The road to Lalibela, home of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Rock Churches, is mental, in more ways than one. It ascends over hundreds of kilometers to a high plateau of about 2,500 meters in height, involving a road trip of stunning beauty and alpine type twists, turns and ascents.
There were so many places we wanted to stop and take photos that had we done so we would still be there. If this had been in Europe there would have been a view point every 100 meters or so. As it was, all we got every now and then were groups of workmen doing repairs or adding finishing touches under the watchful eye of the Chinese engineers whose government is financing many of the roads in Ethiopia.
Eventually the road to Lalibela itself becomes a 40 km dirt road, which leads you a merry dance over arid valleys and dry river beds, giving for an extended off road experience of challenging proportions, especially when you tag it onto the end of an already long day full of driving. We considered ourselves fortunate to have arrived in Lalibela before nightfall.
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