Monastery in a cave

Our second day in Lalibela, we took a two hour four wheel drive trip to a church/monastery in a cave high in the mountains.

After driving for two hours, we started hiking. At 8000 feet up. And apparently the monks didn't really believe in switchbacks, because the path went straight up the side. Our guide kept telling us the hike was 2 hours, and we had to go to the top of the first hill, and then the top of the next one. After 15 minutes, Paige and I could no longer breathe, while our guide looked like he was out for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

Twenty minutes into the hike, we rounded the corner to see the church in a cave. Apparently our guide was a jokester, cause he had a huge smile and hearty laugh.



This one was built before the rock churches of Lalibela, and constructed of alternating layers of wood and stone.





How many feet do you think have walked on that threshold?


 


And in the back of the cave are the remains of pilgrims who come to be buried behind the church, and locals from the villages below. According to our guide, they think there might be 5000 bodies there. They once were all over the back of the cave, but were moved to one pile in the back when the cave was opened to tourists.