Following the footsteps of generations of hermits, author J.-L. Gao ascends the 24-metre cliff to cover the story of the 6th-century Debre Damo Monastery, one of the oldest and most important in Ethiopia. In recalling his sojourn in the East African country, the author is indebted to those Ethiopians, who took care of him, and passed the care of him along from one to another. He also remembers the nameless shoeshine boy, who gave him a complimentary service so that he could step in the plane home free of dirt. On the other hand, fleas infected from the country still annoy him even a month after his return, and would likely leave permanent marks on his torso like the Ethiopian experience in his memory.