Lalibela - Fond Farewell

April 20 - Happy Easter, Happy Pascha, and Melkum Fasika!  We will be leaving Lalibela in about one hour to begin our 2 day drive back to Addis Ababa. Being here in this historical village, at this most holy time of year, has been one of the highlights of our trip. The people here, as we've seen everywhere we've been in Ethiopia, could not have been any friendlier. There is genuine inherent kindness in this culture. Everyone is more than willing to help, and more than willing to strike up a conversation. 

Here are some random photos from our time in Lalibela. 

Ok, this one might need a little explaining... This is the Ben Abeba Restaurant. It's perched on a cliff at the edge of town. The architecture is very unique, as you can see, and the food is some of the best in the country, according to our guide books. We had lunch here yesterday. 

This is the welcome sign. 

This is the view through the restaurant looking back at our hotel, The Mountain View. 

Last night we sat on the upper wall of St. Giyorgis church and looked down on the Fasika Liturgy. It started around 8:00pm and was expected to last until 3:00am. We only stayed until 9:30, and it was fascinating. We had two young Ethiopian men join us on the cliff and they helped us understand what has happening 40 feet below us.

I know this isn't much of a photo, but it was all we could capture of the mystical ceremony going on below. They played drums and a trumpet of some kind, as well as chanted and prayed. It was very interesting.