Greencaviar Travel

  Chapter 8: Lalibela - Ethiopia’s New Jerusalem Just when I thought I’d seen the worst of Ethiopian roads, we made the drive from Mekele to Lalibela. What should have been a five-hour trip stretched into more than eight. The road was nothing but mud and ruts. At times, it felt less like driving and more like wrestling the earth itself. And then there were the interruptions: Military and militia checkpoints. Herds of cows, donkeys, and goats blocking the way. Farmers tending their animals right in the middle of the road, moving only when they felt like it. It was exhausting, frustrating, and at times, absurdly funny. But as soon as we arrived, we were swept into something extraordinary. We had come just in time for a double celebration: the end of a two-week fasting season and Ashandye, a festival honoring the empowerment of young women. The air pulsed with rhythm—drums, chants, ululations—and everywhere people were dancing. We followed the music into the heart of the gathering, w...

Chapter 7:  I Rock-Climbed My Way to the Church in the Sky I knew we’d be climbing to see a rock-hewn church, but I had no idea what that really meant. There were five of us on this adventure, and none of us could have imagined how intense it would get. The destination was Abuna Yemata Guh, the legendary “church in the sky.” Perched on a sandstone cliff  nearly 8500 feet above sea level, it isn’t a place you simply walk into. To reach it, you must climb barefoot up sheer rock faces, squeeze through narrow crevices, and inch along ledges with nothing but the abyss below. The climb itself is an act of faith, and perhaps that’s the point. Built in the 6th century by Abuna Yemata, one of the Nine Saints who spread Christianity in Ethiopia, this church was designed to bring worshippers closer—literally—to heaven. And as I began my own ascent, I realized that this journey was not just about reaching a destination, but about confronting fear, testing trust, and stepping into a stor...