Blogs from Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Africa
March 19th 2012
We were up at 5.30 a.m. to get to the bus station in time to get on the road early enough so that we might get to Lalibela that day. We managed to get a bus to Alamata, changed to one going to Woldia, which broke down twice along the way. From there, we got a bus to Gashena. It would be more accurate to describe Gashena as a crossroads rather than a town, but it is 65 km south of Lalibela and must be passed through to access it. We got to Gashena some time in the middle of the afternoon and fancied our chances of reaching Lalibela that day. It wasn't to be and we couldn't find any transport going there, so we had to get rooms in the only hotel around. The height ... read more
Trekking with TESFA in the Ethiopian Highlands
Published: March 11th 2012Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Lalibela
March 11th 2012
We fortified ourselves for the first day of our TESFA trek by having a huge lunch of Ethiopian food at a local restaurant. It was my idea of a perfect meal: a huge piece of injera with many little types of food arranged around it, such as pickled vegetables, spicy goat meat, shredded beets and lentil sauce. I thought of it as Ethiopian tapas and once I’d discovered it, I ordered it every chance I could get! The TESFA arrangement with the local villages in the Ethiopian highlands around Lalibella was unique as far as our travel experience went. The local villages would build a group of tukuls, or huts, at a scenic place within a certain distance of their village. Trekkers would spend the night at these huts, being hosted by a different village each ... read more
March 6th 2012
We arrived inLalibella, Ethiopia, at about 10 in the morning after an early-morning flight fromNairobitoAddis Ababa, a flight from Addis to the Lalibella airport, and a half-hour drive in an overcrowded minicab. To continue the bad luck we’d had booking last-minute accommodation on this trip (memories of arriving inDurban,South Africaat the same time as the International Conference on Climate Change), we unknowingly planned to arrive in Lalibella right in the middle of one of the biggest religious festivals of the year. It is called Tim Kat and is a celebration of the Epiphany, which of course would be of great significance to this predominantly Orthodox Christian area of the country. We were lucky enough to find a room at a reasonable price, as we’d heard that some hotels were charging up to 200 USD for a ... read more
ETHIOPIA: Rock Churches ...LALIBELA
Published: November 27th 2011Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Lalibela
November 27th 2011
ETHIOPIA: Rock-Hewn Churches...LALIBELA. Many years ago...like...millions of years ago...a volcano erupted and spewed its guts over part of what is the Amhara region of Northern Ethiopia. Considering its proximity to the Rift Valley...and proliferation of volcanic activity in milleniums past...not that surprising you say. But this volcano left a flow of lava ...later divided by the River Jordon...that was later exploited in an attempt to create a "New Jerusalem." Sounds whacky...if it was not true! In 1185 A.D. a baby was born...which attracted a honey bee...who called his mates...and a swarm of bees surrounded the bub. The baby's mother unperturbed...naturally regarded it as a good omen for the future of the child. "He'll be King of Ethiopia one day" she surmized ...and of course she was right... read more
ETHIOPIA: Timket in Lalibela... Seeking Enlightenment
Published: November 20th 2011Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Lalibela
November 20th 2011
ETHIOPIA: Timket in Lalibela...Seeking Enlightenment. What is a mozaic of colour...a rugby scrum of thousands...a plethora of satin umbrellas...the most ornate crowns adorning heads one could possibly see...a pulsating rhythm of sandled feet...hours and hours of Geez...days of frantic passion...of faith...of faces...smiling or heavenward...and robes of white & red...of black & gold...of purples...of blues...of every colour imaginable...in a magic, exotic locale? Welcome to Timket in Lalibela...it is all of those things...and more. A three day festival to honour the Epiphany...the baptism of Christ... Ethiopian style. In Mali our adventures were all leading to the Festival in the Desert...from Bamako to Timbuktu...to "the most remote music festival in the World"...dancing all the way...rewarded by "Our Tuareg Wedding" in the Sahara...recommitting for ... read more
May 24th 2011
Ethiopia is a country apart as a travel destination, there’s simply no doubt about it. During the past fortnight, I’ve borne witness to more intense experiences in this fascinating country than anywhere in the world … period! The moment you step outside the hotel there’ll be sights guaranteed to blow your mind, and it’s best to leave long held assumptions about western living at the door. Ethiopia features human interaction that is raw, it can be almost primal; but in spite of the confronting poverty there’s an underlying generosity of spirit that pervades the culture. The journal continues, dear reader , from where we left off in Addis Ababa. My growing fascination with Ethiopia continues apace, including the unique style of song and dance. The dancers specialise in energetic shoulder and neck movements, and it’s amazing ... read more
Lalibela: The New Jerusalem
Published: September 15th 2011Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Lalibela
February 8th 2011
(I found this while cleaning the computer. Apparently I was not impressed with it 8 months ago. This may still be the case, but if I ever reread any of these things in my dotage, it should be with the rest. good or bad.) Disentangling mythology from history is a tricky business. Perhaps one that is not even possible. Napolean said that history was only “the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon”. So, what is history, and consequently, what is true, depends on who you ask. What outsiders might consider myth or apocrypha is for Ethiopians, indisputably, historical fact. They have resoundingly agreed, and for a couple millennium have been fleshing out the story, working out the kinks, and tying up loose ends. For Ethiopians, the legitimacy and foundation of the ... read more
The 11 Farts of Christmas the good lord gave to me…
Published: February 7th 2011Africa » Ethiopia » Amhara Region » Lalibela
January 29th 2011
I felt like I was cheating flying into Lalibela. From Addis it can take 2 days by bus, most locals walk here or arrive on donkey but that generally is for one special day on January 7. Laddet or as we know it, Christmas. I booked this flight months ago after tackling some hellish bus rides in Malawi so I got it for a bargain price of $60 and the aerial reward for showing some initiative was one of the best decisions I made in Ethiopia. Aerially Ethiopia is spectacular, the rigid hills just seem impenetrable and you can understand why buses are just a torturously long process. The flight went via 2 other airports, Bahir Dar and Gondor. Bahir Dar is on Lake Tana and the view was impressive, after seeing a dry yellow desert ... read more
January 20th 2011
Stuck in the pitch blackness of the narrow tunnel, crushed between countless chanting pilgrims, unsure of just how much further there was to go until I would emerge from “Hell” into “Heaven”, I began to get a little panicky. Now, I am not usually one to get claustrophobic, but in this situation I was getting close to hyperventilating. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes… When would I see the outside world again? When would I be able to breathe freely? When at last I saw the beam of light ahead, I understood why this tunnel between the rock-hewn churches of Bet Gabriel-Rufeal and Bet Mekorios is known as the “Way to Heaven”. I sighed a deep sigh of relief and stumbled up the narrow stairs that led into the bright sunlight. At the top of the ... read more
January 19th 2011
Woooow, the view from my window was stunning!!! But visiting the 11 churches carved from the rock was even more amazing. The trip started with the so necessary and unavoidable negotiation with the tour guide, who wanted to charge us 500Birr for one day (approx 20€). Which for a tourist is not too much, but knowing my friend Esset who is a primary school teacher and earns 600Birr/month, I felt it very unfair. With my Amharic knowledge and with my mom’s heritage of being good at bargaining I made betam kennesed it to 100Birr each. The churches are divided into 3 groups, representing the 3 first, second and third heavens. According to the legend in the 12th-13th century King Lalibela was poisoned by his half-brother and while in a coma he went on a journey to ... read more
