Nothing can prepare travellers as they lay their eyes on Lalibela's underground churches and their intricate architecture for the first time. Lalibela contains an energy like no other and it takes religious devotion to another level altogether.  It is not only a World Heritage Site, but truly a world wonder superior to Petra or Machu Picchu. Standing next to white-robed pilgrims in their thousands as they crowd the courtyards, tunnels and hills around the churches is to witness Christianity in its most raw and powerful form.