xjwsforChrist

My understanding is that they can't leave Ethiopia in ANY manner, dear Miz Shirl (peace, chile!), so I'm thinking not even shipped out.

I have some more pics that I will post just so's you dear folks can share some more of our trip with us. It's a bit difficult for ME to stop looking at them. I'm home but I know I left a piece of me behind, even if it was a tiny piece. Again, it was a journey I will NEVER forget (I can't!) and one of the most memorable I have ever taken.

So, hold tight: more on the way!

Peace!

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

Sheldiana

Next time stick the rocks in your shorts

_________________
To fear me is to love me....

K, here we go (and peace to you, all!). And again, I apologize in advance for any potential neck cramps:


Some goat herders as we were on our way to the airport to leave Axum (our dear driver, Matar, was SO good about stopping his little car to let us out to take pics):




Another view of the chapel:




Another photo of a schoolboy (notice his shoes? ALL of the boys, tiny to about 16, wore them... in a multitude of colors. They were like the "crocs" of the region - LOLOL! We met him as we were going up a long road to the back view of that monastery dear 'Mom (peace!) posted on that high hill. It was far from our hotel room, but Sisai took us up a trail so we could get a better view and pics):




The excavation site of King Kabel's palace and tomb. He never used the tomb (I will post a pic of that in a bit) because he abdicated his kingdom to his son to go live the rest of his life as a monk (in that high up monastery), where he died and was buried):




Dear Zid (peace!) should like this one (a view from our taxi on the way into Axum, with dear 'Mom messing about with her fancy iPhone). Notice the "bumper sticker":




One of THE most delicious dishes of curried rice I've ever eaten (at the restaurant in the Consular Hotel, where we stayed in Axum):




I took this pic to show the "scaffolding" used by Ethiopian building constructors, even in the city (Addis Ababa). We saw many a fashionable hotel, even large banks, going up pursuant to this type of scaffolding, which is nothing more than thin, debarked tree trunks crossed and interlaced. Works, though, apparently, because even the tallest buildings went up by means of them:




The next two are of the interior of the Axum airport. Note the little cubicles, signs, and young men to the right of one. They are tantamount to the "rental car" booths in many of our US airports, but reflect the hotel booths (which are much more fancy - counters, comfy chairs, coffee table) found in Addis Ababa. In Axum, they are mere cubicles that can only hold one (or two) standing people at a time. The young men stand there and hold up signs indicating the particular hotel they work for:






A typical view of the Axumite terrain (SO rocky!):




BTW, the people we encountered spoke two languages: Addis (that's what Ethiopians call it) in the Amhara region, so those folks speak "Amharic." Axum is in the Tigray region and those folks speak "Tigrinya".

Alrighty, then! I will post some pics from inside the church in a bit (and maybe videos, if I can figure out how to do it) but have to upload from phone first.

Enjoy, chikkens... and peace to you!

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

Sheldiana, who tried several times to "resize" and/or "rotate" some of these, to no avail...

How did you guys get a guide? Did he come up to you and offer, or did you go looking for one? I don't know why that interests me so much, but it does, lol.

Peace,
tammy

Thank you for more pictures of your trip Shelby and explanations.

I have seen poor conditions before too like that in Mexico and Jamaica, St Kitts, etc. In St. Kitts this poor old lady was sitting by the side of the road chopping rocks into gravel. Their shelters were shantys and lean toos and smaller than one room and the terrain was rough and uneven and just dirt. We are blessed over here I suppose.

Funny you ask, dear tec (good morning and peace to you, luv!). Although we had pre-booked our accommodations in Addis, we had absolutely NOTHING planned as to Axum. No hotel, no taxi, no guide... nuthin'!

So, we get off the plane in Axum and just past the baggage check are these booths you see there... with several young men "manning" them, offering their respective hotel's services. They came at me first, but because I don't "do" that kind of thing (folks bombarding me! Unless it's little children, I tend to run - LOLOL!), but dear 'Mom seems to enjoy that kind of thing (or at least be able to handle it - LOL!), so I left her to it and went to check out the tiny souvenir shops. After a bit she came to tell me what the different room rates were, where the hotels were located (we wanted near proximity to the church), what amenities they had (some included free breakfast, etc.), etc.

Well, the bombardment started again as the young men tried to convince ME to convince dear 'Mom to go with their respective service... so I asked my Lord (because I didn't want to choose and have us end up in some "ungodly" hovel). And HE said "It is Axum, child. Stay in the best rooms available as your money will go far here." So, I asked one of the POLICE officers who was standing nearby (to make sure the young men don't get too out of hand), "Okay, sir, which is the BEST hotel in Axum?" and HE said, "The Consular, of course!"

So, I turned to the young men and said, "We will stay in the Consular!" at which point our dear guide, Mebrahtu, stepped forward and said, "I work for that hotel, as well! I will take you there!"

And he did! He arranged our ride (with dear Mahar, who became our personal driver for the entire stay) and got us to the Consular (which really was a very nice hotel... NOT just in amenities - nice, large, clean room, LOVELY showed with LOTS of hot water, street view, free breakfast... BUT we were told at the airport that the room rate was $75-$85USD/night... but because we booked two nights, we were given a discount - our room was $60USD/night!).

Although quaint, the staff was VERY accommodating. Quite fabulous, actually. Our "every wish" was their command. We even sent one young man out with $800UDS to exchange to "birr" (the Ethiopian currency). Of course, I was QUITE nervous at first. I had gone downstairs to the desk to ask it be exchanged but they didn't have enough birr on hand for that amount of money. So the concierge takes my money and gives it to a young man and sends him running out of the hotel (ER??!!!), then tells me I can return to my room and he will bring it up to me (double ERR??!!!!).

But I went to my room where I initially waitied a bit nervously. Dear 'Mom, though, was calm as a cucumber and so eventually I calmed down. After a bit, the concierge did bring my money up ($5,700 birr) and all was well. Dear 'Mom didn't have this problem because SHE was smart enough to get some birr from the ATM in Addis!

The exchange rate is $100 birr = $5.64USD! So we were able to share our "riches" with quite a few folks, praise JAH!

We had a blast, girl! A real blast! Again, too bad it was so short...

Peace!

YSSFS of Christ,

Sheldiana

In some ways, yes, dear Zoe (good morning and peace to you, as well!). But it might depend on what one considers as "blessed." We westerners have more stuff, yes, and much better amenities in our lives. And maybe better livelihoods. BUT... we have crime, cancer... and tend to be less happy than what I observed among the people of Axum. THEY, although having little (but that really is perspective because THEY don't think they have little!)... seemed to be VERY happy, very content, very gracious and amenable to one another...

Watching the children, while the little boys' wrestling did cause me some concern at one point, the other boys kept it balanced and every one still hugged and laughed afterward. The little girls are very close, walking home together arm-in-arm.

I asked dear Mebrahtu about the "crime" in Axum. His response was sublime:

"This is Axum, ma'am. We are orthodox. EVERYONE is good here. NO ONE is bad here. You need not worry; you are in Axum!"

So, again, maybe we are. Maybe... they are.

Peace!

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

Sheldiana

Note, in some places (Addis, airports, hotels, etc.) the town is referred to as "Axum." In the older places, it is written as "Aksum".

Peace!

A slave of Christ,

Sheldiana

Great to read these experiences! Brings it all to life.

Loz x

_________________
"This is my son. LISTEN to Him!"

Thank you Shelby. I knew that our Lord would provide, and it is so exciting to see that He did, even knowing that He would.


Also, your pictures are coming out great, so no need to worry about that at all. No neck craning. Love them all!!!

Peace,
tammy

Okay, some more pics to keep you dear folks "entertained" - peace to you all!

Views from glass-enclosed veranda (the breeze that flowed through there was WONDERFUL!!) at hotel in Axum where we had breakfast each day (you may see some goats across the street):












New church and its cemetery (same where priest is sitting on wall and young girl's grave in other pics):






Outside Axum history museum (different from church museum):




Sisai at entrance to King Kaleb's tomb; dear 'Mom (peace, chile'!) and Sisai in tomb chamber (showing Kaleb and son's unused tombs - his queen's is to the right and was broken up); King Kaleb's treasury chamber (gold in back "slot" near wall, silver in middle, and bronze in nearest):








Far end of Makida's (Queen of Sheba) swimming pool:






Pics from hotel room of monastery on top of hill (in background) and Axum taxi (little blue "car" in foregound - there were a LOT of them!). Somewhere dear 'Mom and/or I have closer pics of monastery from back side - she/I will post when we/I find them:








We were told that deacons (priestly assistants) could be married, as could priests (one wife only), but monks had to be celibate (although perhaps not a virgin, as King Kaleb had a wife and son before he took his vows and became a monk? I forgot to ask about that. 'Mom?)...

More pics a-comin'...

Peace!

A slave of Christ,

Sheldiana

Sweetie (peace to you, luv!), I'm so thin (and not necessarily in a good way - I could use another 10-15 pounds, prolly)... I couldn't even hide my own money belt - LOLOLOL! Had to ask dear 'Mom (peace!) to wear it under her jacket for me! So rocks in MY shorts... ummm... I mean, I understand how "bulges" might be important to a man (or a woman looking for a man - LOLOLOL!)... but, ummmm... no. NOT so much to me so as to exhibit 'em personally - LOLOLOL!

Next time, just won't buy no dang rocks. No matter HOW pretty they are. Well, no large ones (I could'a got that dang opal out just in my pocket - so I did "kick" myself for putting it with the others!). Even so, don't wanna break no laws in Africa... so prolly won't do that, either. Just admire them in their natural habitat!

Peace... and off to post a few more pics for you dear folks!

Your servant and a slave of Christ,

Sheldiana

JustMom looking gorge in that pic, has to be said.

Loz x

_________________
"This is my son. LISTEN to Him!"

Okay, some more pics:

This one view of the interior of new St. Mary's church (built by Haile Selassie) - the area behind the altar (with vivid paintings from Book of Miracles of St. Mary) and curtains to chambers behind:




This is a depiction of the transport of Ark from Jerusalem to Axum by Menelik (dear 'Mom - peace! - and I were told that this particular painting is rarely uncovered due to potential damage by light and sun but was for us because of our assistance to the poor outside. Not sure if that's true, but what the hey - made us feel "special" - LOLOLOL!):




These are of the ruins of the original church, the first christian church (building) built anywhere (hence, Coptic being the oldest form of "christianity" - the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodoz churches formerly being of the Coptic Orthodox church), constructed in the 4th century (i.e., 300AD). The chapel where the "Ark" is kept was built in the 15th century, and the current church, again, by Haile Salassie last century):




A couple more views of the chapel. The second one shows a monastery (not attached but across an allyway behind chapel) being renovated in the background:






Small airplane we took from Addis to Axum (same kind taken from), Axum control tower, and land outside Axum airport:








And "closer" view of monestary on high hill from backside of hill (well, as close as we could get - way far to walk, we were told):




So, K! That's about all I have (the rest of mine are just slightly different views of the same things). If I can figure out how to post videos, I have a couple/few and will post them. Otherwise, I'm done. Show's over... so, dat-da-da-dat-da-da-dat's all folks!

Peace, chikkens!

A slave of Christ,

Sheldiana

Dear JustMom IS a looker VERY "easy" on the eyes, dear Loz (peace, luv!) - LOLOLOL!

Peace!

Sheldiana winks at dear 'Mom...