Jesus’s Finger (quiet, Myriah- I can already hear your comment). Get ready for more of this cause the Christianity spigot has been turned on full blast.
I’m writing from the back of a nine passenger van driving that is traveling across the rolling Ethiopian countryside. There are two of us on the road, in addition to our taciturn yet friendly driver whose name I have already forgotten. Thus far I think that we have passed about one thousand people over the course of two hours, and most them have reached their hand out looking for a lift as we pass them by.
This country is one of the most populated in Africa.
The average Ethiopian isn’t exactly rolling in the bucks, and as such I feel unfairly over-privileged as our ride rattles by all of these people without giving a second look. The feeling only intensifies when our van is passed by similar ones, but all of these are filled to the brim with people transiting from one place to another. Economy of transportation: Americans don’t exactly subscribe to this.
The mercato in downtown Addis. Lots of people, lots of activity- and you can find just about anything you need here.
I’m not out to compose a blog entry that explores my bouts of Western Guilt in Africa, but I did want you to see how this three hour van ride served as a microcosm for the daily moral conflict that comes with living outside of my cushy American surroundings. At the same time, I also want you to know that when I post photos of regular life over here, you shouldn’t scroll through and quickly surmise that society stagnates at the poverty line. You’re a fool if you don’t think that each African community (note I don’t say country) is intricately layered and nuanced. But I digress…
Was I overcharged because I am faranji and paid five dollars for this? Who cares. It’s worth five dollars for me, and I have no patience to bargain for more than 60 seconds. Shopping in the market is just once slice of the never-ending ping pong match we play with one another.
Meanwhile back in the van, we’re not exactly 100%…
We’re covering a lot of ground in Ethiopia, and although we have only just begun our trip- both of us have been felled by glamorless stomach ailments that have relegated culinary choices to the Elwood Blues variety. But enough about that- I’ve got a bunch of photos to post…
Sara and I are intrepid travelers- this photo was taken over Addis Ababa, just before we really started to get our Orthodox teachings on.
St. George Cathedral in Addis Ababa, the country’s capital. The majority of Christians (roughly 65% of the country) belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Ethiopian figure of religious significance. You’ll have to forgive me and my foggy memory- this was about four churches ago, and we have gotten a lot of religion.
The national museum has lots of cool history, including the bones of Lucy. Unfortunately, she is currently on exhibition in Boston. Lucky girl…
After one quick day in the nation’s capital, we boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Bahar Dar. Upon arrival, we hopped into a boat to check out one of the many monasteries that are dotted on Africa’s second largest lake, Lake Tana.
I just love how Budget Rent a Car does Rent a Boat in Ethiopia.
After a 35 minute boat ride, it’s a 2 kilometer walk to visit Ura Kidane Mihret Monastery.
It doesn’t look like much from the outside…but that’s the cool thing about these churches…
A whole different look from the inside.The interiors are covered in gorgeous pictorials of biblical stories.
Mary features prominently in the Orthodox religion.
These paintings are hundreds of years old, with paint derived from locally procured materials like flowers and plants.
We have already seen a bunch of churches, and are undeniably beautiful in their craftsmanship. As each guide is a good church-going citizen (and excellent guide), they enthusiastically walk us through the story of Jesus with each church we visit. I don’t want lightning to strike me dead, so that’s all I’ll say about that.
The outer ring of the church. Each has a drum to signal to the people that an announcement will be made.
These are prayer sticks. One famous figure in the Orthodox religion prayed for 16 years straight, lost his leg, and then prayed on for another 4 years. I think that the stick made all the difference in this case.
Completing our monastery visit, we headed for our boat. While heading back to Bahar Dar we passed a slew of these papyrus boats as they hauled wood that was headed to the market. It takes them six hours to go as far as we would in 35 minutes.
So I was going to post some more photos, but I think I will stop here for now. Still recovering from my stomach’s wrathful demeanor and all of the intensive Sunday School classes, I need to just hit post for the moment and go take a break on a prayer stick. All sarcasm aside, this country is incredibly expansive and diverse. I’m going to have trouble keeping my photos to a minimum.