Lalibela-Part III (The Experience)

I’ve learned that to have a plan or a timeline here in Ethiopia is much like spitting into the wind---POINTLESS! I’ve also learned that there are adventures in store for the person who not only accepts this fact, but learns how to wholeheartedly “live in the moment.” I will admit that I’m not always successful at foregoing my agenda, but I’m getting better. Our Lalibela adventure is a case in point.

Tammy and I awoke Sunday morning and headed down to the thatched hut/reception area/café for breakfast. We had just sat down when Massay, the owner/manager, strolled in looking very dapper in a suit and tie. His morning greeting to me….”your flight will be cancelled. You will come to the wedding with me.” I had been turning down “invitations” from Massay since 15 seconds after meeting him, so my response this time was no different. “Thanks, but no thanks.” Shortly thereafter, Tammy and I left for the airport (approx a 40 minute journey from Lalibela). While standing in line to check-in, I meet Mulugeeta the baggage handler. We then sit down to wait for our flight. But, yep, you guessed it…Massay was right. Our flight was cancelled. So…on our way back into town both Mulugeeta and another airport worker/friend (Ashetu), say “now you can come to the wedding!” At this point, I’m seriously wondering if there is some sort of conspiracy. Is Massay the town godfather???? Well, in an effort to live in the moment…we decide to go to the wedding. The airport driver (who I’m sure is also in on the conspiracy) is told to take us back to Tukul Village, wait for us while we change and then drive us to the wedding. Tammy and I are met outside the wedding venue by the bestman who greets me by name and proceeds to escort us to the equivalent of the head table. Massay is “johnny-on-the-spot” and has cleared out the real guests at the “head table” to make room for Tammy and myself. He also doesn’t look the least bit surprised that we are there! Talk about a surreal experience. Where else in the world can you have a flight cancelled and attend a wedding instead?

So…the next morning, Tammy and I again head to the airport for our rescheduled 9:40am flight only to learn that the flight had been changed to noon. But this time our delay isn’t the least bit frustrating….it’s hilarious. We are now on a first-name basis with all of the airport workers as most were at the wedding. Ashetu and Mulugeeta invite us for shi (tea) and we leave the airport and head to the hut that is only for employees. Sitting outside the airport “shooting the breeze” with the guards, I run into, Zelalum, the bestman from the wedding who proceeds to give me an offer that was hard to refuse. “Stay in Lalibela. I will build you a tukul (traditional house). I will buy you 2 goats. We will have 2 children.” Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Ashetu joins us and chastises Zelalum. “You are out of line. She is my sister. You must ask my permission first!” Oh my gosh….what an unforgettable weekend. One that happened because Tammy and I chose to live in the moment!



We got an unexpected 3rd night at Tukul Village—courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines. It’s a charming place.




Me and my, um, “friend” Massay


New friends…Mulugeeta and “my brother” Ashetu.

Drinking shi with Mulugeeta and Ashetu. The tree that we were sitting under was brimming with these amazing circular birdhouses.

Lalibela Part II (The People)

I loved the people of Lalibela. One would think that with the number of tourists that traipse through their town every year they would be distant and exhausted by yet another “bright-skinned” face. But this was far from true. I also don’t know if my experience was different from that of the everyday tourist because I went out of my way to not act like one. People were astounded when I greeted them in Amharic. In fact after only a day in town, I would pass people I had never met before and hear them say to their friends, “she speaks Amharic.” I guess news of this Amharic speaking farenji traveled like lightening. Anyways, I found the people of Lalibela to be warm, friendly, and extremely generous.

As Tammy and I were leaving the first church complex, we were approached by a group of young children selling handmade leather cross necklaces. I politely replied (in Amharic) that I wasn’t interested in buying anything. I then spent a few minutes talking with them, introducing myself, asking about school, etc. As I walked away, I heard one of the girls call out my name. I stopped as she raced up and gifted me with the very same necklace that she was trying to sell. Now that may not seem like much to you, but this is their livelihood and the fact that she was willing to just give it to me was humbling. I tried to refuse, but that is like trying to remove gum that is stuck to the bottom of your shoe…IMPOSSIBLE! I kindly thanked her and promised to send her a photo. Tammy and I began to walk away (again) and within minutes we heard them yelling my name. I turned around to discover that they had a second necklace for Tammy. How sweet is that!




This is a traditional 2-story circular home (known as a “tukul”) that is unique to Lalibela



Being gifted with a handmade leather cross necklace.














I just love this picture that Tammy captured. I think it captures the tranquility and peacefulness that could be felt throughout Lalibela




This lady wanted to pose with her prayer stick.

Lalibela-Part 1 (The Churches)

To live in Ethiopia and not experience Lalibela is like traveling through Egypt and omitting the pyramids from your itinerary. Lalibela is a truly wonderous place--- one of the world’s best-kept secrets. It is an isolated mountain town that is steeped in legend and mystery. Known as Roha until recent times, Lalibela served as the capital of the Zagwe dynasty from the 10th to the 13th century, and its modern name (Lalibela) is derived from the most famous Zagwe ruler, King Lalibela. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I will take an excerpt from my Bradt Ethiopia Travel guide that provides background as to the history or perhaps the legend of this place.

“According to local legend, Lalibela was born the brother of the incumbent king. As a young child he was covered in a swarm of bees, which his mother took as a sign that he would one day be king himself. The king was none too pleased at this prophecy, and eventually tried to poison his younger brother, but instead of killing him he cast him into a deep sleep that endured for three days. While sleeping, Lalibela was transported to heaven by an angel and shown a city of rock-hewn churches, which he was ordered to replicate. Lalibela was eventually crowned king, and set about gathering the world’s greatest craftsman and artisans in order to carve the churches. Legend has it that at least one of the churches was built in a day with the help of angels.”

However these churches came to be, they truly are a sight to behold. Carved out of the earth, they are an architectural wonder. Even though they are an UNESCO World Heritage site, they are not a museum. As we roamed the 3 separate complexes we had to weave around the local parishioners who had come to pray or seek blessings from the priests.

Each church is symbolized by a unique cross and it is customary to ask to see the cross and kiss the cross. You are more than welcome to take pictures, but what I found to be hilarious is that just before the flash went off the priest would don a pair of Jackie-O black sunglasses. Eye safety trumps fashion for these men!

Tammy and I literally spent the entire day exploring all 13 churches. At times we felt like spelunkers as we descended into darkness to traverse the subterranean passageways from one church to the next. We then became rock-climbers to access the tiny cells carved mid-way up the rock wall where monks would live and pray for days at a time. In some respects it is a shame that the world knows not of Lalibela, but I suspect that this obscurity is also what keeps Lalibela a true treasure.



















Bet Medhane Alem is the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world. On the left side of the picture, you can see a portion of the scaffolding and roof that was constructed by UNESCO as a means of protecting the church from the elements in an attempt to preserve the church for future generations. It definitely is a detraction, but it would be a shame to see these structures destroyed by the monsoon like rains that descend upon Ethiopia from June to September.



















Tammy and I couldn’t resist having our photo taken with the priest who prays for single people! Seriously, I’m not making this up. Perhaps those of you who are single should consider a trip to Lalibela instead of membership fees for eHarmony or Match.com.














Tammy works her way into one of the “monk cells” carved into the rock-wall. I was a little afraid of getting stuck and turning into a pile of bones (seriously, some of the caves house full skeletons) so decided to fore-go this experience.














St. Georgies is considered to be the iconic Lalibela church. It is truly magnificent and unspoiled by a gargantuan protective roof. And…it’s not something you only experience from the top. This is the church that most astounds me in terms of its construction.


















This is St. Georgies again. Just wanted to give you the full perspective.


















Climbing down into one of the tunnels…yes, a wee bit disconcerting!

Visiting Gonder—Part III

Welcome to the Tara Center! I really have no idea how to describe this place. It's part primate sanctuary, private primary school, and arts/crafts center. Nicole, our PCV friend who lives in Gonder, is the one who told us about the place and from her description we knew it was a place that shouldn't be missed.

If I understood correctly, the Tara Center was established by a British woman and her Ethiopian husband and is a conglomeration of a host of her projects and ideas. What was most exciting for me was the baboon/monkey enclosure. The British woman has taken it upon herself to rescue these creatures and attempt to return them to the wild. I was enjoying watching the antics of the baboons from outside the enclosure and was beyond excited when I was asked, "do you want to go in?" Amber, on the other hand, was less than thrilled and elected to remain on the "safe side" of the fence. I did have a moment of concern (make that several) when I wondered what our medical officer would say in the event that I sustained a monkey bite. Fortunately, there were no bites, but I did have a moment of panic when the baboon that was holding onto me lashed out at the puppy that was also trying to create space for itself in my lap. According to Amber and Megan, there was some serious gnashing of teeth. Yikes!




Amber watches from the "safe side" of the fence

This picture reflects the "calm before the storm". Since we all jumped when the tussle broke out between puppy and monkey, the photo that shows the gnashing of teeth is blurry.

Nicole enjoys a little grooming session. The question is, what is he looking for?


Megan has her hands full! By the time she "escaped" the enclosure, she was absolutely filthy from head to toe.

Visiting Gonder—Part II

Our sightseeing tour included a stop at Debre Birhan Selassie, one of the 44 churches said to exist in Gonder. Most of the original church structures were destroyed in 1888 when the Mahdist of Sudan attacked Gonder, but this particular church escaped untouched. Legend has it that the church was protected by a swarm of bees!

The building itself is unique, but the paintings within are outstanding. The ceiling is absolutely stunning. The 80 cherubic faces looking down at you are considered to be the most famous single example of ecclesiastical art in all of Ethiopia. While I was sitting on a bench quietly gazing at the ceiling and listening to our guide explain the various paintings, I heard this strange, repetitive noise coming from the priest standing guard at the door. I initially didn't think anything of it because I was doing nothing—I wasn't talking, I wasn't taking pictures with flash, and I wasn't wearing a hat. But the squirrel-like chatter continued. When the finger clicking began, I turned and discovered that the priest was less than happy with me. Obviously I was doing something wrong, but I was at a loss. Our guide finally tuned into what was going on and we discovered my major infraction---gum chewing! I "swallowed the gum"—in truth, I plastered it to the roof of my mouth as it was a fresh piece of American, sugar-free gum (i.e. priceless) and I figured it was the act of chewing rather than the physical presence of the gum that was the root of my infraction. The absence of mastication seemed to satisfy the priest and I was finally allowed to resume gazing at the magnificent paintings.



This is the entrance to the church compound.

The ceiling of the church is absolutely stunning!

Visiting Gonder—Part 1

Amber and I had the opportunity to explore a new town while she was here. Gonder is found 185km north of Bahar Dar and should normally take about 3 hours by mini-bus. My bus experiences, however, never go as planned! I think it would be safe to say that this was the WORST bus experience I've had in the entire time I've been here. It started out rough and my instincts were telling me to abort, but I didn't. I so wish I had listened to my gut. To put it simply, I don't think our driver had ever been behind the wheel before. He ground gears, he shifted down when he should have shifted up, when passing another vehicle or donkey cart he would jerk the wheel to the left and we would go hurtling across the center line only to come flying back to the right seconds later.

We traveled about 40km before dropping off the first passengers. At that moment, I thought about getting out but I didn't react quickly enough before the door shut and we were again on our way. We had just pulled back into traffic when one of my worst nightmares came true---the driver hit a small child! It was a horrible experience. A mob formed…the child was whisked away (I suspect that the outcome was not good)…and Amber and I did what PC instructed us to do in light of this situation--we fled. Fortunately another mini-bus was driving by and had exactly 2 spaces left. The remainder of our journey to Gonder was uneventful and I can't express what a relief it was to have arrived in one piece. The roads here are so dangerous and I count my blessings every time I arrive safely to my destination!

As for Gonder, it is a beautiful city. Founded by King Fasilidas in 1635, the city served as the imperial capital for 250 years. It's now a favorite stop for tourists and a great jumping off point should you want to explore the Simien Mountains. Our time was limited, so we concentrated on exploring the sights within the town.

A "must-see" in Gonder is the Royal Enclosure. When I think of Ethiopia, castles are not something that come to mind. But in Gonder, one can find 6 castles within the Royal Enclosure. I was amazed at how well preserved the structures are and yet mystified as to why Ethiopian building strategies seem to have digressed rather than progressed. To this day, stones are in abundance and yet the majority of homes are constructed using mud and sticks. It's probably one of the many things that I shall never understand!




Megan, Amber, and I


I couldn't resist pretending to pee in the royal shint beyt!