Following polio vaccination efforts,
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13 of our Rotarian group were
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picked up from Hotel Ghion,
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transported by Ethiopian Airlines
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200 miles due north across
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rugged but farmed terrain
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to land in valley below Lalibela.
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our Twin Otter aircraft & crew
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Directed through the VIP lounge,
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we were bussed passed sorghum
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out of the valley
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via narrow paved road
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sometimes slowed by livestock
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up the mountain, past
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cave dwellings, pedestrians,
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local huts including some
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for animals, towards the
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mountain top former capital
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of 12th Century Prince Lalibela.
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new housing development
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Within the ancient city named after Prince Lalibela, now declared
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a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
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some protected from rain by
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metal roofs held up by exterior scaffolding,
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are a series of enormous
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rock churches, hewn out by excavating rock around and then within them.
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