The above picture shows "The Overlander team" enjoying a lunch break from a guided tour among the fascinating stone churches in Lalibela. From the left: Jarle Auset (cape2cape), Claudia Ruf (Germany), Marc Sztatecsny and Christine Strondl (Austria), Johan Bergqvist (cape2cape), Ian Baker (South Africa) and Werner Hüsser (Switzerland). I asked Werner if he knew my Swiss hometown Mumpf and he told me he was born in Frick (a few kilometres away) of all places. Small World, as always.

We met these globetrotters at our hotel, each and everyone with their special history and destination. It is utterly important to take time to "milk" other overlanders for useful information about the upcoming route, and this meeting was very useful. To calm down some family members at home, Sudan is nothing to be worried about, as long as we can get the visa to enter the country.

You might have heard about the stone churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia as one of the major attractions in the country and World for that matter. Carved out of the volcanic mountains, several stories high it is amazing to witness this historical site (World Heritage Site). There is 11 churches in this little village, that has become a tourist centre and a destination for Christian Orthodox pilgrims from all over the World.