20-23 DECEMBER 2011: LALIBELA

20 – 23 December 2011 Wed fly to Lalibela Three nights

Home of Tigray and Rock Hewn churches of Ethiopia (forgive my boring superlatives in this post, but I have always hankered to visit here and it was truly AMAZING)

“faranji, faranji – give me money!”

What is not to love about Lallibela? Easy to find good accommodation, especially as a Dragoman tour group only checked out this morning, leaving me with lots of choice of rooms at my choice. Then out & walking to what is becoming usual demands for money etc, a very bright young man challenges me to ask him countries and will name the capital city, and he did know a lot! Then walking further I spot an amazing structure and asking locals, they indicate it’s a restaurant. The owner, a lovely Scottish lady retired to Ethiopia, started a school out in the countryside and is now a partner in this restaurant. Designed by two Ethiopian young men, taking took three years to build and the staff are so proud of this place – I get a grand tour of the levels, the kitchen and of course the fantastic toilets! And the food and VIEW is out of this world. 

Lallibela is the home to Ethiopia’s Rock Hewn churches, structures that I always wanted to see and now I am here YAH! And any concerns that I might have about getting ‘churched out’ are baseless because I never tire of the amazing sights here.  Lalibela was a dynasty capital in the 12 & 13^th centuries and all believe that King Lalibela is responsible for building these churches single handed, although one gent mentions that perhaps the angels gave him a hand at night, while he rested.

I begin with the Bet Giyorgis (St George church) – WOW it is no exaggeration to call this a church an amazing sight – a huge 15m high cruciform shaped church, carved from the rock, with its roof at the level of the rock surface and almost independent of the surrounding rock. It really did take my breath away. Walking down to the entrance, through the rock, you pass cavities which hold mummified bodies and then once inside it is a very simple church, beautifully preserved. There are two 800 yr old olive wood boxes, one supposedly carved by King Lalibela himself and containing a crucifix made from King Soloman’s mined gold. For a tip, the priest will demonstrate the unique opposing corkscrew keys and as a non-guided tourist, I get the demo several times!

Dinner locally and meet Phil (UK) and a lovely couple Anna & Michael from Poland who had a hard time in Addis and were not enjoying their travel so far. I tell them that I am using domestic flights to get around; so Phil tells me that it’s all about the countryside for him. I tell him I’m over 12 hour bus rides on bad roads, that the flights are so cheap and the countryside looks stunning from the window. But I do have a couple of bus rides scheduled just for fun.  Then I tell them about the restaurant – the couple have seen the billboard but thought that it was in the future – I assure them its real and recommend it, even just for a coffee to admire the view!

Day 2 is taken up with visiting the 6 Northern churches; Bet Medhane Alem (Saviour of the World)– massive at 33m x 23m & over 11m high surrounded by 34 large rectangular columns with another 38 columns inside, supporting the gabled roof. 3 simple empty graves inside, rumoured to have been prepared for Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. I spent nearly an hour watching from the large rock above that it had been carved, the devout turbanned men robed in Gabis (a hand woven blanket style wrap or shawl), holding prayer sticks and following the church around, kissing the columns, mantles & doors of this church. Connected to this church via a tunnel are 3 more churches – Bet Maryam (dedicated to the Virgin Mary and beautifully decorated, Bet Meskel and Bet Danaghel – these two more like chapels but no less impressive. After a break for another yummy lunch, off for a little more religious immersion at twin churches Bet Golgotha (men only) and Bet Mikael, which acts as an anteroom to the Selassie Chapel – a very holy sanctuary but not open. Then relaxing at Seven Olives, having a beer on the terrace to watch the sunset, I meet up with Joanna again (from Addis Airport) and her lovely family, Ethan, Jonathan & Mary, who immediately invite me to join them for dinner and then to join them tomorrow morning for a guided visit to Southern churches, which will fit in with my plans. They had a unique method to avoid the ethiopian fleas (living the high life in the old carpets lining Ethiopian churches) – flea collars on their ankles to stops the critters from hitchhiking on your feet. Afterwards sitting at Hostel courtyard, Anna & Michael (Polish couple) are very happy again – they lunched & loved ‘the space age restaurant’ and have now booked flights to Gondar for $40 pp. I talk with Kun who is looking for anyone to share costs to visit a remote church, Yemrehanna Kristos - I’m in. We get a price across the road on Phil’s recommendation & we organise a driver there for tomorrow afternoon. Everything is just hunky dory!

Day 3 Visit southern churches with Joanna’s family – Bet Gabriel-Rufael, known as the way to Heaven, then via a pitch black tunnel we arrive at Bet Merkorios with nice frescos. Bet Amanuel is freestanding and was another amazing sight full of carvings and a ‘double Aksumite’ frieze and this chuch has another tunnel that joins it back to Bet Gabriel-Rufael. Lastly, Bet Abba Libbanos and this church has only the roof and floor remaining attached to the rock strata. These churches differ from yesterdays, because they don’t seem to be in use -after we leave each one, the priest locks it up after we go! The family didn’t think there would be any problem with my joining them but at the end the guide was very miffed and complained about his monetary tip of ‘what you think’! LOL Back  back to Unique for a great lunch and join up with Kun to head out to the countryside – amazing 45km drive then find myself huffing and puffing up the hill to the church as I thought I had achieved some fitness over my travel. Then I find out we’re at 3100! Initially we have the church to ourselves which is hidden behind an ugly 80s brick wall. Plenty of dead folk (over 10,000?) behind the church, mummified in rock cavities and when the church is opened it is lovely inside. This church, dated to late Aksumite or pre dating Lalibela’s churches by 80 years, it is has been built as opposed to being hewn from rock, in a cave, roofed by lava basalt lava flows and floats above the marshy ground on a floor of olive wood panels. Inside there are carving, decorative frescoes and it was a fab opportunity to get out to visit this very early version of Lalibela’s famous churches. It’s now a very easy walk down the hill, where by now the word has got around that the farinji are in town and the way is paved by many beggars, the majority who seem to be blind. In Kun's word, the village of the blind! Back on the road for the return amazing drive – I asked to be dropped at the space age restaurant (did I ever learn its real name?) and Kun joins me. We meet Phil there and together we get a table on one of the lily pads right at the top. Then Michael and Anna arrive from their trek through the countryside and we all indulge in a few beers whilst watching the sunset from this amazing eyrie, over this amazing landscape. 

 

The owner introduces herself and tells us about the Christmas dinner being planned for Sunday – alas none of us will be around.  But never the less she offers us a taste test of the gluhwein she has been experimenting with and after a fab dinner (mine was homemade oat biscuits with a tuna pate followed by shepherd’s pie with crispy vegies) we retire to the campfire and partake of lovely mulled wine…  mmmmm I was in heaven. Ooh did I mention that Phil mentioned that he tried to get a flight to avoid his bus trip tomorrow but no flights available tomorrow, that way….  It’s all about the countryside, Phil!!!