What a nightmare? I got a deal from some shady bloke in town for a ride to Mekele. That's what we do to try to avoid the bus station. It costs a little more but we are talking a couple of bucks. So he is supposed to pick me up at 6am. I'm waiting and thinking he has forgotten me and he showed up at about 6.20. He said the car is coming, and I know it is not a car but a mini bus. About 20min later a Baja (tuk tuk) came for me. He seemed to know just enough about me that I thought it was ok to go with him. He said he was taking me to the bus station.
When I arrived at the bus station my guy was no where to be seen and I was surrounded by touts. I was trying to explain but it was chaos. Just in time my guy arrives and takes me to a restaurant up the road and says I will be travelling with these people. I got stuck into him. "What time we going? They having breakfast so going to be at least 1/2hr? I could have stayed in bed for another 2 hours"
Eventually a mini bus arrives and it is a mad scramble for the best seats. I managed a window seat so tha,t was ok. Everyone payed up and we were off. I could have One to the bus station myself and been gone 2hr earlier.
About 2hr in to the trip we stop for breakfast. I don't know exactly where but the town was having a big celebration. Apparently it is a big religious celebration for the women. They had the Main Street blocked so we got held up again for over 1/2hr. Just as we were ready to go another bus pulled up and we were told to get into the other bus. I don't know why. Finally we were of again and about 200mtr down the road a woman copper pulled us over. Well she was not happy about something and held us up for another 20min. Then we are not allowed to take this bus to Mekele? Again I don't know why? So we go to the bus station and luckily the bus boy gave back our money so we had to negotiate for another bus. There was heaps of trouble with the negotiations. As I understand it we were negotiating on No2 bus and No1 wasn't happy so the boss got involved. Eventually a third bus showed up and we were allowed to take that one. It turned my 3-4hr bus ride into 9hr.
When we finally made it to Mekele one of the locals,Lewis, offered to show me the way to m.y hotel. Well it is a holiday here and it is full so we tried another couple and again full. It turns out Lewis is a beer salesman so he knows all the hotels so we keep looking. Eventually we found a nice one but the price is high. If I hadn't had Lewis tagging along I wouldn't have taken it but I did.
I headed to the bus office for Selam bus to check for tomorrow and they only going to Addis, a 2 day trip. I want Lalibela. It looks like another local bus for me at 6 in the morning again for another 9hr trip but thankfully it is my last. They have trains in Egypt and Morocco.