Lalibela takes its name from the King Lalibela (the honey eater) who had 11 churches erected on this site around the 12th or 13th century. The legend says that King Lalibela was poisoned by his aunt. He was then taken by some angels during his coma and had a vision of what he thought was heaven: beautiful churches made of rocks, cunningly hidden from any enemy. When he miraculously woke up three days later, he decided to build what he saw and what is considered as the new Jerusalem.
Lalibela the town is mostly uninteresting. Weirdly enough (and that will certainly change in the next few years), it is not touristy at all and the churches are completely hidden from the pagan’s eyes. The EU did a terrible job to protect the buildings and installed some ugly giant white roofs that are difficult to ignore at first. However, suddenly, you see the first church and your heart is panting (and not only because of the lack of oxygen for once!).
The churches are divided in three groups. The first group comprised 4 churches built inside the pink/brown/red rock (depending on the time of the day), half berried in the ground. They are big, beautiful and full of symbolism. It is hard to describe and the pictures don’t stand up to the beauty of the site in my opinion. Imagine 7 centuries ago, men with no technological tools excavating the rock to build this unique site (only comparison could be Petra). The colour of the rock is stunning, the proportions of the churches are exquisite and the simplicity of the inside is simply stunning.
The 4 churches are nearly one next to the other, symbolising the body of Christ. The inside is always extremely simple, just carved inside the rock. The most beautiful one is dedicated to Mary, and is painted inside. The colours are extremely well conserved and it is beautiful. Drainage and secret passage were built at the same time as the churches. Also, the renovating work is well done and you can’t see what is new and what is old. Our guide didn’t like legendary telling so he did not tell us many stories, just that he was convince that some supernatural power helped to the building (which is tempting to believe!). Despite not liking legends, he told me very happily that as the women came after Adam and were made of one of his rib, they had to come after the man…
We then saw Saint Gorgious, from the 3rd group (but there is only one church in this group). It is the most famous one. It really comes at a surprise, completely berried under ground. It is stunningly beautiful, with a huge latin cross engraved on its roof. This one is in a very good condition, and you must follow a secret path to access it. We saw it as the light was starting to faint, it was really magical.
The second group of churches was my favourite. We saw it the day after, and I think it was good to have a break in the morning (see following post). They are higher up and historians are not convinced they were used as churches originally. The first one is dedicated to two saints, including Saint Gabriel. It was my absolute favourite. Not as berried as the other one, believers had to build a bridge to access it. You better not suffer from vertigo as it is on the verge of a big drop. Many secret tunnels exist but they are not accessible by the tourist. There is a narrow route that leads to heaven. Every year, people try to access heaven by taking the route. If they have sinned, they will fall (must be particularly painful!).
To access the second church, you must go through hell, or as our guide dramatically asked: are you ready to go to hell? A 24 meters long tunnel, pitch dark. You must walk on the right as the left side is for sinner and full of obstacle (very Indiana Jones). Ben really hated it (a bit claustrophobic and you better not be scared of the dark). I got to say, if that is hell, I am going to be very good from now on. Once you triumph from hell, you get to a very nice lighted church and finally this lead you to saint Emmanuel, a beautiful tall church in the style of the first group. The last church is really impressive as it is still attached to the rock, and you can clearly see how they used the mountain as the base for their structure.
How come Lalibela is not one of the 7th wonder, I don’t understand, it is simply one of the most beautiful sites I have seen (after Abu Simbel of course).
A bit longer than expected, but it is so hard to describe, so come and see by yourself!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
2010-10-24 Lalibela and Co
Pictures from the trips, I do realise there is a ot, but it was so beautiful that I can't get ride of any of them! Enjoy!
Never again until next time...
I have never walked so much in my life
I have never had so many blisters on my feet
I have never been so thirsty
I have never been so hungry
I have never been so dirty
I have never been so tired
I have never been so breathless
I have never seen something so beautiful in my life.
Jamais je n’ai marché autant dans ma vie
Jamais je n’ai eu autant d’ampoules
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi soif
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi faim
Jamais je n’ai été aussi sale
Jamais je n’ai été aussi fatiguée
Jamais je n’ai été aussi essoufflée
Jamais je n’ai vu un paysage aussi beau de toute ma vie
I have never had so many blisters on my feet
I have never been so thirsty
I have never been so hungry
I have never been so dirty
I have never been so tired
I have never been so breathless
I have never seen something so beautiful in my life.
Jamais je n’ai marché autant dans ma vie
Jamais je n’ai eu autant d’ampoules
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi soif
Jamais je n’ai eu aussi faim
Jamais je n’ai été aussi sale
Jamais je n’ai été aussi fatiguée
Jamais je n’ai été aussi essoufflée
Jamais je n’ai vu un paysage aussi beau de toute ma vie
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Bonjour comment ça va?
A few weeks back I asked the “Chief of the village” if the staff’s kids would be interested in a few free French lessons. He just got back to me and it looks like than from next week I will be teaching French to 15 children, aged 3 to 15, who does not speak English! I am extremely excited about it. Not that I have any faith in my teaching quality, but I think it would be quite fun to do, I will have to prepare for it because just the age difference might make it nearly impossible.
So if you have any children books you would like to get ride off, send them to me:
Margot Herrmann
c/o Ben Wastnage 767499
BFPO 5311
HA46 EP
UK
So if you have any children books you would like to get ride off, send them to me:
Margot Herrmann
c/o Ben Wastnage 767499
BFPO 5311
HA46 EP
UK
Teff day
I thought I would have a lot to say about that day, but it appears that it should be a quick one. I found this group, Gobaz (smart in Amharic) that organises some really fun stuff in Addis. Last Sunday we went on a teff day outside of Addis.
First pertinent question, what is Teff? Well, I am still not sure, but it looks like wheat (kind of) and it is used to make injera, the main food here. It grows a bit everywhere, you can see pictures of it in the October album. But that is all I learned on that day: I don’t know when it is harvest, I don’t know how it is stored or cooked, I don’t know if it is exported… Not very instructive.
The fun thing about this day was to see Ben talking Amharic with everybody, what a success: you really need the language to make friends. I did have a bit of success myself asking people how many sisters and brothers they had, but this is pretty much all I could say. The other very fun moment was to make my first injera, beautifully round, and then to see Ben struggling to finish his! It is a bit like crepes, except that it tastes like… well… like injera. I also learned on that day that there was a lot worse than injera: K’ojo, absolutely vile!
First pertinent question, what is Teff? Well, I am still not sure, but it looks like wheat (kind of) and it is used to make injera, the main food here. It grows a bit everywhere, you can see pictures of it in the October album. But that is all I learned on that day: I don’t know when it is harvest, I don’t know how it is stored or cooked, I don’t know if it is exported… Not very instructive.
The fun thing about this day was to see Ben talking Amharic with everybody, what a success: you really need the language to make friends. I did have a bit of success myself asking people how many sisters and brothers they had, but this is pretty much all I could say. The other very fun moment was to make my first injera, beautifully round, and then to see Ben struggling to finish his! It is a bit like crepes, except that it tastes like… well… like injera. I also learned on that day that there was a lot worse than injera: K’ojo, absolutely vile!
Sport day
Every Friday afternoon until Christmas, the embassy is organising a sport afternoon; it starts at 2 and finished around 4.30. Last week was football, and this week is Volleyball. Each “group” within the embassy is represented and apparently has a well established reputation:
-Chancery, the political: competitive
-TWS, the handyman: lovely
-The guards: ultra competitive
Etc… and of course, my team, the VIPS (Visa-Program-Spouse) who are just trying really hard not to come last (with 2 left-legged people like me, it is hard work). It is a very fun afternoon, very mixed with some lovely people. Have a look at the pictures, some people are worth it. Especially the guard’s own coach, I am sure you will recognise him. He was walking along the pitch screaming advices and encouragements.
-Chancery, the political: competitive
-TWS, the handyman: lovely
-The guards: ultra competitive
Etc… and of course, my team, the VIPS (Visa-Program-Spouse) who are just trying really hard not to come last (with 2 left-legged people like me, it is hard work). It is a very fun afternoon, very mixed with some lovely people. Have a look at the pictures, some people are worth it. Especially the guard’s own coach, I am sure you will recognise him. He was walking along the pitch screaming advices and encouragements.
Watching Wall Street in the 8th poorest country in the world
I went to the cinema. Great experience for only 1 pound 50! The movie was Wall Street, pretty good despites some terrible acting. I enjoyed the movie because the recession really affected me and it was nice to be reminded of that period in a more theatrical way. However, it felt weird thinking about it and how it nearly got me on my knees in the middle of one of the poorest country in the world.
Here I was, seated in this very small cinema, just after an advert for sponsoring children to allow them to go to school and another one on the water improvement: imagine most families now do not have to walk more than 7 kilometres to find “drinkable” water! Suddenly, the idea that the recession started with the subprime market, I should say the idea that a subprime market even exists, that people, in an other world can actually borrow money they don’t have, need to buy house and a second car, and that life is about making more money is just ridiculous.
Most people don’t own anything at all here: my Amharic teacher is dreaming about buying a car in may be 2 or 3 years, a colleague of Ben has been drawn at the lottery to buy a condo in the other side of Addis where there is still no electricity, a microfinance organisation is encouraging groups of woman to save ½ a birr (2,2cents of a pound) a week, etc.
What is the impact of recession here? Nearly none because people have no saving to invest in stock market, there is no housing bubble here and even if I am sure it affected their import/export balance, most Ethiopian would laugh if you talked about the impact on their job market (employment was high, is still high and will stay this way for a while) or inflation. I could imagine talking to my staff about a banker loosing 5 billion euros, or even some families loosing 50,000 pounds, graduates struggling to find a first job already paid £35,000pa.
It just makes you think that reality is different depending on where you live, and some relativity often opens yours eyes to what is really going on.
Here I was, seated in this very small cinema, just after an advert for sponsoring children to allow them to go to school and another one on the water improvement: imagine most families now do not have to walk more than 7 kilometres to find “drinkable” water! Suddenly, the idea that the recession started with the subprime market, I should say the idea that a subprime market even exists, that people, in an other world can actually borrow money they don’t have, need to buy house and a second car, and that life is about making more money is just ridiculous.
Most people don’t own anything at all here: my Amharic teacher is dreaming about buying a car in may be 2 or 3 years, a colleague of Ben has been drawn at the lottery to buy a condo in the other side of Addis where there is still no electricity, a microfinance organisation is encouraging groups of woman to save ½ a birr (2,2cents of a pound) a week, etc.
What is the impact of recession here? Nearly none because people have no saving to invest in stock market, there is no housing bubble here and even if I am sure it affected their import/export balance, most Ethiopian would laugh if you talked about the impact on their job market (employment was high, is still high and will stay this way for a while) or inflation. I could imagine talking to my staff about a banker loosing 5 billion euros, or even some families loosing 50,000 pounds, graduates struggling to find a first job already paid £35,000pa.
It just makes you think that reality is different depending on where you live, and some relativity often opens yours eyes to what is really going on.
Cars à gogo
So long no see! I haven’t written for a long time and I may have lost my only fans! (yes that is for your dear parents). But I do have a few experiences to share with you guys.
First of all, I wanted to inform you that I have now driven in Addis. We went to the cinema with Ben last Tuesday to see Wall Street (not bad at all, see below), and I had just received my Ethiopian driving lesson. Actually, I am not sure we can say it is mine because despites the fact it is displaying my photo, it is in the name of Mariget Ulice Nermin… Yep! Fortunately, thanks to the diplomatic plates, nobody should ask any questions.
So, I drove the 8 seater Toyota 4X4 in the most dangerous place in the world in terms of road accidents, and I manage to not kill anybody. I avoided other cars, dogs and people and I did not get lost. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the feeling (extreme stress), but it was a bit less worse than I had imagined and I think I will soon be driving all by myself in the city all the time.
This is because to be perfectly frank, having your own car in Addis is a luxury:
-I tried the buses: you have to wait for a long time to then be stuck with numerous people who to be honest have not washed for a long long time, and often a few chicken or half unconscious goats (looks like a description of a Brixton bus, doesn’t it?).
-I tried the blue donkeys: no spaces at all, you have to fight to get in and they are dangerous drivers. I personally believe it is because they really think the religious icon you inevitably found on every cars is protecting them.
-I tried the taxis: my big favourite, you always have cars that are hardly working and I think you might go more quickly by just walking next to the car. The comfort is really basic, and you might even have a seat bell if you are very lucky, but there is crap music and beautiful fake fur seats. Often, the driver can’t speak any English and having a conversation with them is fun (using hand, drawing, and my broken Amharic). But taxis are expensive, and despite my bargaining skills, I don’t really want to pay 3 pounds every time I go out.
-I tried horses: you can’t park them and they are scared of the cars (understandably), the dogs and even the wind.
-I haven’t tried walking yet, may be this is the solution!
First of all, I wanted to inform you that I have now driven in Addis. We went to the cinema with Ben last Tuesday to see Wall Street (not bad at all, see below), and I had just received my Ethiopian driving lesson. Actually, I am not sure we can say it is mine because despites the fact it is displaying my photo, it is in the name of Mariget Ulice Nermin… Yep! Fortunately, thanks to the diplomatic plates, nobody should ask any questions.
So, I drove the 8 seater Toyota 4X4 in the most dangerous place in the world in terms of road accidents, and I manage to not kill anybody. I avoided other cars, dogs and people and I did not get lost. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the feeling (extreme stress), but it was a bit less worse than I had imagined and I think I will soon be driving all by myself in the city all the time.
This is because to be perfectly frank, having your own car in Addis is a luxury:
-I tried the buses: you have to wait for a long time to then be stuck with numerous people who to be honest have not washed for a long long time, and often a few chicken or half unconscious goats (looks like a description of a Brixton bus, doesn’t it?).
-I tried the blue donkeys: no spaces at all, you have to fight to get in and they are dangerous drivers. I personally believe it is because they really think the religious icon you inevitably found on every cars is protecting them.
-I tried the taxis: my big favourite, you always have cars that are hardly working and I think you might go more quickly by just walking next to the car. The comfort is really basic, and you might even have a seat bell if you are very lucky, but there is crap music and beautiful fake fur seats. Often, the driver can’t speak any English and having a conversation with them is fun (using hand, drawing, and my broken Amharic). But taxis are expensive, and despite my bargaining skills, I don’t really want to pay 3 pounds every time I go out.
-I tried horses: you can’t park them and they are scared of the cars (understandably), the dogs and even the wind.
-I haven’t tried walking yet, may be this is the solution!
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