After our amazing few days in the Simiens, we returned to Gonder, happy but tired, and very, very dirty. Possibly the dirtiest I have ever been, in fact. Our clothes were actually black (even the underwear!) because of the fine dust blowing around the mountains which gets into everything. We stayed in the Goha hotel for a few days relaxation and luxury, but unfortunately the Ethiopian food had finally caught up with Calum ( I’m amazed it didn’t get him sooner actually) so he got well acquainted with the toilet, while I sipped Gin and Tonics on the terrace!
In Gonder, I visited the royal enclosure and Fasilada’s baths. Gonder was previously the capital of Ethiopia and a the rulers lived here in the 17th and 18th century. The royal enclosure has been preserved by UNESCO and is in remarkably good condition.
From Gonder we flew to Lalibela, which is only a couple of hundred kilometre east, but very difficult to get to by road. Lalibela is the spiritual home of Ethiopian Orthodox Chrisitians. It was built by King Lalibela in the 12th century. The story goes that Lalibela was poisoned by his sister and in a coma for 3 days. While in a coma he was spoken to by god, who ordered him to build a second Jerusalem in Ethiopia, and so construction of the rock hewn churches commenced. There are 11 in total, all carved out of the rock and surrounded by a myriad of passage ways and tunnels that allow easy access from one church to the next.
At the time we visited, the orthodox Christians were fasting prior to Easter. This means eating only vegan food and for the strictest not eating anything before 3pm in the afternoon. The churches were full of people praying, and it was touching to see the depth of their faith. The whole atmosphere here is really hard to describe unless you’ve experienced it, but for me there was a deep sense of spirituality in the people which I found fascinating.
Another highlight of our trip to Lalibela was a visit to Ben Abeba restaurant. This restaurant is newly opened, and is housed in a unique building on the hill with spectacular views. It is run by an Ethiopian man and a Scottish woman who initially came to Ethiopia as a volunteer. The food is lovely, the views spectacular, the prices very reasonable and the welcome exceptionally friendly. Oh and they are so proud of the cleanliness of their kitchen that they give tours (definitely a first in this country).
So that concludes our amazing trip up North. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for Aksum, the oldest Ethiopian capital, and supposedly home of the Ark of the Covenant, but this just means the chance for a return visit. I was impressed by the friendliness and the diversity of the country and although Ethiopia has a way to go to reach standards of tourism expected in the West, or even India and SE Asia I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure....
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