DigEthiopia

As the road climbs away from Lalibela, even the steepest slopes have been sculpted into sickle-shaped fields. Not a stone is out of place in the retaining walls: testament to the hard work of generations of farmers who battle erosion and drought every day of their lives.

On top of the escarpment, 3,000 metres above sea level, we load our bags onto donkeys and set off on foot across this remarkable landscape. Our guide is Fantau, a whip-thin 20-something with a big smile and good English. Like so many Ethiopians, he has triumphed over adversity. After losing his parents at the age of 10, his sisters packed him off to Lalibela with a few birr in his pocket. He slept rough on the streets, worked as a shoeshine boy, and managed to graduate from high school. He dreamt of making good in Addis Ababa but could find no work. Destitute, he took a job on a sesame farm near the Sudanese border, but his hands were too soft to labour in the fields. The Zimbabwean manager, impressed by his quick mind, taught him bookkeeping and English.