We flew back to Gondar Thursday at noon and spent the rest of the day there….

Gondar from our hotel balcony at the Taye Belay

At the FOUR SISTERS Restaurant for lunch

Gate to King Fasiledes' Bath House

A cute mom and her baby near the bath house

The Bath House

The pool surrounding the house, where thousands

of people come and jump in to be re-baptized

every year on January 21 for Timket

Our awesome guide, Gecho

Roots of the banyan trees going over the wall

The Bath House from the back….

The tree roots were on BOTH sides of the wall!

A guard tower

Women coming from an infant baptism

at Debre Birhani Selassie church

A mom and baby outside the Ethiopian Orthodox church

The gate to the Debre Birhane Selassie Church

Debre = mountain, Birhane = light

and Selassie = trinity

Ostrich eggs (7) on top of the church, symbolizing the 

seven days of creation.  As the ostrich looks down at

its egg until it hatches, the Lord looks down at us and

protects us. 

The whole ceiling is painted with angels looking down on us

and taking care of us.

Ceremonial drums with lots of symbolism

that the deacons play in the church 

Murals cover ALL four walls and the ceiling

Mary's eyes watch you wherever you go

in the church...

The Holy Trinity and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ

The church is shaped like Noah's Ark

Gecho, our guide on the left and we ran into

Abebo, our guide from LAST November

when we were there with Elder and Sister Tanner

King Fasiledes' Castle built in the 1600s

There were 6 castles in the royal enclosure…

(For more details see our post from Gondar in November 2013)

This castle was destroyed by the British in WWII

and later rebuilt by the Italians

Beautiful Gondar looking outside of the royal enclosure

What a FUN day with our Jon and his wife, Emily in Gondar, Ethiopia!

This cool shot was taken by our guide, Getachew (Gecho)

Good night Gondar!