Arriving into the village on the 5th, the village is already crowded with predominantly white-clad pilgrims, and despite the vast increases in accommodation prices, almost all the hotels and guest houses are packed out, with locals renting rooms out in their private homes.
I spend my first three hours going round hotels being shown complete doss houses charging Birr300 – 400. Just when i think i find a steal, negotiating a Birr480 for 3 nights, the landlady quickly turfed me out saying that the room is suddenly Birr480 per night! In despair i turn to Daniel from Aleif Paradise, a name i inherit from Zev, my Israeli mate whom i met in Uganda. Daniel is great. Although this hotel has escalated its prices to US$60 for the rooms, he finds me a clean adjoining self-contained room for Birr400 with the promise of getting me a much cheaper room the next night.
Fortunately i also meet up with Burnham, the best friend of Derbo, my friend and fixer from Addis. He locates a hotel room for Birr100 in the centrally located Andnet; must be one of the cheapest of room in town. Unfortunately the toilets have been rendered almost completely unusable and the bed has bugs.
There is also plenty of farangi tour parties in town being herded around. I purchase a five day ticket for the stone churches (Birr350), but the Guide prices are also up for the vacation (up to Birr400 from Birr150 – 200) so meeting up with Lindsey, my fellow strawberry binger from Gonder, we decide to meander around ourselves.
The churches are a pretty amazing spectacle but apart from the Church of Saint George, are now “protected” by the most ugly looking of roofs designed by Italians. They detract horrendously from their potential beauty.
The hillsides (where most of the churches were built) are now packed and there are evening and night-time candlelight processions. Toilet facilities are non-existent and people defecate where they can. Not very pleasant for sure!
The following morning i’m up at 5am for the highlight of the festivities. Priests dressed in their finery stand along the rims of the churches singing hymns moving in a slow anti-clockwise circle. Every so often they drop to the ground and the pilgrims all make waggly tongue gargles in response. By 9-30am the celebrations come to an end and the crowds quickly disperse.
It has certainly been an experience being in Lalibela for Christmas, but it would have been a very different and much cheaper experience outside the festive season.
For Eating – Seven Olives has a beautiful restaurant set within a bird garden. The US trained chef turn out very good food (although the spaghetti bolognaise didn’t really hit the spot) in a super setting. Prices are not cheap.
The quality Friendship Restaurant and Bar is where the locals eat. It serves the best tibbs (lamb, pepper and onions), i have eaten so far in Ethiopia and their accompanying sauce is an immense mix of pepper and chilli. It costs around Birr16-22 for a main.
Next to the Andnet Hotel is a local Tej house serving this strong intoxicant made from pure honey. It’s Birr10 per carafe served in three strengths – soft, medium and hard.
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