Lake Tana not only houses spectacular natural landscapes, but also hides a multitude of legends.
The largest lake in the country – has dimensions of 84 kilometers long and 66 wide – appears splashed by more than three dozen islands which, according to Ethiopian oral tradition, have been the scene of legendary events.
The Ethiopians believe that King Solomon's Ark of the Covenant arrived in his land in 400 BC. of C ., being transferred between some islands and other lakes of the country during the following 800 years. The reason for the origin of this myth must be found in the biblical love of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who, it is believed, was born in present-day Ethiopia. From their love relationship was born the offspring that gave rise to the dynasty of Ethiopian emperors that reigned for centuries.
Whether because of this legend or because of religious fervour, the islands of Lake Tana display a balanced combination of natural beauty and colorful monasteries.
More than three dozen islands to visit in this lake that is 84 kilometers long.
On the most earthly plane, the Tana is the main source of one of the most emblematic rivers in Africa: the Blue Nile. A Spanish Jesuit monk, Pedro Páez, was the first European to reach the source of this African river artery.
Before beginning the visit to the lake, a first stop at the Tis Abay Falls shows the power of nature. In the months in which the blessed rain brings life to Ethiopia – between June and October -, a powerful torrent of water rushes, with great noise, through a jump of about 45 meters high . The spectacle with which the Blue Nile starts its African journey is worthy of the Ethiopian name it bears and which means "smoking water".
After admiring the wonder of Tis Abay, it is time to head to the main city on the southern shore of Lake Tana. Bahir Dar is a cheerful and vacation city. The inhabitants of Addis Ababa who can afford it, spend a few days off here, drinking beer on the terraces overlooking the lake and dancing to the music played in some nightclubs and treacherous bars.
The first stop to enjoy an appetizer of what Lake Tana is, should be the Tis Abay falls, on the Blue Nile.
The moderately cosmopolitan air that is breathed in Bahir Dar is noticeably diluted when taking one of the many paths that start from the main paved roads of the city to go into vast fields patched here and there by small groups of trees that provide highly coveted shades when the burning Ethiopian sun shines.
In those camps, the pace of life slows down and families gather to eat injera – a kind of large corn cake that forms the basis of the Ethiopian diet – seasoned with different sauces, meats and vegetables. Walking through them is an excellent opportunity to observe the traditional life of northwestern Ethiopia.
Visiting Bahir Dar is a good way to get to know the traditions of Ethiopia and admire its infinite fields of cultivation.
Although most of the peasants get around on foot or riding carts pulled by oxen, there are not a few who do so by rowing their tangkwa, ancient and small leaf-shaped boats made of papyrus . These boats are also preferred by fishermen who seek their sustenance in the waters of the lake, wading in the vicinity of its sacred islands. Of the 37 islands of Tana, in 19 there are – or were found – monasteries or churches, the oldest being from the 14th century.
Tana Cherqos is one of the most important islands , since the Ethiopian tradition tells that it was here that the Virgin Mary rested during her journey back from Egypt. On the island of Daga are the tombs of some Ethiopian emperors , like Zara Yaqob, Za Dengel, Dawit I and Fasilides, one of the great Ethiopian conquerors.
It is also said that the body of friar Frumentius - who introduced Christianity in Ethiopia - rests on the land of the island of Tana Qirqos . In it, however, the main attraction is another, as the Ethiopians believe that it is the first to house the Ark of the Covenant. Indiana Jones could have started here.
These papyrus boats are the traditional transport of the inhabitants of the islands of Lake Tana.
The islands, in addition to the striking and colorful art that decorates the walls of churches and monasteries and makes up the clothing of the religious who inhabit them, also offer a paradise for ornithologists and botanists. Exuberant trees shine in a green that contrasts with the grayish blue of the waters of the Tana . Those waters that are altered when passing the motor boats that take tourists, locals and foreigners, who make a tour of a few hours through the main islands of the lake.
This is a good way to explore Tana if you're short on time, but a place as special as this deserves a calm enjoyment . It is difficult to cover a large area traveling aboard a tangkwa, but the horn that sounds powerful in the port of Bahir Dar announces a slow, intense and unforgettable alternative.
This is the local ferry that crosses Lake Tana once a week . In it they travel, almost with the same discomforts, goods and people. The route includes some stops on islands, such as Dek, overnight in the village of Konzula and arrival at the port of Gorgora , the main human settlement in northern Tana.
One of the main tourist attractions of the Lake Tana islands are its churches and monasteries full of colorful murals.
Nevertheless, that simple route of almost 36 hours is a blessing for the senses . Curious Ethiopians strike up a conversation with the very few foreigners who take the ship. They are noble, honest, beautiful and proud people. Meeting them, you understand why Ethiopia is the only African nation that has never succumbed to continued European colonialism. A strong, warrior and indomitable people, who offer their most hospitable face when treated with kindness and sincerity.
At each stop, curious children and adults come to see the white man (or faranji, as the Ethiopians call them). Goods go up and down the ship with total parsimony, allowing travelers to stretch their legs around the island . Beds, sacks of wheat and rice, a motorcycle, fruit, dried fish... And on rare occasions, a washing machine or a television.
You can always tour Lake Tana on their local ferry, which runs once a week.
In Konzula you have to hurry to get accommodation in the few local houses that act as improvised hotels . Those who are unlucky must spend the night on the ship.
At school, teachers and students play a football game every evening. The field is dirt. A red soil, typical of Africa, that never seems to leave the clothes, but neither does the soul. That red blends with that of the immense sun that emerges from the waters of the lake at dawn and combines with the green of the islands and the grayish blue of the waters of the lake to form a landscape that awakens the African ancestral being that we all carry inside. . When you descend the gangway in the port of Gorgora, you are a different person and the powerful light of Africa shines in your eyes.