The seventeen odd churches are all close by and easily visited in two days if that excites you. The worst were the hideous monstrosities that UNESCO constructed over the churches to protect them.
Whoever the architect was must have been on some acid trip, the structures look like alien space ships in this town, it does not flow and fit into the existing feel of Lalibela.
I see an old woman in yellow attire making slow forward and backward movements in deep prayer, she is getting on in years and she has torn so many pages off the calendar that her recent history is a blur. Her heart is pristine, peaceful offering wideness of sight and soul.
We spend a week strolling around Lalibela, socialising with the locals and having dinner with an extrovert loud Game ranger working for the Brown Ethiopia wolf foundation.
Much time was spend listening to a mix fusion of local and Reggae music with lots of coffee and beers at colourful eateries that is dotted alongside the cobblestone roads.
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The best Honey wine we consumed at Torpedo Tej bar in copious amounts and at own peril. This yellow honey watery drink was a dangerous concoction of toxic waste. There are different strength brews to choose from but best to try them all.
It was fermented in big blew 40L drums with sugar and some other dodgy special secret ingredients. The sour ferment smell hit your nostrils with a vigorous vengeance, it is difficult at first to get use to the taste and smell, but the wonderful thing is the more you consume of this brew the more palatable it becomes. Well, a huge headache is part of this drink.
En route to Addis we had to say goodbye to Martijn, Wibien and the brave 72’ VW Chuck Norris pick-up. This is what makes a trip like this memorable and the forging new friendship.
The luck and spirit of St George smiled on us again as we rode into Wim’s place with a local beer in the hand the welcoming committee waving us in. That Saturday evening they were going to have a wild Reggae live band playing at Wim’s!
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It was rather sad when I pushed the two dirty bikes into the room that Wim had opened for them to have their well deserved rest.
That evening with our new gypsy friends Bernd, Elke, George and Emma we had one helluva carouse even the 80-year-old Wim himself joined in.
Whooa baby, what a nice way of ending a 6 month trip!!
During the evening and seeing all the happy smiling faces with the occasional wassail, my friend Nardus’s words came back to me. The missive is so literal I understand it now and feel humbled by it.
-The message is simple and sweet, ‘Just be’! I was truly happy!
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There’s more photos in the Gallery page
Supercool to have a report from so far away. The slideshow is lekker.
Holy smoke, but you are so blessed to experience so much of Ethiopia. The good lord works in mysterious ways !!!!