The gravel road was steeper in places than we had encountered on asphalt roads thus far in Ethiopia.  On downhill sections, the bicycling was slow and treacherous.  And on uphill sections, at times, we lost traction and had to push the bikes, which was slow. Even on the flat sections the scenery was so beautiful that we stop frequently to take photographs, so our forward progress was still slow.

The net descent should have made this a relatively easy sections. What the profile doesn't show is that the first two-thirds of the route is gravel. It is mostly descent for 20 kms, then you climb and descend by the 30 km mark, and repeat again before 40 kms.  Both the descents and ascent in this sections presented challenges.  By the time we reached the paved section, the last third, it was mostly just a long slog up a mountain side.

It might be that there is only on place to buy prepared food between Gashena and Lalibela. With helpful directions from locals we found the restaurant -- it had no sign.  We ate lunch, but not without some attention from the community.  It was like bicyclists didn't stop there everyday.
 

After lunch, any optimism where it looked flat was short lived.  The road was a gravel roller coaster until it crosses a tributary of the Tekeze River. These waters will eventually flow north around the Simien Mountains and reach the Nile River in Sudan, north of Khartoum.

North of the river the road is paved.  The net gain from the river to the town is about 500m, but at the end of the day it seems at least twice that high.  You can be distracted from your exhaustion by the splendid views.
 

In 1996, families were still living in the Hadish Adi tukuls (far left). Since then there was a trend by young people to choose more modern housing, but older people resisted relocation and wanted to stay in their tukul to be near their church. With the designation of the area as a World Heritage Site and the establishment of the "Ethiopia Sustainable Tourism Development Program" (ESTDP) the 96 remaining households were involuntarily relocated to new housing several kilometers away. They received larger plots of land and a building allowance, but because of limited mobility and devotion to their traditional church, this has angered a group of the people and severely degraded their overall quality of life. 

As part of the ESTDP, the local authorities plan is to preserve the vernacular houses.  Some of it is being repurposed into agency offices.
 

The perpetual attraction of Lalibela are eleven rock hewn churches grouped in two clusters and the stand alone St; George Church. Steeped in myth, these unique places of worship fully functions today in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition as they have since workers (or angels) first tediously crafted the churches between 1180 and 1220 A.D, or perhaps earlier for some.

The principle legend is that the churches of Roha sprung from the vision of King Lalibela. The local narrative is that the king traveled to Jerusalem during the 12th century and returned to create a "New Jerusalem" in Roha. While the churches do not resemble the architectural structures in Jerusalem, many were built in honor of biblical figures and others were dedicated to Ethiopian saints and prominent figures. Additionally, various landmarks around the area are named after sites in and around Israel.

Another legend says that Lalibela was the brother of an incumbent king, and he was prophesied to become king himself after a swarm of bees covered him as a child. In a fit of jealously, his brother attempted to poison Lalibela, but instead cast him into deep, three-day sleep (of visions or hallusinations). That's when an angel led him to heaven (or Jerusalem), where he saw a city of rock-hewn churches. At the same time, his brother had a dream that Jesus Christ instructed him to give up the crown to Lalibela, which he did.

As for excavating the churches, legends say it took divine intervention. Because of the massive size of some of the building, the depth of excavation, the sophistication of the engineering and the intricacy of the workmanship, this is totally believable.

Scientists have calculated that it would have taken a workforce of 40,000 man years to construct the churches. Locals claim that, toiling all the hours of daylight, the earthly workforce was then replaced by a celestial one, who toiled all the hours of darkness. In this way, the churches rose at a miraculous speed -- in a matter of days. Regardless, they are enormously impressive.
 

Bet Medhane-Alem has empty graves said to represent the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
 

A second, smaller, monolith church, Bet Maryam, is in the adjoining courtyard. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and by some accounts is the oldest of Lalibela's churches. Bet Maryam is the most important and most beloved church, not only by the Lalibela clergy but also of the many pilgrims streaming into its courtyard on holy days. This popularity cannot be ascribed exclusively to the legend that King Lalibela himself favored this church above all having attended mass there daily. It has a simpler exterior, but what it lacks on the outside it makes up for with its exquisitely decorated interior.
 

The shrouded pillars (left) reputedly inscribed with the Ten Commandments in Greek and Ge'ez, as well as the story of how the churches of Lalibela were excavated and created. The priests say that this pillar glowed brightly until the 16th century and they claim it would be too dangerous to lift the veil for others.

In a variation, the priests explain that Christ touched the pillar when appearing to King Lalibela in one of his visions. Since that time the past and the future of the world are written on it. Since man is too weak to bear the truth revealed by God, the pillar is covered.

Elaborately and expertly carved into the ceiling are Stars of David, Moline Crosses, Crosses with looped arms, double headed eagles*, Lalibela crosses and a high density of geometric designs and motifs.

* The double headed eagle has a long history in the Eastern Orthodox Church.  It was used during the Byzantine Empire (11th C.) to symbolized the unity between the Byzantine Orthodox Church and State. It was used after that around the northeastern Mediterranean.  It shows up on coat of arms in eastern Europe (Russian Orthodox) in the 19th century.  Its use in Lalibela probably dates to the 12th century or earlier.
 

Bet Maryam also house a number of paintings and other treasure, some of which are on public view.
 

In the same courtyard as Bet Maryam is the much small Bet Meskel (House of the Cross), a rock-hewn cave church, carved into the wall of the depression. It contains a small chapel.

At the west end of the northwest cluster are the twin churches of Bet Mikael (a.k.a. Bet Debre Sina) and Bet Golgotha. They share an entrance through Bet Mikeal, but have different natures.

Bet Mikael (above) has high ceilings and some decorate carving.
 

Following the passage will take you southwest to the iconic Church of St. George, Bet Giyorgis. It is rare that a set of images of Lalibela doesn't contain a picture of Bet Giyorgis. It is probably the most photographed church in Lalibela, Ethiopia, and on the continent of Africa.

From every angle Bet Giyorgis is impressive.  It also seems to be one of the most popular churches in Lalibela.  This may be due to the presences it commands.

The story goes that Girorgis was so offened that none of Lalibela's churches was dedicated to him that he personally visited the King to set him straight.  Lalibela responded by promising he would build the finest of all his churches for Giyorgis.  So enthusiastic was the saint to see the results that he rode his horse right over the wall into the entrance tunnel.  The holes in the stone tunnel walls are the hoof prints of St George's horse.

It is the custom for believers to kiss the wall as they enter the tunnel.

In the enclosure there is a pond that is said to have wholly water.

In an unusual consensus, many past scholars and local tradition agree that many churches date from around King Lalibela’s reign in the 12th or 13th century.

But more recent scholarship date some of the structures to the 7th and 8th century.  This puts them in the period of King Kaleb (Axumat). Which might help to explain some of the Axumite features of some of the buildings.

Bet Lehem can be reach by a passageway 50 meters long that starts at the right-hand aisle of Bet Emanuel, and passes Bet Metcurios and the courtyard of Abba Libanos. The shrine has been shaped into a cone by the central trench; the tunnel still winds up in spiral form within the hill and ends in a low, round room. A tree-trunk in the room serves as a central pillar.

It has to be admitted that the original function of this shrine is not known. As a matter of fact, it has three names: "Hermit's Cell of King Lalibela''', "Bet Lehem, the Bakery of the Eucharistic Bread" and "Stable of King Lalibela's Horse".

As you exit the church sites there are some artist stalls and on the main street there are some souvenir shops that you can visit at your leisure.