Another 7 am departure this time bound for Meleke.

Back along the same unpaved dusty road to Gashena where 2 hours later it was time for a coffee stop.

Then with the sun on the right giving me beautiful light for the ever so slightly different scene as we drove north.
 
 
 
 
 
 






















































































































































































































 































































































































































































 



 
























































































































































 







































































Then after another hour at Dilb, had a scenic stop with the locals selling a typical Ethiopian snack called kolo. It is a mixture of chickpea, barley and sunflower seeds.

It was downwards we drove. In the distant were clouds and short of looking back on my photos may be the first clouds seen on this part of the northern trip. It certainly felt like the Swiss Alps with the steep sides of the valley and the buildings with their V pitch roof looking a bit like the Swiss chalets. The trees and water down the irrigation channels provided a totally different scene to take in. 

Lunch at Woldia a common stopping point for travellers. Our lunch order was phoned ahead to Lal Hotel so effectively it was already waiting for us during our hour stop here. 
 
Roast chicken and a banana juice 120 birr / NZ$8 / US$5.90. It was the worst roast chicken on the trip! Win some, lose some with the meals on the road. I may stick with the pasta options .... Plus outside the hotel were the fruit sellers and I wanted to take a photo of just the fruit, not the seller but she said "NO!" I still got my photo at the next stall.