Muchaw

I'm away for a few days. In the meantime, I thought I'd post a photograph of my guide from my trip to Lalibela.

Muchaw is a Deacon of the Orthodox Church. He was an amazing guide, got me into places that I wouldn't have had access as a normal tourist, showed me around Lalibela, and of course, lent me his rather large size 12 trainers when my own shoes got stollen from outside one of the churches of Lalibela (I've never seen someone look so shocked, dumbfounded and embarrassed at the same time - personally, I thought it was very funny).

Pictured in the background is the rock hewn church of St George. It is in my opinion, the most stunning piece of architecture in Ethiopia. So much so that I asked Muchaw one day why there were no tourist souvenirs of it.  I wasn't surprised when the very next day he arrived at my hotel with two replicas of it - one made of local stone and another made of wood.

Someone, somewhere, had been up all night working away at making these models in the hope of  a few Ethiopian Birr.

If you are thinking of going to Lalibela, then you can contact Muchaw at muchaw2007@yahoo.com