Waking Up to Christmas in January

January 7th, 2020

We emerged from our tent at 7am and enjoyed what was possibly one of the best breakfast views in the world. The cook at Jegoley Family Eco-Camp had prepared toast and eggs as well as coffee and tea, served to us at the edge of the plateau. Our day was already much better than the previous one when arrived in Lalibela. It was strange to be celebrating Christmas in January, but Ethiopia, one of Africa’s oldest nations, still follows the ancient Julian calendar and the birth of Jesus is celebrated on January 7th.

Abraham, the owner, had some clients to meet in town and offered to lead us down the footpath, a much shorter route to town than the winding road our tuk-tuk took the day before. During our descent, we passed a few tour groups hiking up, probably heading for the monastery just beyond our village.  People looked at us amazed, wondering how we had managed to already be on our way down from the steep ascent. It would never have occurred to them that we were actually sleeping up there.

Our plan was to take in the celebrations that day, but not attempt to enter the churches because of the massive crowds. We would hire a guide and see the inside of the churches the following day. 

The celebrations were a lot to take in.  Because the churches are carved out of solid-rock into the ground, we could watch all the activities from above.  Large groups of pilgrims, dressed in white, gathered around drummers and people with large speakers. The crowds chanted, which was done by letting out a high pitch yell while flicking the tips of their tongues against the rooves of their mouths(Lalalalalala).

We watched countless people try to squeeze through the narrow tunnels to the churches and through the church doors. By the fertility pool, barren women lined up to have a priest tie a rope around their waist and lower them in. In theory, by the end of the year, they would be with child.

By 3pm, we were hot and exhausted. Everywhere we walked, groups of locals called for us to join as they drank beer and ate tibs (goat meat). We picked one of the many shops that had transformed into a Christmas Day bar.  Some locals made space for us at their table. Despite us ordering beers, the owner insisted that we also try honey wine and poured up a free glass for us to share. After 2 weeks in Ethiopia, having to always be on guard to avoid getting ripped off, we were seeing the true generous and friendly spirit of the Ethiopian people.

We messaged Abraham, who luckily was still in town, and he told us to meet him. His friend Daniel, the tuk-tuk driver, drove the three of us back up the mountain.

The Coffee Ceremony

Learning of my love of coffee, Abraham asked if I wanted to help with a coffee ceremony.  This was quite generous since some places in Lalibela were charging 150-200 Birr just to watch one. I had already watched one for just 10 Bir (the cost of the coffee) under the fig tree in Aksum’s piazza, but I had not had a chance to do one myself. Ethiopians take fresh coffee to an extreme. The country is, after all, the birthplace of coffee. We started with a handful of fresh coffee beans and I roasted them in a shallow pan.  This step was followed by an intense grinding of the beans.

I only lasted so long grinding with a piece of rebar before letting Abraham’s niece take over for me. I had never had to work so hard for a cup of joe. His other nieces and nephews were delighted that I had been freed up to take photos and videos of them as the coffee heated over the flames. Next to us, Abraham’s uncle skinned our Christmas dinner.  

A Christmas Feast

That evening, Abraham brought us to the family’s home for Christmas dinner. There were about 12 people in the room. A number of them had been part of the coffee ceremony, so we felt a little more at ease inserting ourselves into such a special family moment. 

The room was dark with the exception of one light in the corner and news radio played in the background.  Abraham’s sister came around filling our glasses to the brim with homebrew beer. It was not until my 5th refill, the 3rd I had unsuccessfully protested, that Abraham finally revealed that I had to put my hand on top of the glass to get her to bypass me. 

The first course served was the goat’s organ meats in an orange sauce served on injera (Ethiopian sour flatbread). Jon, Abraham and I shared from the same giant plate. When this was done, the delicious goat meat was served on another helping of injera. Finally, each person in the room was presented with a bone. One was not done until the bone was completely clean! It was an exceptional experience to share in such an authentic moment with the family.

They had no obligation to include us, this was not part of the advertised experience of the eco-camp, however, over the first two days of our stay, Abraham had gone from host to a true friend. The family howled with laughter when I started to show the ridiculous videos of the youngest kids, who had been in full performance mode during the coffee ceremony. The adults even had a go at taking pictures with my camera.

Jon and I returned to our tent with full bellies and a little drunk. We fell asleep to the distant sound of thousands of pilgrims celebrating in the town below. 

Stay at Jegoley Family Eco-Camp

If you are planning a trip to Lalibela and would like to stay at Jegoley, please book directly with Abraham. His Whatsapp number is +251 93 114 6257 or contact him through Facebook Jegoley Family Eco-Camp. He rents tents, huts or you can bring your own tents. Abraham is also a professional guide and can be contacted for guiding services in Lalibela (both hiking and church tours). He can also be hired as a guide for full tours of Ethiopia. I am posting this as a happy client and have not received anything for this recommendation. Our stay with him was one of our top experiences during our 2 months in Africa and we hope others can share in that experience as well.

A few more pics