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Tigray goes Green
The UK FCDO travel advice has just been changed to show all the core areas of Tigray (away from disputed territories and boundaries) as green. UK FCDO travel advice for Tigray At Tesfa Tours we have been sending clients there to trek at community-owned guesthouses and see the wonders of the ancient city of Axum and there hidden rock churches of Gheralta. However for British nationals the factâŠ
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Iâm in love with #ethiopia from #addisababa to #lalibela to #aksum to #gheralta and to #Harar The mountains, churches, #ethiopianfood and the nature had arrested me. But the beautiful #ethiopianpeople made my trip worthwhile. They extended their beauty, humor, and contentment to us. On this trip, I have learned to be brave. I have also learned to halt the channels in my mind that have decided the outcome on things before trying. I have my three super friends @romainbielaire Ilse, and Julien to thank for this for the lessons on bravery. (Also thanks to my friend @elisebjastad Who introduced me to hiking many years ago when we hiked in Norway.) Now, Iâm so into #hiking and bravery! Here are a collection of photos from people I met along my travels throughout Ethiopia. The second to last photo is with Julien, me and these two fabulous Russian travelers we meet while camping in the #danakildepression and the last photos is with my crew in a cave! A cave! We slept one night in a cave. #howcool #blacktravelmovement #travelgram #travelphotography #bookblogging #love #inspiration #travelnoir #habesha (at Ethiopia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzf3I6Slokt/?igshid=1f0dq3y6sjfjw
Gheralta
These steep pillars are the last remnants of a thick sandstone plateau, now mostly eroded away. They are found in the Gheralta plateau, in northern Ethiopia. The contact between the sandstones and the lower unit is mostly covered by debris, but the lower unit is much older. The sandstones were deposited in the Paleozoic as sediments washing out from large Gondwanan glaciers and they are found directly atop folded, metamorphosed Precambrian gneisses.
In a few million years, even these pillars wonât be standing, but for now they exist and even served a noteable historic purpose. Travelers to this site can walk through and visit chambers dug into the pillars that represent literally over a hundred ancient Christian churches. The churches are found in caves and even sculputed the rock into their internal structure â some of them contain paintings on the walls and supporting pillars carved directly from the sandstone. The churches date back to the 4th century and were used when invaders tried to drive early Christians from the area.
One set of churches even finds access to their front doors thanks to the geology. A meter-wide basaltic dike has intruded through these sedimentary rocks and the basalt proved easier to erode than the surrounding sandstones. The basalt basically serves as a staircase that allowed access to the interior of the sandstone and surfaces along which caves could be carved.
-JBB
Image credit: Pierre le Bigot https://flic.kr/p/dCFD6N
References: http://bit.ly/29mj3ij http://bit.ly/2922ho1 http://cnn.it/297fq3o http://backpackingman.com/hidden-rock-churches-tigray/
Abuna Yemeta Sunset by burntoshine
Gheralta landscape, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
by TirKairi
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Another week-end in Tigray
It all started with the discovery of Mekelleâs night life, they have some strange habits there. Which ever bar you go to, you can be sure that somebody will be offering you a boiled egg when you get out of it !
Early morning, we headed North towards Wukro. After a quick breakfast and a few phone calls to find a guide that would bring us to the churches we had spotted in the guidebook (Abraha Atsbeha, Debre Tsion, and Yohannes Makudi) we were back on the road. Turn left just at the exit of the town if you want to follow our steps to the Gheralta cluster.
After a great visit of Abraha Atsebeha church on the way, we met up with the guide we had reached out to thanks to the Gheralta Lodge reception (probably the best way to find somebody reliable in the region). This is where the hiking part started, first an hour and a half walk uphill to Debre Tsion, the landscape up there is absolutely fantastic and the church pretty interesting too with a lot of nice paintings and bas-reliefs.
The next step was to go to the top of the neighbouring moutain, much more climbing there, to get to Yohannes Makudi church. The church stands behind some important sandstone rocks and presents some very naĂŻve paintings from an undefined time. Surprising ! Unfortunately the cameraâs battery was over so no picture from that oneâŠ
As always we enjoyed the rest of our Tigrayan stay at the Gheralta Lodge that we have already advertised for a few times on this blog.
Lalibela
Saavuin tÀnÀÀn Lalibelaan yhden synkÀssÀ Woldiassa vietetyn yön jÀlkeen. TÀÀltÀ löytyy Etiopian ykkösnÀhtÀvyydet eli aikaisempia hienommat kiveen kaiverretut kirkot. Ehdin niitÀ tÀnÀÀn jo vilkaista ja aika hienojahan nuo olivat. Odotin pelolla myös hirveÀÀ hÀslÀystÀ tÀssÀ kaupungissa kun huhujen mukaan tÀÀllÀ kaikki huijaa turisteja jatkuvasti mutta kÀvikin ilmi, ettÀ tÀÀllÀ onkin aika leppoisaa. Yksi syy saattaa olla se, ettÀ turisteja rahastetaan oikein kunnolla pÀÀsylippujen muodossa: kirkkojen sisÀÀnpÀÀsymaksu on 50 $! Aika kova hinta kyllÀ ja kuulemma tÀmÀ aiheuttaa jo pientÀ kitkaa paikallisessa yhteisössÀ. SisÀÀnpÀÀsymaksut kun menevÀt suoraan ja verottomana kirkolle eli muu yhteisö jÀÀ osattomaksi tÀstÀ suurehkosta rahavirrasta. LisÀksi muutamat isoja rahoja kÀÀrivÀt papit ovat lÀhteneet perustamaan hotelleja ja ajavat nÀin muiden hotellien omistajia ahtaalle. Uskon hyvin korkeiden lippuhintojen myös vÀhentÀvÀn yleisesti tÀnne suhtautuvaa turismia ja tÀten myös kylÀn muun matkailusektorin tuloja. Potentiaalia tÀllÀ paikalla olisi kuitenkin ties mihin. Toisaalta Àskeisten Hawsienin lÀhiseudun kokemusten jÀlkeen olin ihan tyytyvÀinen siihen, ettÀ sisÀÀnpÀÀsyyn riitti yhdellÀ tiskillÀ maksettu maksu eikÀ joka vÀlissÀ.tarvinnut olla maksamassa jotain lisÀmaksua.
Gheraltan kirkot
Saavuin Hawsienin kylÀÀn toissapÀivÀnÀ tarkoituksenani tutustua lÀhiseudun kirkkoihin. Alueella on nimittÀin reilu sata kirkkoa joista iso osa on vanhoja, vuoren seinÀmiin kaiverrettuja. Olin henkisesti valmistautunut vÀhÀn patikoimaan vuorenrinteitÀ ylös ja ihmettelemÀÀn siinÀ samalla leppoisaa maalaistunnelmaa. PidemmÀt siirtymÀt suunnittelin hoitavani joko liftaamalla tai jollain kivalla paikallisbussilla. Ajattelin kiertÀvÀni ehkÀ jonkun viisi kirkkoa pÀivÀn aikana. Asiat eivÀt kuitenkaan edenneet ihan suunnitelmien mukaisesti. EnsinnÀkin kÀvi ilmi, ettÀ liikkumiseen tarvitaan oma kulkuneuvo sillÀ liftauksen mahdollistavaa liikennettÀ ei nÀillÀ syrjÀisillÀ teillÀ ollut ja paikallisbussitkin kulkevat ehkÀ kerran pÀivÀssÀ. EnsimÀisen pÀivÀn tuhlasin tÀten kÀvelyyn ja toisena hankin itselleni moottoripyörÀn kuljettajineen. Kirkkoihin ei myöskÀÀn ollut kovin helppo pÀÀstÀ sillÀ vuorille kiipeÀminen oli yllÀttÀvÀn raskasta ja aikaavievÀÀ. HyvÀt nÀkymÀt huipuilta kirkkojen luota kuitenkin oli. Muutamassa tapauksessa kiipeÀminen oli myös pelottavaa sillÀ kapeiden polkujen tai lÀhes pystysuorien nousujen vieressÀ oli isot pudotukset. Ehdin tÀmÀn takia kÀydÀ vain neljÀssÀ eri kirkossa nÀiden kahden pÀivÀn aikana. Leppoisaa maalaistunnelmaa ei myöskÀÀn nÀkynyt sillÀ paikalliset keskittyivÀt turistien rahastamiseen erilaisten maksujen ja vaatimusten muodossa. Eli kun sisÀÀnpÀÀsymaksu kirkkoon oli maksettu, kÀvi ilmi, ettÀ minun pitÀÀ hankia vielÀ opas. (Toisena pÀivÀnÀ minulla oli jo opas mukana mutta kuulemma kyseessÀ oli vÀÀrÀnlainen opas ja oli pakko hankkia toinen opas.) Kun oppaan kanssa hinta oli sovittu ja kirkko kierretty, piti papille antaa rahaa kun hÀnen kirkkoaan siinÀ katseltiin. Sitten oppaalle piti maksaa lisÀÀ rahaa, koska. Mukana pyöri yleensÀ myös muutamia apumiehiÀ, jotka hekin halusivat vÀhÀn rahaa. Perusteluina tÀlle kaikelle olivat "kylÀn sÀÀnnöt" ja minulle tehtiin selvÀksi, ettei kirkoille ole asiaa ilman nÀitÀ maksuja. LisÀksi nuo yksittÀiset vaaditut summat eivÀt olleet mitÀÀn ihan pikkupennosia vaan pahimmillaan yli kymmenen euroa. Kun tÀhÀn vielÀ lisÀÀ kerjÀÀvÀt lapsilaumat, jotka heittÀvÀt kivillÀ jos heille ei anna rahaa, oli iloinen mieli aika kaukana pÀivÀn pÀÀtteeksi. Vaikka kirkot olivatkin hienoja, en suosittele tÀtÀ paikkaa kyllÀ kenellekÀÀn. Seuraava kohteeni on sitten Lalibela ja kuulemma siellÀ tÀtÀ turistien kiusausta on vielÀ enenmÀn. JÀnnityksellÀ odotan.
