the descent from Hudad

We were packed and fed and ready to descend the mountain bright and early the morning of our third day in Lalibela.  Going down was so much more fun than going up.  I had more opportunities to take in the scenery and Ashlynn fell asleep on my back for at least an hour of the trek down.

A large portion of the steepest descent had to be done on foot because the mules weren't steady enough to carry us and I found it refreshing to rely on my own feet to climb down.  When we reached the city the mules just kept on walking.  They carried us all the way to the Mountain View hotel where we would stay that night.  The difference between Hudad and Mountain View couldn't be more apparent as you arrive.  We all couldn't wait to take showers and wash the grit our from under our fingernails.  Our clothing and hair smelled like smoke from the fires we sat around for meals on the plateau.  We were filthy from the dust and grime from hiking up and down the mountain.

Mountain View hotel

We had just enough time to check in to our extremely modern rooms with electricity! Warm water! A bathtub! Toilet! It was amazing how luxurious these basic things felt after spending our time at Hudad.  The bath water was brown after we were finished bathing the children.  Feeling refreshed and famished, we caught a cab to an Ethiopian restaurant owned by a Scottish woman. The place is called Ben Ababa and it's like dining in Dr. Seuss' lair.  The views were spectacular along with the food.  With our bellies full we geared up to meet our guide for the second half of our adventure.  It was time to finally get a chance to see the famous rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.

Overjoyed to be out of the ergo carrier

Ben Ababa restaurant