Photos part 10: Mule Ride

The next excursion for me in Lalibela was a mule ride. Here is the kind of ride you can rent for 150ETB, for a three hour trip. The guide who pulls it along definitely wants a tip, and given that you will be led safely through some narrow trails, I think the tip is well earned.

This photo is meant to give you an idea both of the landscape you will see and the width of the trail.

Another view of some of the high ground.

A view of the valleys below.

Photos part 9: Churches of Lalibela

The city of Lalibela is home to fabulous rock-hewn churches. The largest of them is seen here.

Some of the interiors are better decorated than others. It has much to do with the quality of the rock from which carving took place. The better quality rock allowed for finer detail, and in this case it even got painted.

Remember that even if you have visited the main complex of churches, the last-to-be-built and stunning Church of St. George is away from all the others and easy to overlook. If you have traveled all the way to Lalibela, don't walk past this one!

Photos part 8: Lake Tana

The next excursion happened on Lake Tana, where pelicans are plentiful. If you go there in the morning, the waters are calm; after noon, waves start to pick up a bit.

The islands in Lake Tana are home to monasteries. You can see some original art works and also have access to handicraft vendors, including a man who paints in the traditional style.

You may also find hippopotamus on the lake. This is one reason why I preferred to travel via motor boat, instead of the more traditional papyrus boat method.

Photos part 7: Blue Nile Falls in the dry season

The Portuguese Bridge, or the Egg Bridge. A knowledgeable guide can tell you much about where this came from, and how it got its names. Alternately, Wikipedia has a good history of the bridge and its repair.

This is the water level you can expect during the dry season because of a hydroelectric diversion.

There is still certainly a lot of walking and sightseeing you can do even when it's not the rainy season.

Photos part 6: Mentewab's Palace and Gondar Market

It's a less extensive site than Fasil Ghebbi, but that was the point. Empress Mentewab was made to feel unwelcome in the same palace complex as the rest of the dynasty, so she built her own palace far from it.

These were formerly the quarters of Scottish explorer James Bruce.

The palace comes bundled with a church which exhibits many ancient art works. It also holds the final resting place of the Empress and her son and grandson.

Following the palace visit, I explored the parts of the Gondar market containing more traditional handicrafts. Clothes, metal works, jewellery, plenty to be found.

The rest of the set can be found here.

Photos part 5: Simien National Park

Simien National Park is home to peaceful Gelada baboons. I was surprised at how close I could safely get to a mother suckling her child. Then again, whenever the baboons had a problem with me they would just move away.

The park is also home to ibex and foxes, among other wildlife, but the easiest thing to find is a view which reminded me at the time of the Grand Canyon. Except this one is greener.

The park is also the traditional home of people living in agrarian conditions. The people are friendly and quick to offer you their wares; I was only too happy to pay for a couple of photographs.

Photos part 4: Debre Birhan Selassie

On the roof of the church you can see ostrich eggs affixed to the cross. The guide said this is because when ostriches are laying eggs they crane their necks around to look at the process, and that this is symbolic of how God watches us from the very beginning.

The other direction shows you the gate with its style of architecture. Space inside churches is limited and often attendees will experience mass from outside.

The place is lined top to bottom with artwork in a traditional style. The colour scheme, as far as I know, comes primarily from what pigments you can generate with local natural sources.