opinion
By Berhanu Tibebu Zewolde
When I was as young as 20 and a junior at the College of Addis Ababa University, I had the unique and unforgettable experience of swimming in a hot water pool at Ambo.
I was not aware of the consequences of such an act. I caught pneumonia. The cause of it was my lack of understanding the danger to my lungs by exposing myself intermittently to extreme variations of cold and hot temperatures both above and below the surface of the water. I did not see a doctor. I had a strong, natural resistance to fight back the adverse impact of hot springs.
In Addis Ababa, Filwoha hurt me practically every weekend. It was inexpensive in those days to wash oneself for an hour or so by not paying more than three or four birr, if my memory serves me right.
The experience leaves anyone not only refreshed but also healthy and fit for work the next day. Filwoha is nature’s gift to Ethiopia which is endowed with many others throughout the country. I already referred to Ambo, but I can add Sodere, a popular resort area within a distance of one hundred or so kilometers.
Since I cannot say anything more on the subject without referring to an authority, the first technical or scientific report on hot springs in Ethiopia is probably by a Japanese geologist. His name is Chuzo Kondo. The report entitled “Thermal Springs of Ethiopia” associated with the Research Institute of Underground Resources of Akita University is dated 1967 and extends only for 24 pages.
The contents focus on outlines of geological history and volcanic activity, distribution of thermal springs, geological classification, qualities of thermal waters, Ambo thermal springs, tepid springs in the west of Ambo, Errer hot springs in Hararghe, warm springs in the east of Errer, and tepid springs near Babilli [or Babile] also in Hararghe.
The author visited these sites in 1957, though his writing was published in 1967. There are no detailed investigation of the Filwoha hot water bath. At no point in the investigation of the author is the medicinal values of the hot springs explained to readers.
The knowledge provided is scanty and technical. The research is intended for experts rather than for the general reader. However, the technicality does not deter anyone from deriving certain interesting ideas from the author’s writing.
For example, with reference to the Ambo hot springs, he points out that there used to be a quarter exclusively meant for the imperial family. There was also a space where the public enjoyed showers. Even animals like cows and horses went down and bathed, drunk and even ate the mud. Why should they eat the mud unless it had some medicinal value which they recognized by instinct?
Mount ‘Uonchi’ [supposedly Wonchi] is mentioned several times as part of the physical structure of the area. The author states that it separates Ambo and Wolliso. Since my knowledge of geography is limited, I cannot say whether he is right or wrong. He also refers to the Blue Nile and its tributaries in connection with the river basin systems in the country.
Yet, another aspect of the report is the variety of facts given regarding chemical contents of the hot springs and their temperatures. The reader could be misled by the term “quality” because “quality” suggests the chemical contents of the water rather than its advantages. The author says that there are 36 kinds of water. This implies its characteristics depending upon its acidity or alkaline nature. How he was able to identify all the 36 varieties is a mystery.
The term “tepid” refers to temperatures of the hot springs. The author says that the temperatures range from 36.5 centigrade to 39.5 centigrade in the case of the Ambo hot springs. Mineral water and hot water bath use have been separately identified by the author as early as 1957. He does not say whether the mineral water factory has been established prior or after that time.
In dealing with a hot spring near Dire Dawa, he states that the “spa” is made use of by a German couple who probably ran a hotel, a motel or a restaurant to attract tourists. This gives an indication of the wide opportunities available for foreign investors. Like the hot spring near Dire Dawa, mention is also made of the one near Babile.
However, the author once again delves into physical and chemical characteristics that seem to engage his attention more than anything else. Unlike those near Ambo, hot water temperatures are reported to be comparatively low. Whether the measurements were taken from earlier writers or from trials by the author himself cannot be easily ascertained.
In the latter case, he must have carried out innumerable tests using his thermometers. This is a praiseworthy endeavour of a scientist of such high caliber.
In spite of the availability of drawings, charts and tables on a good number of pages, their significance to a reader outside the field is far from being clear. This means that the expert can see and appreciate facts from various data incomprehensible to the ordinary person. One has to be a geologist to know the technical terms used extensively in the report.
The term ‘fissure’ is probably the gap or open space between two rocks through which hot springs come up to the surface. The author uses even more technical terms than this word assuming that such words are common knowledge to readers. Each trade has its own terminology or jargons. The same thing applies to research.
“Literature” refers to all the “References” used in a particular study and is summed up in the preliminary part of the study. In the case of the hot springs, the author cites works as far back as 1923.
Irrespective of the fact that the subject has been studied for over 75 years, the term literature is a technical term differently understood by researchers as opposed to comparative literature which, to my understanding, compares all the writings in two or several languages.