Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmost region is an arid one, with classic desert landscapes punctuated by large sandstone walls and spires and with its own distinct ethnic group and language. What it is best known for though is its ancient rock-hewn churches carved out of the sandstone and often in the most peculiar places.
As is becoming apparent across all of Ethiopia, the only way to see the sights is through a private tour. Ethiopia is cheap to travel in, but to do anything else, your pockets quickly become drained. Not wanting to miss out on these extraordinary churches, Mark and I joined forces with a couple other Americans and spent two days cruising bumpy desert roads in a Toyota van while attempting to visit some of these churches. I wish I could say it was an amazing experience; in fact it was a frustrating couple days of dealing with corrupt priests and a couple Americans that were more difficult to stomach than even the most corrupt of priests. With that said though, Tigray will be the highlight of my Ethiopian journey and if I find myself back in this country, I will make a bee-line for Tigray.
Our first day involved visits to a number of sites all of which demanded absurd amounts of money to enter, only because we were foreigners. But it wouldn't stop there. Everyone expects to get a piece of the pie; unofficial guides, kids, priests, monks, and if donkeys could talk, would probably expect some money for just standing around. They follow close on your heals, tripping you up, and incessantly spew information about the sites, no matter how firm you are that you don't want or need a guide. In the end, they demand money for their services. It is extremely frustrating and distracts from the whole experience. I have experienced this in other countries, but in Ethiopia, they take it to a whole other level. From this, I came to the conclusion that before an Ethiopian learns how to talk or walk, they learn to extend their arm, looking for a handout.
By the second day, my patience were wore thin with the entire situation; I told myself I was no longer going to support the corruptive behavior cursing these miraculous churches. Instead, as negotiations would take place, I would slip into the desert and wander dry river beds and paths winding around farm plots. If even for a few brief moments of solitude, it would bring me around. Interacting with the local farmers and watching children's face light up as I extended my arm in greeting was invigorating. Just those few brief moments I could sneak in, made it all worth it. I will never forget some of the small, dirty children's faces change from one of fear and apprehension as I approached to some of the biggest smiles you will ever see as they would grab my hand in greeting. Some would still be asking for money, but in most cases, a handshake would more than suffice.
Even though my brief experience in Tigray was not the finest, from what I actually saw, it is obvious that there is something special about Tigray. It really is too bad that the little bit of tourism that it sees has thoroughly corrupted and brought out the worst in the people who deal with the tourists. If the opportunity arises again in the future, this will not stop me from visiting again. Through it all, Tigray is still awesome.
The churches of Tigray are built in the most unusual of places. The church on top of this butte supposedly had 150 monks living there and involved a climb up a leather rope to get there. Although the rest of the group decided to go up, I refused, not wanting to open my wallet any more to corrupt priests in addition to not wanting to trust them with my life on a rope. Turns out, if you pay their ridiculous price to go up, they will not let you down until you pay again.
The museum of one church was nothing more than a small room where the resident monk picked through dusty artifacts.
A walk along a small ledge probably some 1,000 feet up brought us to this small door. Inside was a multi-room church carved out of the sandstone with paintings adorning the walls and domed ceiling.
Peeking one's head into holes in the rock face would randomly reveal human remains.
I have traveled Africa at the peak of the mango season, but being here at the peak of the cactus fruit season was a new experience. The prickly, juicy, and delicious fruit were in very high supply and cheap.
Classic desert landscapes exemplify Tigray. The spire in the background actually has a church on top and involves a serious climb to get to.
Can't say for sure why the churches are built in precarious places, but they sure do have extraordinary views.
Classic desert scenery in Tigray.
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