Day 4 and 5: Lalibela
Today we are in the Holy City of Lalibela. It is truly a sacred place with deeply religious Eastern Orthodox Christians. Their faithfulness and sacrifice for their religion, puts us to shame. They all very faithfully attend every Sunday 2 hour Mass despite the fact that many of them must walk several difficult hours to get there. The people who live close to churches visit frequently during the week to pray and receive blessings. I think this may be why Ethiopia is such an incredibly friendly, peaceful and safe place to visit. They live a very high moral standard. Our entire time in Ethiopia, we have never felt unsafe, never had anyone steal from us nor have we felt threatened going out after dark.
We came to Lalibela to see the famous rock churches. They are the 8th wonder of the world according to UNESCO. And they truly deserve to be called so. The amazing structures were chiseled out of the rock in the 12th century. There are made from massive rock mountains. In order to hide the churches from the Muslims, they chiseled down from the top so they are literally underground. The architecture and beauty of these HUGE churches is unbelievable. And it only took them 23 years to do all 11 churches!! They are beyond description. I do not think the pyramids of Egypt could be much more impressive. Despite having no form of measurement, no tools but a chisel and hammer, they created masterpieces with intricate carvings and massive halls that could easily stand next to the beautiful churches of Europe.
The people here in Lalibela live a very hard life. Lalibela is all mountainous and the only transportation from the villages to the market center is to walk along very narrow, very steep, very rocky pathways. But they all do it with great skill. Young and old seem masters of the mountains, reminding us very much of mountain goats. Most people are farmers here but unlike green Bahar Dar, it is a desert, so they are limited severely by how much they can grow by lack of water. I have hopes that life will get better for the people as they are building a very large water collection facility to collect the rainfall during the rainy season. I pray this increases their standard of living as it is obvious that there is currently not enough food or income to sustain their families very well at all.
Unlike the other places we have been in Ethiopia, we ran into many, many tourists while walking through the rock churches. Mainly from Germany. I asked a few Germans why there were so many Germans that come to Ethiopia, and they said that they too were shocked and thought that almost no one traveled to Ethiopia. So I never got my answer.
One of the great experiences we had here in Lalibela was climbing a very, very large mountain to see the church atop. We rode mules (a first for me) up the treacherous narrow pathways. They were very obedient and amazing climbers but we did have to walk when the path became too dangerous. The climb was very difficult but the views and scenery were well worth it. Some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen in my life. When we reached the church atop we had ascended 2000 meters in only 2 hours. Pretty cool. I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I learned that all the local villages attend this church every Sunday. Young and old. And the route we took is the easy way. I would go inactive for sure.
I thought I would mention our hotels for future travelers. While in Bahar Dar we stayed at the Sumerland. It was very nice, very modern, with all the amenities of a Marriot in the U.S. Definitely recommended. It was right in the center of town which was nice but did not have a view of the lake. A sacrifice for sure.
In Lalibela we stayed at the Seven Olives. It is the oldest hotel in Lalibela. It is very primitive but what it lacks in even basic amenities it makes up big time in charm. It had amazing views off a beautiful flower filled court yard with a large variety of birds visiting the bird feeders. It is also in the center of town, making walking to shops easy and enjoyable. But again, if you are hoping for the Best Western, you will be disappointed.
Speaking of shopping, we attended a HUGE market in town today. Once a week, on Saturday, everyone travels from the shrouding (and when I say surrounding, I mean for 40 kilometers) to Lalibela to sell their crafts and what they have grown in their farms. It was an incredible experience. Over 1,000 people selling and many more buying. They laid their items on top of tarps on the ground and you walk up and down the aisles of people bargaining, socializing, inspecting, and selling. What fun! I bought some beautiful linen for next to nothing. Earlier while ascending the mountain, we saw many people climbing down with huge bundles on their backs to take to market. I asked our guide how much money one gentleman would get if he were lucky enough to sell his entire bundle of grass that he was carrying. He told me that he would most likely get $10. This is after hiking all through the night and most of the morning. Incredibly hard work. After Lalibela I have a deep respect for the people of Ethiopia.
We also got to visit one of our guides’ home today. He and his family grow Eucalyptus trees. A family of 6 all lives in a small mud gojo about 12 feet across. Everything is made of mud, from the benches that go around the gojo to the shelves in the wall to the floor. They processed almost nothing. The malnourishment was severe. His 2 year old nephew was about the size of a 9-12 month old. And yet they were friendly, hospitable and most amazingly, happy.
The children play a very vital role in the survival of the family here. We saw very small children herding animals such as sheep, goats, cows and donkeys. They were alone, taking the groups of animals to feed or drink. The children also help by selling items and by working in the fields. The families are very close knit and every member is needed and important. The children also attend public schools and many have to walk hours to get to school. But they are very serious about their studies because they know it is the key to a better life. One boy we met must live with his friend’s family as it is 20 kilometers to the nearest school from his family farm. Large sacrifices are made to send children to school. Though school is free, expensive uniforms must be purchased as well as school supplies or the children cannot attend. But all the families seem to be making it a large priority and all the children made a point of telling us that they were studying hard in school. We take soooooo much for granted.
To my kids: Tomorrow we will pick up your brother and I will keep him with me until we get home. Dad will be home soon. We want you to understand that we are so lucky to live in a nice home, with toys and nice clothes. The children here have NO toys. They only have one pair of clothes, nothing to change into. They do not have bathtubs or playgrounds or treats. They work hard doing chores all day for their family. They work hard in school. We need to thank Heavenly Father for giving us such a good and easy life. And we must use what we have to help others. I love you and cannot wait to hug you all.
As an adoption update: The problems at the embassy have been resolved. Our agency has assured us that I should be able to travel no later than our Dec 5th ticket. Yeah!!!! Tadesse is coming home with me! The only hiccup left is that a packet of paperwork we had completed for the embassy and sent to our agency has not arrived here in Ethiopia. I wish so much I had hand-carried a copy! We do have most of what we need to recreate it but there are a couple of things missing. Our agency has assured us that it will not be a problem, I pray they are right.
Kelly
Today we are in the Holy City of Lalibela. It is truly a sacred place with deeply religious Eastern Orthodox Christians. Their faithfulness and sacrifice for their religion, puts us to shame. They all very faithfully attend every Sunday 2 hour Mass despite the fact that many of them must walk several difficult hours to get there. The people who live close to churches visit frequently during the week to pray and receive blessings. I think this may be why Ethiopia is such an incredibly friendly, peaceful and safe place to visit. They live a very high moral standard. Our entire time in Ethiopia, we have never felt unsafe, never had anyone steal from us nor have we felt threatened going out after dark.
We came to Lalibela to see the famous rock churches. They are the 8th wonder of the world according to UNESCO. And they truly deserve to be called so. The amazing structures were chiseled out of the rock in the 12th century. There are made from massive rock mountains. In order to hide the churches from the Muslims, they chiseled down from the top so they are literally underground. The architecture and beauty of these HUGE churches is unbelievable. And it only took them 23 years to do all 11 churches!! They are beyond description. I do not think the pyramids of Egypt could be much more impressive. Despite having no form of measurement, no tools but a chisel and hammer, they created masterpieces with intricate carvings and massive halls that could easily stand next to the beautiful churches of Europe.
The people here in Lalibela live a very hard life. Lalibela is all mountainous and the only transportation from the villages to the market center is to walk along very narrow, very steep, very rocky pathways. But they all do it with great skill. Young and old seem masters of the mountains, reminding us very much of mountain goats. Most people are farmers here but unlike green Bahar Dar, it is a desert, so they are limited severely by how much they can grow by lack of water. I have hopes that life will get better for the people as they are building a very large water collection facility to collect the rainfall during the rainy season. I pray this increases their standard of living as it is obvious that there is currently not enough food or income to sustain their families very well at all.
Unlike the other places we have been in Ethiopia, we ran into many, many tourists while walking through the rock churches. Mainly from Germany. I asked a few Germans why there were so many Germans that come to Ethiopia, and they said that they too were shocked and thought that almost no one traveled to Ethiopia. So I never got my answer.
One of the great experiences we had here in Lalibela was climbing a very, very large mountain to see the church atop. We rode mules (a first for me) up the treacherous narrow pathways. They were very obedient and amazing climbers but we did have to walk when the path became too dangerous. The climb was very difficult but the views and scenery were well worth it. Some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen in my life. When we reached the church atop we had ascended 2000 meters in only 2 hours. Pretty cool. I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I learned that all the local villages attend this church every Sunday. Young and old. And the route we took is the easy way. I would go inactive for sure.
I thought I would mention our hotels for future travelers. While in Bahar Dar we stayed at the Sumerland. It was very nice, very modern, with all the amenities of a Marriot in the U.S. Definitely recommended. It was right in the center of town which was nice but did not have a view of the lake. A sacrifice for sure.
In Lalibela we stayed at the Seven Olives. It is the oldest hotel in Lalibela. It is very primitive but what it lacks in even basic amenities it makes up big time in charm. It had amazing views off a beautiful flower filled court yard with a large variety of birds visiting the bird feeders. It is also in the center of town, making walking to shops easy and enjoyable. But again, if you are hoping for the Best Western, you will be disappointed.
Speaking of shopping, we attended a HUGE market in town today. Once a week, on Saturday, everyone travels from the shrouding (and when I say surrounding, I mean for 40 kilometers) to Lalibela to sell their crafts and what they have grown in their farms. It was an incredible experience. Over 1,000 people selling and many more buying. They laid their items on top of tarps on the ground and you walk up and down the aisles of people bargaining, socializing, inspecting, and selling. What fun! I bought some beautiful linen for next to nothing. Earlier while ascending the mountain, we saw many people climbing down with huge bundles on their backs to take to market. I asked our guide how much money one gentleman would get if he were lucky enough to sell his entire bundle of grass that he was carrying. He told me that he would most likely get $10. This is after hiking all through the night and most of the morning. Incredibly hard work. After Lalibela I have a deep respect for the people of Ethiopia.
We also got to visit one of our guides’ home today. He and his family grow Eucalyptus trees. A family of 6 all lives in a small mud gojo about 12 feet across. Everything is made of mud, from the benches that go around the gojo to the shelves in the wall to the floor. They processed almost nothing. The malnourishment was severe. His 2 year old nephew was about the size of a 9-12 month old. And yet they were friendly, hospitable and most amazingly, happy.
The children play a very vital role in the survival of the family here. We saw very small children herding animals such as sheep, goats, cows and donkeys. They were alone, taking the groups of animals to feed or drink. The children also help by selling items and by working in the fields. The families are very close knit and every member is needed and important. The children also attend public schools and many have to walk hours to get to school. But they are very serious about their studies because they know it is the key to a better life. One boy we met must live with his friend’s family as it is 20 kilometers to the nearest school from his family farm. Large sacrifices are made to send children to school. Though school is free, expensive uniforms must be purchased as well as school supplies or the children cannot attend. But all the families seem to be making it a large priority and all the children made a point of telling us that they were studying hard in school. We take soooooo much for granted.
To my kids: Tomorrow we will pick up your brother and I will keep him with me until we get home. Dad will be home soon. We want you to understand that we are so lucky to live in a nice home, with toys and nice clothes. The children here have NO toys. They only have one pair of clothes, nothing to change into. They do not have bathtubs or playgrounds or treats. They work hard doing chores all day for their family. They work hard in school. We need to thank Heavenly Father for giving us such a good and easy life. And we must use what we have to help others. I love you and cannot wait to hug you all.
As an adoption update: The problems at the embassy have been resolved. Our agency has assured us that I should be able to travel no later than our Dec 5th ticket. Yeah!!!! Tadesse is coming home with me! The only hiccup left is that a packet of paperwork we had completed for the embassy and sent to our agency has not arrived here in Ethiopia. I wish so much I had hand-carried a copy! We do have most of what we need to recreate it but there are a couple of things missing. Our agency has assured us that it will not be a problem, I pray they are right.
Kelly
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