| Ethiopia Travel & Tour Information
The
Travel Directors from Australia
Sincere
thanks to Fest
Ethiopia
from my partner, Tony Evans, and myself for the simply wonderful
week we spent in the country recently.
We
were researching a possible escorted tour to
Ethiopia
next year and visited Addis,
Axum
.
Gondar
, Bahir Dar and Lalibela. We were dazzled by the sights, the
sounds, the smells of this amazing part of the world. Above all we
were overwhelmed by the friendliness and generosity of spirit of
the people.
We
have since put together a fabulous itinerary and already have
groups that traveled in February and September of 2006.
Needless
to say Fest
Ethiopia
will be our Ground operator as we were most impressed with the
professionalism of the company. We feel that
Ethiopia
is a sleeping giant as a travel destination and that a boom in
visitor numbers is imminent.
Our
aim is to establish ourselves as
Australia
's premier '
Ethiopia
bound' travel company before that boom happens!
Lalibella:
…… As our Ethiopian Airlines Fokker 50 swooped out of the
African sky the view below was difficult to comprehend. Rolling
green hills, dotted with Eucalypts and Acacias, fields of corn and
sugar cane and cultivated pastures of rich brown soil.
Hardly
the desert I had expected, because 20 years ago this now verdant
countryside, surrounding the ancient Ethiopian capital of
Lalibela, was in the grip of a devastating drought which sparked
one of the most cataclysmic famines of the 20th century.
Two
decades on, that image of a country racked by war and famine, is
still the popularly held one among the vast majority of westerners
- and I shamefully admit to having been one of them until a recent
flying visit to this simply astonishing country.
Ethiopia
today is desperately keen to redefine and popularize itself as a
serious tourist destination in the western world. And why
shouldn’t it? This, after all, is the well-known ‘cradle of
civilization’, where the earliest known human skeleton,
nicknamed Lucy and dating back three and a half million years, was
found. Its former rulers include the legendary King Solomon and
the Queen of Sheba. It is also the birthplace of coffee, and still
produces the finest in the word. The country’s archeological
sites are phenomenal and it is popularly believed that the Ancient
city of
Axum
, another former capital, is the resting place of the sacred Ark
of the Covenant.
Our
plane touched down in Lalibela and we were met by Joseph, a highly
educated and personable Fest tour guide who greeted us with a
beaming smile. On the 30-minute drive from the airport to the
city, which took us through some spectacular mountain views we
passed a multitude of people, young and old, tramping along the
side of the road. All of them waved and grinned at us. “Welcome
to Lalibela”, many shouted. I have rarely, if ever, enjoyed a
warmer welcome to a country.
Lying
640 kilometers north of
Addis Ababa
at an altitude of 2630 meters, Lalibela was the capital of
Ethiopia
in the 12th and 13th centuries. Previously known as Roha it was
renamed after the death of King Lalibela in 1221. Today it is
little more than a large village and still relatively undeveloped.
However,
this remote settlement is one of the world’s greatest, yet least
visited, archeological sites and is often referred to as the
eighth wonder of the world.
What
Lalibela is famous for is its astonishing medieval churches, all
of which were hewn by hand from solid red volcanic rock hundreds
of years ago. Some lie almost totally hidden in deep trenches;
some stand in open quarried caves. Others are inter-connected by
long tunnels or narrow passageways. All are mysterious and
magnificent.
Legend
has it that King Lalibela was responsible for these amazing
constructions after seeing a heavenly vision. He employed
thousands of masons who worked at great speed and with remarkable
skill, chiseling out the churches over a span of just 23 years.
When they stopped their day’s work, so the story goes, the
construction was continued at night by angels from above.
What
makes this complex even more thrilling for the visitor is the fact
that they remain working churches. Each day hundreds of pilgrims,
clad in white, flock to the buildings for long Christian services.
In the dark interiors bearded priests, some of whom live in nearby
caves also carved from the rock, officiate and give succour to the
poor and sick. On our visit to one church we watched as a
multitude waited patiently in line to be blessed by a priest, who
patted and stroked them with an ancient metal cross. The chanting
and strong smell of burning incense created an almost overpowering
atmosphere.
Bet
Gyorgis is wonderfully preserved and shaped in the form of a Greek
cross. Walking down the steep earth ramp to access the church, we
followed another group of white-robed worshippers up the high
steps into the building. As with all the churches, one is required
to leave shoes at the entrance.
These
are guarded by one of many “shoekeepers” who latch onto you at
the first church and stay with you until the last. They are
friendly chaps and are extremely grateful for a few birrs in the
hand at the end of the jaunt.
The
interior of Bet Gyorgis is full of Orthodox Christians, most of
whom seem to be waiting for something to happen. The priest is in
attendance but ignores his flock to retrieve another sacred cross
for our perusal, and also to point out an olive-wood box, said to
have been carved by King Lalibela himself. Walking round one of
the giant rock pillars we are confronted by an even greater sight:
dozens of tiny dark faces, their eyes blazing out of the darkness,
staring up at us. Lalibela’s children are awaiting the morning
service and doubtless are unaware that they are doing so in one of
the world’s most incredible churches.
There
is little doubt that Lalibela, and
Ethiopia
for that matter, are sleeping giants of world tourism. With the
country’s troubles now behind it, this amazing destination is
awaiting discovery. The advice is to go sooner rather than later.
Thanks
again Fest
Ethiopia
!
Jim
and Tony
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