Oh Holy Lalibela

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I leave Gondar the next day 25/12/15 on the 5am local service for 150 brr to Lalibela, meet four Belgium lads on the bus which ends up cram full, not a great deal of leg room for non Ethiopians hah but none the less we eventually reach Lalibela around 4pm, I track down the recommended Salem guest house stay for 300 brr which is very pleasant and near the main cluster of churches. I spend the next two mornings at the churches for mass, this can be from midnight onwards but I'm not that keen. I meet Baruch on my first afternoon after viewing the bustling Saturday "farmers" market and tag along with his guide for the second morning (a busier Sunday), I even manage to find the football on the Saturday via a football den below a building site of a hotel, bizarre yet genius. We spend both evenings at nice rated restaurants and climb the local hill for a viewpoint on the second day 27/12/15. The churches 11 technically in total (though some are very small within the tunnels and caves) are not ornately painted inside, carved throughout and their sheer conception from some mind boggling excavation is very impressive, upped by the atmosphere of the morning mass. Protective shields built by unesco who also charge 50usd tickets to see the churches (350 brr in 2014!) Is the reason for steel the frames in my photos I arrange private travel with the belgiums along with a Spanish couple and route our way to Mekele on the 28/12/15, without organising I negotiate a price and place on the next days big money danakil trip (4days for 350 usd!) that evening I spend some time in town before meeting up with couch surfer Hnnh, a young ex peace corps turned lecturer of epidemiology for masters students at the university in Mekele, eat with her friend and spend the night at her place. 29/12/15 book airline tickets and play on the internet until the trip starts at 11am

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