"They say the angels helped the king build the churches," Tesfa our guide interprets as village children crowd around us giggling nervously. Most of them wear crucifix necklaces, a symbol of their deep-seated religious faith.

Chiselled by hand out of pink granite the design and craftsmanship of the 11 churches is advanced and diverse. The first group of churches lie in rock cradles one behind the other: Bet Golgotha, Mikaei, Mariam, Mesket, Danaghel and Medhane Alem. Bet Giorgis, the most famous due to its cross shaped roof, is set apart from the others on a sloping rock terrace. The group of four south of the Jordon River are Bet Emanuel, Mercuiros, Abba Libanos and Gabriel-Rufa'el.

Shoes must be removed before entering each church. Tesfa tells us it would be nice to help local employment and hire a 'shoe-man'. We agree and hire one of the many 'shoe-men' who wait in hope all day. He is helpful and eager to please. He unties and ties the shoelaces each time we come and go from the churches and protectively guards them while we are inside. We only have 50 birr (A$8) on us and give that to him for his three hours work. He embraces us warmly and does not want to let go. Tesfa shakes his head in disapproval. "You will throw out the local economy by paying too much," he chastises.

Our guide takes us through the underground tunnels connecting the churches. It is dark with a musty odour and the darkness swallows up my torch light. Silence fills the air except for the distant echoes of priest footsteps going about their divine business. From the darkness our guide explains, "Underneath are the bones of pilgrims and monks who travelled from as far away as Jerusalem so they can die here." I feel claustrophobic, shiver and am covered in goose bumps

As we walk back through the village, locals invite us into their house for a coffee ceremony. Beans are roasted and pulverised by hand and the coffee is made before our eyes. We sit around the small fire on the dirt floor while our host serves the strong-sweet brew from a delicate pot into a wooden ladle. Tesfa interprets, "They are very happy for tourists to come to Lalibela it makes them feel very humble." Soon we can hardly move as the house gets crowded with curious family, neighbours and friends. The bittersweet aroma of coffee and smoke from the glowing coals fills the house. Before we leave they proudly show us the prize family goat that was given to them by a sponsoring organization.

We stay at Hotel Jerusalem. It is basic, with limited water but clean. Buckets of hot water are bought to our room at night. The meals are simple but appetising. We try the local sickly-sweet heavenly'tej, the honey wine that for which Lalibela is famous.

On the balcony we watch the sunset. Over the horizon a hint of orange like embers smoulders across the desert landscape then meets a lavender sky that spreads into pink then yellow for as far as we can see.

Lalibela a city carved from legend is a unique place to visit whether it is for a religious tour or simply sightseeing. To explore and discover the sites you need at least a couple of days. Visited by few western travellers it must rank as one of the wonders of the world. Not only is it full of history, Lalibela is also bursting with culture and tradition.