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Ancient Ethiopia
Sacred spaces and surprising sights
await visitors in the mountain city of Lalibela
text and photos by Erin MacLeod
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We couldn't believe our luck. We had dealt
with airplane malfunctions, flat tires and rocky roads. A trip that
was supposed to take two hours ended up taking well over eight.
But as we travelled the half-hour from the
airport to our hotel in Lalibela, Ethiopia,
gazing awestruck at a sunset too beautiful to be believed, chatting
with new friends we'd met on the way, those minor setbacks just
melted away.
Our guide Abraham was patiently waiting to
welcome us to his town in the mountains of Northern Ethiopia, a
spectacular location that is only eclipsed by its even-more-spectacular,
rock-hewn churches.
Reaching out to shake hands, Abraham pulled
me in towards him to knock shoulders and kiss cheeks not once or
twice, but three times, saying "Enkwan dehna metash!" --
the Amharic greeting that means both "welcome" and "I hope you had
a good trip." It is this friendliness and generosity that has drawn
me back to the country repeatedly, working as a volunteer for Habitat
for Humanity.
After a few years of raving about Ethiopia,
I convinced a fellow Canadian to join me and watched her discover
the beauty of a country so often associated with strife.
We couldn't have picked a better time to travel
there. Using an ancient Coptic calendar has left Ethiopia seven
years behind the West. And an extravaganza of music, dancing and
fireworks rang in the new millennium on September 12, 2007. The
party continues all year, and, during the last week of May, 2008,
the capital of Addis Ababa which is home to the African Union, will
host a celebration featuring artists, musicians, and performers
from across Africa.
Of Coffee
and Kings
Ethiopia is not only the cradle of civilization, but it is the nation
that introduced us to coffee. It's still home to the world's best
brew and, in August, a Coffee Museum will open in Bonga, in the
southwest of the country.
Plans are also in place to increase the size
and scope of colourful religious festivals and to hold a music festival
that would celebrate Ethiopia's incredible cultural diversity --
the country is home to over 80 different ethnic groups speaking
as many languages.
There is hope that these events and attractions
will increase tourism, and the government has set up a millennium
council to promote Ethiopia and develop even more to offer visitors
in the future. Tourism is growing, and it would seem that, as an
industry, it could really benefit the country. For the moment, however,
travelling in Ethiopia does take a little bit of patience, but it's
well worth it.
Our main destination for the trip was the
northern town of Lalibela, perhaps the most important and spectacular
stop along what is referred to by the few available tour guides
as the "historical route." The reason to visit this town of 15,000
in the Amhara region is also one of the main reasons to visit the
country: to see the famous rock-hewn Ethiopian Orthodox churches,
which, if more people knew about them, would most certainly be recognized
as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Lalibela is unique in the world and must be
seen to be believed. Carved out of the mountains, these incredible
examples of stone architecture were built from the top down by chipping
directly into ground. They are called "monolithic" because each
was crafted from a single rock. Built in accordance with King Lalibela's
decree over a 20-year period at the dawn of the 13th century, the
cluster of churches was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in
1978.
Many travellers throughout history have been
awestruck by these buildings that seem to burst from the ground
-- it's not surprising that theories abound about their construction.
From a belief that the Knights Templar lent a hand to tales that
angels came and helped, the common suggestion seems to be that Ethiopians
just wouldn't be capable of this incredible feat. But that seems
like a colonial attitude, and Ethiopia has never been much for colonialism.
Breaking
Bread
Ethiopians are intensely proud of their long history as an independent
nation. People want to introduce you to their culture and are happy
to fill you in on such essential information as how to eat when
all you have to use as cutlery are chunks of the pancake-like national
bread called injera.
The bread is made from teff, a tiny grain
(less than one millimetre in diameter) that is not common in North
America, yet widely available in Ethiopia. Though small, it packs
a nutritious punch: not only is it both high in iron and fibre,
it also offers both calcium and protein. No wonder injera
is the staple in households across Ethiopia and Eritrea.
And it's injera we had at our lodging:
the simple, clean, comfortable Lal Hotel, which lies near the end
of a twisting cobblestone road. Having arrived late, we immediately
tucked into a range of delicious food alongside a couple from Vancouver,
sisters from London and a fellow from Madrid.
It's often said that the only difference between
catastrophe and adventure is attitude -- it seems that most travellers
to Ethiopia share this perspective. Not only are the locals friendly
but, given that foreigners aren't the most common sight, there's
an instant bond. It's as if we're all sharing a glorious secret
that the rest of the world has yet to discover.
As we began our meal, those who had yet to
be introduced to the delights of Ethiopian cuisine watched as those
of us in the know tore pieces of injera and scooped up a
range of spicy wats. Wat means sauce, and there are enough
varieties to suit just about anyone. Kaiy wat gets its red
shade and deep, warm spice from berbere, an Ethiopian chili powder.
This type of stew normally contains beef or lamb, but there is also
doro wat, the bebere-heavy national dish of stewed chicken and eggs,
served at celebratory occasions.
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