This should have been a travelling day, but we decided instead to visit the monastery of Debre Doma - described in the museum video as "the Harvard of Christianity". We were on our way by 07.00, by which time the workers were working in the fields, and the schoolchildren were streaming into town. With virtually no houses in sight, at what ungodly hour do they all get up?
The rock strata on the way was quite incredible, with a seemingly infinite layers of different colours. Goodness knows how many primeval seas have laid down their deposits here over countless aeons.
The monastery is on top of an unscaleable butte and you start by climbing up 385(?) steps. However, contrary to what we had thought, after this you need to haul yourself up some 50' on a rope (with something of a very tatty "safety harness"). Six of us made it - needless to say, I did not even attempt it. However the reward for staying at ground level was that a funeral then took place with 100+ people (much wailing etc) and many flags and richly ornate parasols. Finally, the coffin (covered in a coloured cloth) was hauled up to be buried in the monastery. The kind of thing you may see in a tv documentary etc, but fascinating to be there in real life.
On the way back, we visited Yeha, site of a pre Aksumite temple (500BC?) - not a great deal to say except that it appeared to be a great block with four walls, and cut stones that needed no mortar of any kind to hold together.
Then it was on to the church of Jesus Christ in Aksum, disappointingly closed but the outside walls absolutely covered in murals. We decided that either our biblical knowledge is woefully lacking, or the Ethiopian bible is rather different to ours - although we did recognise "speak no evil etc"
Had a superb avocado smoothie - eaten with a spoon
No comments:
Post a Comment