Cloud Chasing
The daughter and her cousin raced the clouds to Egziabiher Ab BetaChristian (God is One, Church).
Egziabiher Ab BetaChristian is located on the top of a mountain in Debre Birhan (Mountain/City of Light) a region north east of Addis Ababa. “The town has an elevation of 2,840 meters, which makes it the highest town of this size in Africa” according to wikipedia.
We awoke early one morning and boarded a bus where bodies were cloaked in netelas (cotton scarves).
Told not to giggle and avoiding each others gaze, we spent the ride watching the pavements turn into fields.
The bus swayed along the curve of the mountains and our bodies flowed willingly.
We arrived in a small town and were blessed with a meal and tela (areka for others) preparing us for the remainder of the journey on foot.
After a few cups of coffee we encountered a woman, her brother and her young daughter. We began our pilgrimage together.
The view from the coffee house. We drank coffee as fresh as the mountain air.
My cousin and I were technicallllyyy the “fittest” of the group but as the many farmers and locals who overlapped us remarked; the math ain’t mathing.
We moved slowly chasing the clouds across waterfalls. We leaped on pebbles, we tread lightly on rocks trying our best to avoid the mud.
This journey held a somber note. As the last in the line, any time I felt the need to make a joke or tease someone the grip of my shoe and the ground would loosen and I’d feel the beginning of a fall.
I’d learnt softly that when you walk to God, walk quietly.
I trail behind and listen to the others speak of the other monasteries, their known secrets, how the journeys differ, what the signs are.
Every aspect, every sense was exhilarated.
I witnessed the muse of modern fantasy.
The land, the sounds, the purity.
The tickle of adventure and the comfort of going towards God.
Every time my family and I have traveled across this country by foot a shepherd is always there to make sure we don’t loose our way. Patiently and carefully we have always been guided step by step across the terrains, educated about the different plants and the different seasons. I forget how considerate they are until we exchange our peaceful goodbyes and I watch them resume to their natural pace surpassing the clouds.
We arrived at the Egziabiher Ab monastery during the end of Kudase.
This monastery is a sanctuary with many birds.
As soon as we arrived. We were given blessings; dubbo (a thick injera like bread).
The little girl walked around the church with me. We ended up becoming good friends. She embraced me and sang me lullabies to sleep.
The night was filled with prayers, chants, gospel and drums. The voice of the priests floated across the mountains. It was in celebration of the Filseta Tsom a 16 day fast commemorating the ascension of The Holy Saint Virgin Mary.
Sunday Service. The local community brought their Tithes, pouring grains on the Egziabiher Ab door step. Bringing goats and sheep with their vows.
We spent the morning walking up another mountain for Holy Water. We were showered with the Holy Water at the top, overlooking the land, given new breath.
We slowly made our way back.
Here’s a free piece of advice: when you ask someone how long the journey will take be specific and mention who will be taking that journey.
They told us that we’d almost arrived and the road was just around the corner.
It was. For them.
We arrived 2 hours later.
On the bus, passing through. The land is not only filled with shrubs, grass, trees, moss but colored so richly to the point where I felt I had witnessed every shade of green.
We left the City of Light and returned to Addis, a city now filled with the light from bonfires on every street. The fires were for the tradition of Buhe (The Transfiguration of Yesus).
We made it home to the family, lit our fires and sang for a new year.