Last weekend we experienced one of the highlights of our time in Ethiopia; a weekend trip to Gonder and Lalibela. Even though Caleb and Max were partially laid up with bad tummies, we were able to take in two of Ethiopia’s most important and impressive historical sites. We actually saw more than we can reasonably recap here so each of us will briefly share our favorite photos and trip experiences.

Both Gondar and Lalibela are former capitals and to this day serve as important religious and cultural centers for the country. We started our trip in Gonder, which was a capital for over 100 years in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Gonder sits about 250 km west of Sudan and the main draw here is a series of stone castles.

From Gonder we traveled to Lalibela which served as a capital during the 12^th and 13^th centuries. People from all over Ethiopia and the world still make pilgrimages to Lalibela to see the network of churches, all hand carved into stone and built below ground level. We spent two days here including, observing morning prayers at 6:00 AM. Here are the highlights:

Romi – I really loved seeing both the churches and castles. I also really enjoyed the view from our hotel in Lalibela. From one side you could see the huge Saturday market and from the other side, beautiful mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caleb – My favorite part of the trip was seeing all of the beautiful and amazing buildings in Lalibela that were hand chiseled. It is incredible to think that these churches that were built over 800 years ago by chiseling free standing buildings out of the mountains. I also liked hearing about how angels worked on the churches at night so they would be built faster.

Sue – We were fortunate to have two wonderful guides, Getachew and Muluye, who did an amazing job leading us through the sites and providing detailed explanations of the history and architecture. In Gondar, I really enjoyed seeing Fasiladas’ Bath which was built by the king as a place for rest and relaxation and todays hosts the biggest Timkat (Ephiphany) celebration in Ethiopia every January. A highlight from Lalibela was waking up early on Sunday to witness the 6:00 am service from outside Bet Medhane Alem church. Amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max – My favorite part of the trip was the last church we visited in Lalibela – Bet Giyorgis (St. George’s Church).   We arrived at 4:00 pm when there were still other visitors including a large group of university students. When the church closed at 5:00 pm, Muluye suggested that we linger and watch how the changing light reflected on the church. We ended the day alone just our family and a few monkeys that decided to hang out us.

Noah – My favorite thing on our trip was the food. At our time in Gondar and Lalibela in 3 days I had three huge delicious plates of tibs (stewed meat dishes). In Addis we rarely eat meat because everyone is fasting so it was awesome to have as much meat as I wanted for 3 whole days. Here is a picture of a huge bowl of lamb tibs I had at a restaurant in Lalibela.

 

We are excited to publish Romi’s first blog post in which she talks about her volunteer work at Sele Enat Mahiber orphanage. Sele Enat is located about 15 minutes from the campus of Hope College.

Since we came to Addis Ababa, my mom and I have been volunteering at the Sele Enat orphanage. Every morning we go to the orphanage at 9:30 am and come back to our apartment around 12:30 pm. I help the nannies and play with the kids that are from 1 – 2 years old. Once they are done playing, I help feed them lunch and then it is nap time.

The assistant director’s name is Zelalem. He is a very nice man. He cares a lot for the children in the orphanage and so do the nannies.

I go to Sele Enat because I once lived there for four months when it was called Layla House and before my mom and dad came to pick me up. I want to help out and I like being there with the kids. They are all so cute! Two of them that I know of are being adopted soon. One of the baby boys fell asleep on my lap while I was taking care of him. That was nice!

I feel happy and helpful to the nannies at Sele Enat. I feel happy because not many volunteers come so I know my help is needed. This has been a good experience for me and I am so happy I can help this organization.

Footnote:

The words Sele Enat Mahiber translate into “in place of (Sele) mother (Enat) association (Mahiber)”. Sele Enat is a local NGO founded in 2002 The organization currently cares for 64 children ages birth to 17 at the orphanage and in an off-site group foster home.

They also operate income generation, child sponsorship, and family reunification programs in Addis and southern Ethiopia. To learn more about this wonderful organization, please check out their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sele-Enat-Mahiber/135866289780368

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editors’ Note: This post has been upheld by the Parental Censor Board, but is now family friendly.  Please email Noah directly for the unrated version!

By Noah

Our 36 hours in Dubai were magical. Never have I been to a more efficient and well-run city in my life.

What strikes you first is that the city is incredibly clean. The streets are spotless with no trash, pets, spit, or any of the other unsightly things that might cover our side walks in America. The food court in the mall is the cleanest eating facility I have ever seen with not a crumb, spill, or stain anywhere in sight.

Another amazing thing about Dubai is that it is incredibly easy and affordable to get around. Their light rail system, which is also spotless and air conditioned, runs straight through the middle of the city on the major highway and can take you anywhere you want to go. Air-conditioned walkways take you around the downtown area that make it so you never have to get tired. Trolleys and trams make much of the remaining city accessible with comfort and ease.

The city also oozes creativity and is a perfect example of the modern uses of science, technology, and engineering. From the Burj Khalifia, the tallest building in the world coming in at over 500 meters, to a building where the floors rotate every hour giving its residents a 360 degree views of the city, Dubai displays some of the greatest feats of contemporary human ingenuity and imagination.

Dubai is also a beautiful city. The Dubai marina where we stayed has miles of palm tree lined walkways around a marina filled with sparkling green water. Between the beautiful buildings, clear blue sky, and the surround of plants and trees, Dubai presents itself as a desert oasis.

A final great feature of Dubai is the people! During our short stay, we met people from England, the Netherlands, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nepal, all of whom were friendly and eager to talk with us. My impression was that even with such great diversity people worked together in unity and harmony.

I have never seen a city quite as incredible as Dubai and I really hope I will have more opportunities to explore this amazing city.

 

 

We had a full day on Thursday exploring Addis with our friends LemLem and Abraham.  Stops included the African Union building (actually just seeing it from the street!), the Mercado to buy Romi a new Ethiopian dress (made possible by the LemLem’s fabulous bargaining skills), and Churchill Street so Caleb could buy and Ethiopian national soccer jersey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Sue

Today we had the enormous pleasure to join our friend, LemLem, and several close relatives for a leisurely Sunday lunch and coffee ceremony. As we pulled up to the gate, Max and I immediately recognized that this was the childhood home of our dear friend in Seattle, Beruke Giday. Eight years ago when we came to Addis to pick up Romi, Beruke arranged for us to join her sisters LemLem and Fetlework, as well as her mother Abrahatsion for a similar gathering of lunch, coffee, and conversation. What a treat to be returning to the same location several years later!

The house is located on a lovely piece of property that includes a main house and several smaller dwellings as well as a large yard and garden. While we have had many amazing moments thus far, this afternoon topped them all as we moved from discussions about religion, Ethiopian history, and lots of hearty laughs and good-natured teasing. While we talked, we ate, and ate, and ate some more, before ending the afternoon with the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. We had to cut Noah and Caleb off at two cups! To top it off, Noah got an impromptu self-defense lesson, Caleb was compared to McCauley Caulkin in Home Alone, and Romi was generally fawned over all day.

We are so grateful to have these close connections in Ethiopia! It makes our experience here all the more rich and is a big part of why we have grown so fond of this lovely country.