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Six Year Gap Year

Six Year Gap Year

Long term solo travel on a budget.

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Category: Ethiopia

Posted on August 5, 2017August 5, 2017

Cuddle a hyena in the ancient city of Harar

Exploring the ancient walled city of Harar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the spiritual heart of Ethiopia's large Islamic community, considered by some Muslims to be the fourth holiest city in the world.

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My second adventure out of Addis was one of the most diverse and exciting trips I've ever done: heading deep into the Danikal Depression, the hottest place on earth and home to the Afar people who man the salt mine. In some places the salt can reach 2km deep and in the rainy season it can flood to produce a mirror image of the sky. Have you ever visited a salt pan? 💎 The highlight of my trip to Lalibela was witnessing the St George's Day mass at St George's church. This rock-hewn church is the only one unsheltered which means you can really begin to understand the task of carving such huge and intricate buildings from the roof down into solid rock. I was lucky enough to be taken into the church where people were praying, being splashed with holy water and taking commune. Each saint has his own church and his own day, so see if you can time it right! Can you believe that church is about 12m high, and it's one of the smallest!? The town of Lalibela is nestled in the hills of northern Ethiopia and it's a gorgeous place to relax after a few hectic days in Addis. Every hotel has a mountain view, there are plenty of bars and restaurants (my favourite is Ben Abeba, with the best view), and of course the rock-hewn churches that are open to explore every morning and late afternoon. You can also hike into the wilderness to see hidden cave churches, tiny villages and maybe even some Ethiopian wolves! Does this sound like a place you could spend some time in? 🌄 Lalibela is one of the top tourist destinations in Ethiopia and it's not to be missed. You have the chance to explore many ancient and unique rock-hewn churches, some carved into the stone like this one, but many much larger and more impressive churches actually carved from the roof down, with so much detail and no mistakes, each pillar, window and cross bearing it's own religious meaning. It's well worth hiring an official guide for a day so you don't get lost in the tunnels that connect them all! Have you ever seen something like this before? 👳 One thing I noticed while in Ethiopia is how incredibly beautiful the women are, even the way they dress is eye catching. The already colourful streets of Harar were made even more bright because of this. Where have you noticed such colourful traditional clothing? 🎨 One of the main draws for tourists to Harar is a visit to the hyena man, as seen on BBCs Planet Earth II. What started off as a ritual to keep these wild animals away from livestock during famine has evolved to a man keeping the packs away from the town with the promise of fresh meat, and an unsuspecting tourist or two! To say I got to cuddle a hyena on my birthday is pretty wild! Have you ever done something crazy on your birthday? 🍰
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