The Eighth Wonder of the World and its hidden gems...Part One

Day 40, November 15

Today has been a rest-and-recovery day from trekking. I must admit I'm getting quite fed up with all the scammers in the streets [of Gonder]. I've arranged an early morning bus ride to Shire at which point I either bed down or catch a minibus to Axum.

Day 41, November 16

I missed my bus ride to Axum so I've spent another day cooped up in Gonder. I got a little Christmas shopping done though.

I've decided to cut Axum out of my itinerary and am instead flying to Lalibella in the morning.

Day 42, November 17

Today was taken up by a flight from Gonder to Lalibella. It was a very short flight over the Simien highlands in this ravine-ravaged land. I met an American couple from Boulder, Colorado and we talked about everything from Ethiopia to American politics (they were distinctly anti-Bush).

I'm treating myself to a very nice, up-market hotel in the town. Lalibella is perched on a mountainside and is very scenic with its two-storey, cylindrical peasant huts with thatched roofs standing alongside more modern structres built from cinderblock and mortar.

Day 43, November 18

Today I learned who Lalibella is considered the Eighth Wonder of the World.

We started off early with me meeting my local guide, Abeje, at the hotel entrance. We walked up the bumpy cobble-stone streets until we came to the entrance where I paid a hefty entrance fee to a random man who ran off to get me my receipt (I did get it of course, I just love the laissez faire attitude of African commerce - Everything happens on African time).

The churches are amazing feats of construction, there's just no other way of putting it. The first one, Bet Maryam (House of Mary), was huge: over 30 meters long, over 20 meters wide and 10 meters high. The designs are very intricate and laced with numerical meaning. There might be 12 windows representing the twelve apostles; 3 pillars at each corner representing the holy trinity, 7 crosses on a processional cross respresenting the 7 miracles, and so forth. All the churches are subterraenian.

Most of the churches are monolithic = cut from a single stone with 12th Century tools (i.e. hammer and chisel alone). Apparently it took 40,000 workers and 23 years to build the compounds.

The inside of the churches are dark and atmospheric and pungent with the smell of dry straw which is laid beneath their rugs and carpets. There are many different cruciform designs cut into the rock. There was usually a painting or two depicting Saintly feats and Biblical stories.

The churches are linked by narrow passageways and, in one case, a long, pitch-black, underground tunnel. This gives the impression of an entire underground city. Active services for the residents of Lalibella take place within these churches every sunday. This is an ancient, holy city that still lives and breathes.

Each church had a priest who was happy to display the ornate processional crosses with each point and knob indicating apostles, doves, archangels, miracles, etc. It's very beautful and ridiculously intricate metalworking. I hope my pictures turn out (it was very dark inside the churches).

At lunch-time we went to the Saturday market. A roiling mass of people selling their ware; this was the true sub-Saharan market that I had been wanting to explore. There was tef, honey (which I got to taste), sorghum, salt, and textiles. It was cramped but such is its nature and I was excited and snapping away with my camera.

Exploring the church compound took all day and it was very exhiliarating. Moreso than the monasteries of Bahir Dar, or the castles of Gonder, The churches of Lalibella have truly struck me with awe. That their wonder is not known wider than Ethiopia boggles my mind. Everywhere you walk you're humbled by their prescence and deeply struck by being so close to something Holy. Today has definately been a highlight of the trip.