a trip to the country that lives in a different time

Going to Ethiopia is really a time travel. And we are not talking about technological advances or ancient traditions, but strictly what the calendar dictates, because this African country is officially passing the year 2016.

Because they are eight years late compared to the rest of the world? To get the answer you have to go back several years.

While most countries adopted the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church decided to maintain its own calculation of the year of birth of Jesus Christwhich differs from the Roman calculation.

The Ethiopian calendar has many similarities with the calendar of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, a Christian church based in Egypt. It follows a solar-lunar system.

Unlike the Gregorian, which divides the year into 12 months, the one used in Ethiopia has 13 months: 12 of 30 days and the last, of only five days, or six in a leap year.

The New Year, or Enkutatashwhich translates as “gift of jewels” in the Ethiopian Semitic Amharic language, is not celebrated on January 1, but on 11 of September or September 12 during a leap year. This date marks the end of rainy season

During this time, the streets and gardens are full of Deep Lowa native flower that is the symbol of the Ethiopian New Year.

This is not the only difference.

Ethiopians divide the hours of the day differently. He time system is not divided into 24 hours, but in 12 hours. It runs from dawn to dusk, and begins at 1 a.m. What most people would consider 7 o’clock, Ethiopians would classify as 1.

This can cause large confusion between travelers who book excursions or who want to know what time some attraction opens. For this reason, some companies usually mention the schedules in both systems.

This country, the second most populated of the continent and located in the Horn of Africa, it is characterized by having diverse ecosystems, ranging from mountains to arid deserts.

• Addis Ababa, the capital of the country, offers markets, museums and a wide range of restaurants with traditional food. This cosmopolitan city can be reached from Buenos Aires, with Ethiopian Airlines.

• Another tourist spot is Lalibela, where the impressive excavated stone churches dating from the 12th century are located. Visitors can enter the tunnels and chambers that connect these constructions that were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

• In Aksum There is also a great historical legacy. This city was the capital of the Aksumite Empire and a center of trade. There are obelisks, ancient tombs and the ruins of royal palaces.

• The most adventurous cannot miss the opportunity to trek through the Simien mountains, have contact with endemic species such as the gelada baboon and the Ethiopian wolf and enjoy rugged landscapes.