The Medieval Town of Gondor

It's essential to plan the rest of the trip in detail since everything takes a long time and has its limitations due to the terrible infrastructure and limited flight schedules. But you'll have to wait a bit longer to hear our final plan. I'm not revealing it just yet. The selection of dishes at the restaurants is pretty limited. We opted for a vegetable sandwich for breakfast/lunch. We’re not eating much meat down here due to hygiene—or the lack thereof. Everywhere we go, we’re greeted with “Hallo.” It can get a bit tiring to hear that all the time. Today, we headed out to see Gondar's biggest attraction—Africa's Camelot. The entrance fee was 50 birr. Gondar was the capital for 200 years. The area was chosen by the ruler for three main reasons: it was close to Sudan and the Middle East, which meant good trade opportunities; it’s nestled between mountains, making it easy to defend and spot approaching enemies; and it’s over 2000 meters above sea level, so there’s no malaria here. For 200 years, several rulers governed the country from Gondar. But eventually, internal strife over power became too great. Many tried to stage coups to take control. That was the beginning of Gondar's downfall. Before that, each new ruler built a new castle. They still lived in their fathers' castles, but tradition dictated that they also had to construct their own place. Some rulers were more open to the Western world than others, perhaps because they lacked access to professional medical help. At one point, the royal family suffered from skin issues. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find out they were actually dealing with syphilis. The doctor recommended they build a Turkish bath—and it worked!