Aksum to Lalibela

I have been running around a lot, for i am determined to make it to Lalibela for the Ethiopian Christmas. And what better place to celebrate it with 3 – 4,000 pilgrims expected into town.

I was under the impression that this journey could be done in a day, but asking around and i am told anywhere between 2 – 3 days. No wonder internal flights seem to be the norm amongst travellists. I hop on the first bus heading out to Makele at 6am. The road is a mix of sealed and unsealed surfaces and is quite picturesque, it climbs and descends to/from 2,400 to 3200 metres. It’s a long journey nonetheless, taking some 11hours.

There is an Darshen Bank with an International Visa ATM machine and having finally received my new HSBC number and can access funds once again, and not behave like a poverty stricken ex-pat in Ethiopia. I find a land-cruiser heading to Addis (2 day journey) and negotiate a ride down to Wodia. However after 5 hours, our driver called Fanta calls it a night in some small village. He knows a hotel and a restaurant and we pay Birr50 for a brand new and quality en-suite. Amazing how cheap Ethiopia when off in the wilderness. I try the Salem Hotel’s own speciality of keyoate (lamb, pepper and onion in hot red sauce) with injere (the staple sour pancake) with yogurt and egg. Awesome.

We head on early next morning arriving into Wodia at 8.30am. There are minibuses waiting (Birr80) and i am told the journey is 3 – 4 hours. I’m getting pretty excited as i must be close to setting some kind of record here. No such luck. The bus meanders slowly into the mountains again before blowing a tyre. It takes some 30 minutes to sort, but we don’t travel much further until we have to make a pilgrimage stop. A new church is under construction in a neighbouring village and they are holding a fund-raising fair. Much excitement descends when they see White Man. I reluctantly hand over what for them must seem a disappointing Birr7 – and for that price i also expected some pilgrim/priest photos too.

 

Just before arriving into the town at about 1pm, there is a final pilgrimage to one of the legendary monasteries. I am desperate to get a hotel and shower off, but the rest of the bus trek off into the distance so i join them. With an entry fee of Birr100 for foreigners i desist from making the journeys end, but i am blocked from taking photographs for not paying my entry fee.

It takes a further 40 minutes for the pilgrims to return to the bus and into the centre. It’s completely packed. I check out some 8 hotels with prices ranging from Birr400 for flea-pits – US$60 for things i wouldn’t pay US$20 for. Like Cape Town when festivities hit town, prices sky-rocket.