Northern Ethiopia during the rainy season has some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.  They are reminiscent of the Scottish highlands.  During the rainy season, clear skies are hard to come by.  Most days are either very cloudy, or have a constant fog that obscures the hilltops.  That is the price you pay for seeing this much green. I am told that during the dry season, the same landscapes are a stark contrast of browns.  Consider that many famines in Ethiopia occurred when the rainy season never came.

1. Can you imagine living on a hilltop surrounded by so much beauty? The crazy part is, the residents of this tiny hamlet have probably known nothing else.

2: Periodically, you will see round shape of a modern Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Residents from villages miles away make the trek to attend church here. The north is a deeply religious part of the country.

3: A conical shaped hill disappears into the low hanging clouds, while a stream carries runoff from the recent rains.

4: This is the view of the countryside surrounding Lalibela itself, with a road leading to the town in the foreground.

5: You could almost picture what this landscape would look like on a clear day, with a few billowy white clouds in the sky.

6-7: Occasionally you will come upon a lone massive tree close to the road, and wonder how it was able to survive not being reduced to firewood.

8: I love the look of this half dead tree overlooking the city. It has a duality to it, like viewing two seasons at once.

9: I just loved this trio of weeping trees and how they emerge from the mist. You had to be there, it was really better in person.

10: A farmer pulls a traditional plow behind two cattle. I took this from a moving car, so the foreground is a bit out of focus, but I wanted to portray the importance of agriculture in this area.

Thanks for dropping by!  I hope that you enjoyed my travel photos and commentary, and will return for more travel content in the future.