Qué hacer en Etiopía

Christianity took root in Ethiopia in the fourth century, and the country's churches carry some of the oldest traditions of the faith. Addis Ababa, the capital, sits high in the mountains, with the huge Merkato market, the National Museum and the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Lalibela's medieval churches are carved down into red rock, among them the cross-shaped Saint George.

Axum has tall carved stone obelisks from an ancient kingdom, and Gondar's stone castles date from the seventeenth century. Bahir Dar sits on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, with island monasteries and the Blue Nile Falls nearby. Harar, a walled Muslim city in the east, has narrow alleys and shrines, while Dire Dawa grew around the railway. Mek'ele is the gateway to the Danakil depression, and Arba Minch looks over two Rift Valley lakes.

Injera, a spongy sour flatbread, is the plate and the spoon for wat stews, tibs and kitfo, and coffee is roasted and served in a ceremony with incense and popcorn. The Ethiopian calendar runs several years behind the European one and has thirteen months. The long rains fall from June to September, and the dry months that follow are green and clear.