The Road from Kombolcha to Addis Ababa

April 21 - Hard for us to believe, but this is our last scheduled day on the road. So many incredible experiences and so many highlights. The drive today was similar to yesterday - up and down through numerous valleys and mountain passes.  

We left Kombolcha at 8:30am and only 30 minutes out of town when we encountered this formidable roadblock. The "ships of the desert" also showed they are "kings of the road". We'll post a video on Facebook. 

Another gorgeous day on the road. 

We stopped for this photo near Tamaber Pass...

And we were lucky to find a large group of geleta baboons lounging on the cliffs. 

Although difficult to see in this photo, there are about a dozen baboons on the ledge in the center. 

We stopped for lunch at a town called Debre Birhan, founded in 1456 by Emperor Zara Yaqob (Jacob). It translates as 'Mountain of Light'. Legend has it that a miraculous nocturnal light (most likely Halley's Comet) passed over when the Emperor was encamped in this area, prompting him to build a church on the spot and to use the site as his permanent capital until his death in 1468. Due to its high elevation, this area is known for quality woolen items - carpets, blankets, hats and clothing. 

Eva's Restaurant in Debre Birhan. 

It's 5:00pm and we are now back in Addis Ababa. We just checked in at The Adot Tina Hotel, our home away from home. The past 13 days on the road flew by, but now we can re-focus on completing the adoption process. We will bring our little Tigist (we plan to slightly modify her name to Haile Tigist Murphy when we get home) back to the hotel with us tomorrow. She will say goodbye to the orphanage, and the three of us will begin our new life together. We are so eager to bring her home!!!

The Road from Lalibela to Kombolcha

April 20 - Our drive today, like all others, was full of fantastic scenery. The total drive was just over 350km, or 220 miles. We stopped for lunch in a beautiful town called Woldiya, the half way point. 

On our way out of Lalibela, the marketeers were setting up their nomadic shops along the roadside. 

Down in the valley we saw countless family farms. 

Some no longer inhabited. 

We climbed in and out of more than a dozen valleys. At the higher elevations, the vegetation was scarce...

... And at the lower elevations, the landscape became lush and tropical. This and the next two photos were taken from the same point on a mountain top looking east to west. You can see our road far below. 

An hour from Kombolcha, we stopped at Lake Hayk (Hayk means lake, so the name is redundant but that's the way it's always been) to visit Istafanos Monastery. Established in the 13th century, it sits atop a bucolic peninsula surrounded by palm, ficus and eucalyptus trees. According to local legend, as far back as the 7th century this area around Hayk was inhabited by a pagan cult that worshipped pythons. When an Ethiopian Christian monk returned from a visit to Jerusalem in 862AD, he introduced Christianity and all the pythons were sacrificed by the pagans before converting. 

The church at Istafanos Monastery. 

View of the lake from the church. 

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.  

Lalibela - St. Giyorgis (George) Church

April 19 - St. Giyorgis Church is the definitive rock-hewn church. Purely monolithic and it's cruciform shape makes it the star attraction in Lalibela. 

We found this strategically placed chair for a photo in the shade. 

Today is not only the start of the Easter celebration, but it's also the weekly market day for this area. See the large crowd in the distance. 

To access the entrance to St. Giyorgis, we slithered down through a trench...

And at the end of the passageway was the main entrance to the church. 

There are 12 "blind", or false, windows around the perimeter of the church they are to represent the 12 Apostles. 

An original 11th century painting of St. Giyorgis on goat skin. 

We learned the current head priest at St. Giyorgis is the nephew of our friend, and a former head priest at St. Giyorgis, Abba Gebrekidan!  When we told him we knew Abba G, he was thrilled, and asked lots of questions. 

Intricate carvings, all from the same mass of solid stone. Incredible!

This is the box they keep all the sacred books and vestments in. The two large wooden screws on top were part of the original locking mechanism, but they have since been replaced by a more modern (but no more secure) padlock. 

Lalibela - Southeastern Cluster of Churches (Part 2)

April 19 - Original paintings on rock pillars in Bet Gabriel. These are some of the kings who ruled in the Lalibela area centuries ago. 

An icon painting of St. Raphael. 

Another version of St. George in Bet Rufael. 

The worship area in Bet Amanual. 

The exterior of Bet Merkorios. 

The main entrance to Bet Merkorios. 

The side of Bet Merkorios. 

This is Bet Abba Libanos. It's a monolithic cave church. The four walls are carved from the rock, but the roof is still the mother stone, forming a cave setting. 

Icon painting of Abba Libanos. 

The exterior of the rear wall of Bet Abba Libanos showing the cave formation. 

The side of Bet Abba Libanos functions as a worship area due to the limited interior space.