Ethiopia is a land of wonder and enchantment, a country with one of the richest histories on the African continent, a land of contrasts and surprises, of remote and wild places, home to cultured and friendly people who are descended from some of the world's oldest civilizations.
This is the land of the fabled Queen of Sheba, home of the Ark of the Covenant, the birthplace of coffee.
Lucy, the world's oldest known almost-complete hominid skeleton, more than three million years old, was discovered here.
I had the privilege to witness this year’s Timkat, which is the greatest festival of orthodox Christians in Ethiopia. Falling on the 19 of January, it celebrates the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. It's a three-day affair and all the ceremonies are conducted with great pomp.