I think my body clock is permanently set for 6am, so there was no sleep in this morning. I walked to the Seven Olives restaurant and had breakfast overlooking the amazing view of Lalibela. After breakfast I went for a walk back down the horrendous hill towards the churches and ran straight into an Ethiopian wedding. I followed the parade up the street for a while and then went off in the other direction. Just about everything was closed, so I walked along enjoying the spectacular views. Well until this young guy started following me and pointing out the obvious. Obviously for money, I ended up yelling at him to leave me alone. I went to a small shop to get some loo roll and got charged 8 birr each, they have been 2 birr everywhere else. This place is rip off central.

Frustrated with the people outside I went back to the hotel, getting caught up in the wedding march on the way. I did some writing and watched a few episodes of Red Dwarf on my laptop. I went down to reception to meet up with the trip out to the church of Yhemran Christos and jumped in a van which was really cramped and probably shouldn't have held ten of us.

We set off through the mountains, the driver racing around the rocky cliffs, I put my head phones in and closed my eyes and listened to the song that was playing and felt the wind in my hair, On the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality…… I was flying.

We got to the church and had to hike up quite a lot of stairs to the cave in which the church is built. I felt half dead by the time I reached the cave but it was well worth it. I had a quick look at the church, it was quite different to the churches we had seen yesterday. It was built inside the cave, not cut from it. The tomb of King Yhemran Christos was also outside the church in a large sarcophagus, draped in colourful material. In the back of the cave there were, what I can only describe as piles of skeletons. This is what I had come to see. Originally the guide had told us they were mummified, but it was obvious to me as well as the rest of the group that this was not the case. The guide told us the leading theory was they had all either been executed or come on a pilgrimage to die. There were supposed to be 7000 individuals in total.

We left the church and got back in the van. Kat and I made the mistake of sitting in the front seats, we were basically in the fetal position. When we finally got back my knees were so sore I could barely stand. I had a bit of a rest when we got back and then went out for dinner with Guy, Kat and Yngvar at the Seven Olives, which was one of the best meals I have had the entire time I have been in Africa.