxacin for a few days  (this generally makes the problem go away quickly).  Other common complaints are bug bites - usually from biting midges (no-see-ums), but also sometimes mosquitos, deer/horse flies, or tsetse flies.  Another problem often experienced at higher elevations is altitude sickness, though on this trip we will not be going to elevations >3000m so the risk is absent.  Another problem sometimes experienced is foot fungus (Tinea sp) which often strikes folks who wear closed-toe shoes on the water, step in mud, and/or remain in damp warm conditions for extending periods of time. Anti-fungal creams should be purchased at a local pharmacy and brought along if you are planning to wear closed-toe shoes or booties in place of sandals. First-aid kit:  For acute health problems, we will have one major first aid kit in a rocket box.  A guide with WFR or WildernessFirstAid training or other person on the trip with similar medical training can provide first aid.  Our first aid kit will have some pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, anti-allergy pills, immodium, and possibly antibiotics (more specifics listed far below), but if you think you might suffer from something in particular, please bring this yourself (especially a dose of ciprofloxacin or similar if you’re getting other prescription medications).  We will also have several smaller “scratch kits” to treat superficial wounds and give anti-inflammatories out easily.

Health
Probably the most common ailment folks suffer from is gastrointestinal distress or traveler's diarrhea. You should try to minimize chances of suffering from it by avoiding potentially dirty foods before and during the trip. If you do end up suffering diarrhea, vomiting, and/or nausea more than a day, you might consider taking ciprofloxacin for a few days  (this generally makes the problem go away quickly).  Other common complaints are bug bites - usually from biting midges (no-see-ums), but also sometimes mosquitos, deer/horse flies, or tsetse flies.  Another problem often experienced at higher elevations is altitude sickness, though on this trip we will not be going to elevations >3000m so the risk is absent.  Another problem sometimes experienced is foot fungus (Tinea sp) which often strikes folks who wear closed-toe shoes on the water, step in mud, and/or remain in damp warm conditions for extending periods of time. Anti-fungal creams should be purchased at a local pharmacy and brought along if you are planning to wear closed-toe shoes or booties in place of sandals. First-aid kit:  For acute health problems, we will have one major first aid kit in a rocket box.  A guide with WFR or WildernessFirstAid training or other person on the trip with similar medical training can provide first aid.  Our first aid kit will have some pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, anti-allergy pills, immodium, and possibly antibiotics (more specifics listed far below), but if you think you might suffer from something in particular, please bring this yourself (especially a dose of ciprofloxacin or similar if you’re getting other prescription medications).  We will also have several smaller “scratch kits” to treat superficial wounds and give anti-inflammatories out easily.

Anti-malarial drugs
It is strongly recommend to take anti-malarial prophylactic drugs while in sub-Saharan Africa (see CDC_Malaria). The malaria risk is high if you are traveling at the lower elevation areas, which includs most of the Blue Nile and many other rivers (such as the Beles, Tekeze and Omo). There are a lot of mosquitos in the high-altitude cities in Ethiopia, and while the malaria-carrying type of mosquito is not very common in the higher-elevation cities, it may still be possible to get bit and contract the disease at Bahir Dar elevation (1800m) and lower.  Also, although it may seem like there are few mosquitos in the Blue Nile camps, the problematic Anopheles (that transmit malaria) are present but often hard to notice as they are out at night.  On the Sep27 trip, of five people who did not take anti-malarials, three contracted malaria (Plasmodium falciparum type), with symptoms starting 4-10 days after the trip.  It is imperative to take measures to reduce bites: put repellent on liberally and/or wear protective clothing covering your skin, and use a tent to sleep in, preferably with mesh treated with permethrin.  I highly recommend the REPEL lemon eucalyptus type repellent, which is just as effective as DEET but smells nicer and cools your skin.  Some of the Plasmodium parasites in Ethiopia are chloroquine-resistant, so it is recommended to use atovaquone-proguanil (“Malarone”), doxycycline, or mefloquine (“Lariam”).  You can purchase these medicines in some pharmacies in Ethiopia and it may cost a lot less than what you have to pay in the USA, but there is the risk of getting a counterfeit drug that is not effective, so it is recommended to bring your own prescription.
You can read more about prophylactic malaria drug choice at: https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html  
And also on the recommendations for Ethiopia at:  https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/country_table/e.html

Communication/Internet
The major cell phone service and Internet Service Provider in Ethiopia is Ethiopia Telecom (ETHIO). It makes sense to bring in an unocked cell phone with you and insert an Ethiopia Telecom SIM card (cost is ~$4USD) which you can add credit to by purchasing 50ETB or 100ETB cards with scratch-revealed codes to enter (you dial *805*CODE# to add the credit to your number).  The biggest thing to know if you want to use a foreign cell phone is that it must be registered at the airport in Addis Ababa when you arrive - this is done with a customs official next to the baggage claim area and is free of charge.  One phone per tourist is allowed to be registered.  If you don’t register the phone, the Ethiopian SIM card will not function.  Using data over the Ethiopia Telecom cell network is generally good and fast. Many of the wifi services provided in hotels and otherwise are also through Ethiopia Telecom and often slower than using your own phone data usage.  Note that the Ethiopian government restricts internet access at times, so don't be surprised if Facebook or Twitter is blocked.

Food
During our river trip we will prepare and have available typical Western food (see "menu" section farther down) as well as some local cuisine. However, when you’re in the cities and between trips, you’ll definitely get to experience Ethiopian cuisine. The common staple food in Ethiopia is a thin spongy sourdough bread called injera (made primarily from tej flour, but sometimes with wheat or corn flour mixed in), but rice and bread is also very common and couscous is available. In a restaurant, dishes of various stews known as “wat” are served on a large injera tortilla laid out on a gebeta (large plate either of metal or papyrus) and this eaten with the right hand (no utensils). Wat can be stewed meats, lentils/beans or vegetables. Cheese, milk and yoghurt are also common. One of the most common spice mixtures used in stews is berbere, a curry-like mixture of spices that is often hot-spicy. Fasting is a regular occurrance in the Coptic Christian calendar so vegetarian dishes are common and always available at restaurants. Some of the more common wat dishes you will probably experience are: tibs (goat or beef meat in spicy sauce), doro (stewed chicken dish), shiro (watery mushed spiced lentils/chickpeas), shiro tegabino (this is shiro but much thicker like refried beans), mesir (red lentil), buticha (hummus), fasolia (string beans), gomen (spinach) and various other bean, vegetable, chicken, or cheese dishes. Breakfast is often fir fir (aka chebchesa or fit fit - chopped up injera pieces stir-fried with vegetables and sauce) or kinche (like an oatmeal).   In Bahir Dar and around Lake Tana, fish (yasa) caught from the lake is also found on all restaurant menus (prepared in various ways - usually tilapia). Ethiopia was under Italian influence and rule for some of its history, resulting in an influence on the cuisine and naming of places. Most restaurants will offer pasta with various sauces or wat and sometimes other Italian-origin foods.

Water/drinks
 In the cities, it is best to drink only purified water from plastic bottles or out of the clear plastic jugs. Tapwater or clear streamwater should be disinfected with a filter, UV, and/or iodine/hypochlorite.  Coffee is native to Ethiopia and still a very common drink made in the morning or evening - often in a traditional display with a kettle of water heating on some simmering coals, and the hot water poured through ground coffee beans into small cup filled with a lot of sugar. Tea is also popular and is produced in the country.  A traditional alcoholic beverage served in restaurants is tej - a mead or honey wine usually served in a glass flask.  In addition to the traditional beverages, typical lager beers and wine are available in most restaurants. In recent years some high quality wines are now being produced in the country (the most common labels are "Rift Valley" and “Acacia”) but cost ~$10/bottle.  Also available are soft drinks including Coke, Sprite, orange varieties, and Red Bull (and variants).  Juices are also common.

Time/calendar/address differences
Ethiopians usually tell time based on a clock where the first hour of the “day” starts at our 6 a.m.  So if they say “1 o’clock” it means 7 am, and “6 o’clock” means noon (this applies to “day” - a similar 12 o’clock system applies to “night”).  When discussing time, it is best to always specify “a.m." or "p.m.” to clarify that you are referring to our system of time (a.m. = ante meridiem or before midday; p.m. = post meridiem or after midday). The Ethiopian calendar is different as well and based on the coptic church calendar and dating, which put Jesus’ birth roughly 7 years later compared to the Catholic (European) year dating system.  As of our date 10 September 2017 (which is the date they celebrate New Year), they are now in year 2010.  They celebrate Christmas on our January 7.  Although this can all be very confusing for an international traveler talking to a general Ethiopian, you’ll be comforted to know that all airports, airlines, hotels, and agencies dealing with international tourists will specify dates/times with the general European/American calendar and time system.  Also, Ethiopians use what may seem a more confusing system of addresses that does not rely on a street and number or postal code but on a simple general landmark (the place should be obvious the location nearby)

General tourist attractions
There are a number of interesting things to see and do in Ethiopia aside from paddling the Abay river (Blue Nile). A full description can be found in the Lonely Planet or other travel guide. High on many tourist’s lists is to visit Bahir Dar, Lake Tana with its island monasteries, and Tissisat Falls. Because these sites are the start of the Blue Nile, we include two days initially in the itinerary for such visits and possibly for paddling the Tis Abay section of the river (it is best to stay in a hotel during this time but it is possible to camp).  Many tourists rent bicycles in Bahir Dar to get around. Two other common destinations are the city of Gondar north of Lake Tana with its 17th-century castle (4 hr drive to the north of Bahir Dar) and Lalibela with its midieval stone churches carved out of bedrock (a 1 hr flight northeast of Bahir Dar).  Far to the north of Lake Tana are the Simian mountains, a spectacular high-elevation area with unique wildlife.  You might also wish to visit the holy source of the Blue Nile at the church and spring of Gish Abay (about a 4 hr drive south of Bahir Dar with small city built up around it). Other sites to visit in Ethiopia include the hot desolate Danakil Depression and the tribes and wildlife along the Omo river area in the south. You might also consider a visit to neighboring Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda for a safari and/or to paddle the White Nile (a short whitewater section near Juba/LakeVictoria due to be flooded starting Oct2018).

Domestic travel
Ethiopian cities are served by bus lines (e.g., see  LonelyPlanet, SkyBusEthiopia) and domestic airline service (see EthiopianAir).  You may wish to look into domestic flight options from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar (ADD-BJR) before the start of the trip and also from Asosa to Addis Ababa at the end (ASO-ADD) to avoid 14-24 hr drives. These may be included in the full rate for clients on our trips.

Civil unrest:
 There have been widespread protests and associated problems in Ethiopia in the recent past, mainly aimed against the ERPDF party in control of the government, which assumed power >20 years ago and has not allowed open, free, and verified elections (though nominally they have allowed elections). Most protests are aimed to allow free elections or vent anger at some decision made by the ERPDF regarding local or regional development. During much of 2017, Ethiopia was in an official "State of Emergency" which gave the government additional power to restrict and suppress protests, but this was lifted in the second half of 2017, leading to a flurry of additional demonstrations. The protests have had a major impact. In early 2018, thousands of political prisoners were released and the ERPDF prime minister agreed to resign and allow an opponent to assume the major post of power in the country. However, the governement also declared another "State of Emergency" (that will last at least 6 months) which should keep the country more peaceful as the ERPDF takes more steps toward a true democratic representative government. We cannot say for certain what will happen in the near future. If there are circumstances out of our control that lead to cancellations, delays, or not realizing the full intended itinerary of the river trip, we are not responsible for providing refunds. You should be prepared to take additional steps to remain safe (such as getting domestic flights instead of taking buses through areas of protests) and have a travel insurance policy that can cover losses due to such unpredictable events.
SIERRARIOS LLC ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY IF THERE ARE DAMAGES, LOSSES OR DEATH DUE TO CIVIL UNREST IN ANY COUNTRY WHERE WE OPERATE


CLIMATE AND BUGS:
The trip occurs at tropical latitudes starting at moderate to high elevations and ending at lower elevation jungle area. Average temperatures at several representative locations along the trip are presented below. The rainy season is primarily from June through October so during that time you can expect some cloudy days and rain at times (rain usually falls at night). During the dry season (Nov-May) there is little rain. At all times of the year, in general it will be warm to hot in the day and cool at night. The water in the river is warm (20-23oC) so only a paddle jacket is necessary.

CLIMATE: The climate averages for Addis Ababa (1850 m elevation) Bahir Dar (1800m) and Ad Damazin (450 m elevation) are shown below.

BUGS / UV / SILT: UV rays from the sun are intense so it is recommended that you use sunblock liberally, especially at the higher elevations. This trip has few or no biting midges and not very many mosquitos. However, although you generally won't be molested by many mosquitos or their bites, they do come out at night and have a high rate of transmitting malaria in the middle to lower sections of the river. One should always take precautions to prevent malaria (see the Health and Safety section) and to avoid bites: use repellent or wear light clothes that cover your body. Also, the river water during the rainy season can be silty, so you should be comfortable with being "dirty" on high water trips. We will have fresh water to rinse off at camps, and clear side stream water will be collected and used for filtering/drinking, dishwash rinse, and handwash. In the event we do not have such clear water, we will use alum to settle out the silt from river water.