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Published: February 7th 2011
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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 most of the way to than be hit by this monstrous grey lake. The view was good enough for me to skip it later on from the land.
The airport in Lalibela is 22km away from the town and the ride to town gave a chance to see the pilgrims all decked out in white looking rags, coming with their donkeys. When
we arrived I soon realised the increase of prices for hotels. Some places were around 10 times more, respected hotels were 4 times more expensive. So I went from hotel to hotel, house to house, bar to bar to find one for $15 upstairs from a bar which would more than likely see prostitute action if I weren’t there.
Inside the room it had a bed and a pillow so it was good enough to get me through the festival. I thought it fit to restrict showering to one as I felt not showering would keep me cleaner. Also I had the thought that ‘as long as I could become constipated than I would enjoy my stay more.’ But that would be a touch and go affair because whilst in Addis me and my New Years buddies came across a revolutionary new way to eat boiled eggs.
Peel the shell off and cut open the middle, sprinkle a bit of a red spice called Burberry and all of a sudden we had about 4-5 eggs each. But there is always a side effect when something tastes so good and that was this incredibly unstoppable force from the bowels.
This would last days including Xmas eve and midnight mass, Christmas’ big moment.
Lalibela is a town that is still around because of 11 Rock Hewn churches. Rock hewn means the churches have been carved out from the rocks. The churches were an attempt to create a New Jerusalem after Old Jerusalem was captured by the Muslims in 1187. The names and layout of the churches replicate ones in Jerusalem. Ethiopia was the 2nd country to adopt Christianity (around 350AD) and this festival is one of the closest ways to witness how religion was practised during Jesus’ time.
The Ethiopian calendar differs to our calendar so thousands of people pilgrim here 2 weeks after our Christmas to celebrate Coptic Christmas. Some travel a week to get here. Many set themselves up around the churches and stay overnight. This creates an unusual atmosphere as you walk through or scramble through the churches during the day of Xmas eve.
Not originally built for such a large amount of people Xmas eve, the best day to see the churches in action, however it is a tight squeeze nearly all day. Dust is quite intense at times so coughing can happen.
It is organised enough with helpers who at times tell people to walk a certain side of the road. They stop the group so there is no pushing and shoving at the exit points. Some helpers allow tourists to get through the crowd but generally if you have a guide. Guides were up 4 fold so I didn’t have one.
Because of this crowd there isn’t much chance to sit and appreciate the intricate details of each individual church. Instead you just appreciate what was happening in and around you. At random times drums beating and people singing and a lot of clapping. When heard from a distance all this combined to sound a bit like an outdoor music festival.
The churches are photogenic and I read that it’s Africa’s Petra. Had it been elsewhere in the world it would be better known. 10 of the 11 churches have giant modern sails that block the sun and kind of spoil it. However they have kept one sail free.
George or Bet Giyorges was the last church built and seems to be the most outlandish of the churches. Cut rock down about 15m this is the church that
is in all the postcards and brochures. It was here that I did my 6th church fart.
This uncontrollable day was just too much. It didn’t matter which church I went to I managed to always squeeze one out. Bet Abba Libanos, Bet Danaghel, Goigotha, Meskel. By the time it got towards midnight I thought that surely I am going to poo my pants. Why is the good lord so cruel?
The major proceedings happen at Bet Maryam, (Dedicated to Virgin Mary) which during the day fills up within the inner walls and on the walls of the churches complex. At 1130pm me and William (the Scotsman took the bus and got there late afternoon) walked into the whole complex and as one of a few tourists we were allowed to enter with the diehard pilgrims who had already slept a night outside to be there. I felt a bit guilty but more so because I was backfiring and concentrating on my bowels more so than the proceedings.
There was no walkway as many people were laying down sleeping. The floor was a sea of white rags but the locals that were awake always encouraged us to
get closer. So even when I wanted to leave to perhaps hit a toilet for precaution I didn’t because it would create inconvenience for the locals.
At midnight about 40 priests, from what I could see, would sing towards a microphone that would connect to terribly outdated speaker system. It reminded me of when I was a kid going to Greek Orthodox Church for Easter midnight mass. I couldn’t understand the language, what was happening and had an urge to get home. The only difference was that I was farting continuously during Ethiopia’s Christmas.
There is again clapping with the singing. Also incense which is swung around with tambourine sounds. But Xmas eve day took it out of me too so I decided to call it a night and headed back to my room instead of doing an all nighter.
Christmas day is a bit of a non-event after 6am so it was a wasted day really. We did try honey wine in which Lalibela is the only place to use no added sugar. Most use sugar now, as it’s cheaper than honey. I wasn’t too much of a fan. When I went to go to bed
that night the bar sent a prostitute upstairs but after ignoring that she existed I eventually made it to my room with just myself and my farts to keep me company.
There are many buses leaving town early the next morning so William and I caught a bus to Gondor a full days drive to the west of the country. The bus ride was pretty good. The people were friendly offering food like some biscuit that was hard as a rock. They even started singing and clapping throughout.
Towards the end I did notice that my glands expanded and soon I would be sick that would hang around until (well I still have it since the time of typing.) I think I caught something from a pilgrim who slept out over night. Also when the bus picked up some locals close to Gondor a guy started pulling my hair. I said something the second time than the third time I say “BAKA!” (Enough.) William chimes in with “BAK OFF!” in confusion. A classic.
Laddet in Ethiopia is a good way to get to know Ethiopians. A chance to realise that the Ethiopians are over affectionate and that
can be perceived by a westerner as a harassing people. They do like to touch, be friends, always know what you are doing, where you are going but that is what they do within themselves. Even with that insight I still found it annoying and hard to accept. But it helped me get through the final week of Ethiopia.
Side note-:
A big thanks goes out to 7 Olives Hotel whose restaurant was used as an emergency toilet stop on numerous occasions. Just a tip if you call yourselves 7 olives than perhaps your 7 olives pasta special should have 7 olives instead of only 3.
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Johnny speaks
Johnny
awesome pic!