Mountain View Hotel Lalibela

C est l image de l ethiopie que l on a dans la tete. Il s agit des eglises creusees dans le sol rocailleux, avec la plus belle des eglises : l eglise de St george en forme de croix grecque.<br><br>Le site a ete concu au 13s pour servir de substitut au pelerinage vers jerusalem. C est un territoire sacre ou les habitants se battent pour ne pas avoir de mosquee (or a harar mosquee et eglises cohabitent sans souci majeur)<br>

... that our guide, Moges, had been the guide for the Amazing Race crew when they'd filmed in Ethiopia a few years back - happy to have some tangential connection to the show, as fleeting and minor as it was (most people who know me know of my neverending and fruitless quest to get on the Race) . . . We also ran into a couple of folks we'd met on the plane from Gonder (Derege from Ethiopia and Hids from India), who we later met up with for dinner. . .

... the same travellers in different cities.  There was an Australian couple staying in the same hotel as me in Gonder and we were on the same flight, there's no bus, to Lalibela together. So we spent a couple days checking out the sites in town.  Lalibela is best known for their rock-hewn churches.  There are 11 chirches grouped not too far apart from each other and some are connected by tunnels.  Most churches aren't carved into the rock but are free ...

... when we got closer to Lalibela the landscape started to look like the Scottish Highlands with some South African Drakensbergen thrown in. Lalibela is at 2600 meters, Acacia still grows here and we saw Hemprichs' Hornbill and Banded Barbet while having lunch. We are staying at the Tukul Village, owned by a Dutch-Ethiopian couple and reputedly one of the nicest hotels in town. Tomorrow we start the guided tour of the famous churches!

... for some refreshment, which equals 1 pop each. Still no food even though it's 4:30pm, and we've been sitting in airports since 10am this morning. Funny all this time to travel when the distance is not that great. Gathering information from the other travelers and descriptive announcements, we understand that they are in need of a part which is now being flown from Addis. I wonder if the delivery plane will head back to Addis while ...

... towards you they show it physically! It is customary to embrace one another upon greeting or parting - usually the double embrace perhaps with a kiss. When saying goodbye to these new friends we received a triple embrace and kisses! What a tender moment to be shown such hospitality, generosity, and affection from strangers we could barely speak with! After returning to the hotel I had a great desire to do something for ...

... in 'New Bethlehem'. We have had a wonderful time in this little town with cobbled streets. In this area, we have not been bombarded by beggars and shop keepers. A couple abandoned stores across from the hotel opened when we arrived, but quickly closed again when they saw that we were not interested in buying anything. This little town is 2600m above sea level. The airport was 1600m so we had quite a ride up various ...

... within a span of 23 years! One claims that King Lalibela was exiled to Jersusalem in fear of persecution from his older half-brother, and impressed by the buildings he saw, vowed to replicate a "New Jerusalem" when he returned. Another says that the 11 churches were visions that Lalibela saw from God and so felt obliged to recreate them in reality. Whatever the reason, the exceptional architecture and unique characteristics of each church still ...

... subdued for some reason or other. After not having had a shower in a few days, if you don't count the cold drip shower last night in the insect-infested 'shower room', I was desperate to scrub the dirt and dust off my body. The receptionist told us the electricity (for hot water) was only on tonight from 6-8pm and that "tomorrow there may be no power at all because well, you know, it ...

... Sunday flight is taking us to Lalibela in Northern Ethiopia and we have been through massive security checks for an internal flight. Trouble is brewing with Ethiopia's near neighbour Eritrea and our destination is in this general direction. Why Ethiopia? Why Lalibela? Lalibela is the home to some amazing historic Christian churches dating from the 10th century. Ethiopia's King Lalibela wanted to create a new Jerusalem as Jerusalem had been taken by the ...