Around 200km from Addis Ababa, one of Ethiopia’s most dramatic stretches of road begins its serpentine descent to the bottom of the Blue Nile Gorge, 1km below. The gorge is traversed by a tortuous road with spectacular views in places, and a pair of bridges cross the river – the new Japanese suspension bridge handles traffic while the Italian original is now used by shepherds. Unfortunately the beauty on the southern side is frequently marred by cement-company quarries.