Kenya 1

Day 1 –20/12/12

We finally arrived in Kenya, for us akin to arriving in paradise. We looked forward eagerly to the supposedly wonderful camp grounds, supermarkets and apparently ATMs. 

The road is a little poorer on the Kenyan side and at times becomes confused. We needed to back track a few times to regain the track.

Maybe it was our imagination, but almost as soon as you cross the border the begging stopped and there were friendly smiles and waves. We registered at the police station at Illeret. It took 40 min to do the 16 km from the border to Illeret.

We decided to take the track through Sibilio NP, rather than the track around it (as suggested by others. This seems to be mainly to save the very high entrance fee). We figured that there may be less chance of a mud bog in the park and a chance of seeing animals. There had clearly been a lot of rain recently, and in sandy places the tracks of previous travellers (2 days ago) had been washed away. In other places there were some severe lava crossings. So we were pretty happy to get through without getting bogged and with all tyres intact. Long may this continue. The 52 km from Illeret to Koobi For a took ~ 3 hours.

We were greeted warmly at the Koobi Fora, a research station; but, no cold beer!

Avril  driving; 200 km; 8 hrs; N 03⁰ 56’ 52.0’’ E 036⁰ 11’ 10.6’’

Day 2 –21/12/12

Ray’s big day. He was last in Loyangalani in April 1978, with Jim Barrett and Ian (Chesty) Bond, on a safari from Zambia. So, after 35 years, Ray had completed his Cape to Cairo.

We were fortunate not to get the strong winds that typically come up overnight on Lake Turkana. We set off early from Koobi Fora as we had a long day’s drive to Loyangalani. We had to stop at the park gate to pay the entrance. Ray objected, we saw no animals, the park seems to be now basically grazing land for tribes people and roads are terrible. The protestations were to no avail and we paid the $ 20/person.

Along the way we passed 4 young Swiss  people  (Vincent, Jam’s, Rachel & Goetan) travelling by Landrover and 2 Brits going by tuk tuk. The tuk tuk lacked the power to get up a lot of the river banks and often the tuk tuk passenger had to get out and push. The Swiss were kindly following and providing assistance, lots of pushing and later towing the tuk tuk.

The track was very poor and we did get a puncture. Ray managed to plug it reasonably quickly and we were soon on our way. The track changed between lava fields, large mud areas and sandy river beds. Given our previous poor experience with mud, these areas really got the adrenalin flowing. Still, we managed to get though without getting bogged.

Our reward was some beautiful views over the Jade Sea. Lake Turkana showed the deep colour that gave it its name and the weather was ideal for the views – clear skies and not too hot.

We camped at the Palm Shade site. We had to carefully select our site and it had been raining hard and there was mud around. We then ran into the RSAers (Ian and Heather), Brit/German (Don and Gabrielle)- couples we had met in Addis.

Gabriel, the owner of Palm Shade welcomed us and they did have cold beer!

Unfortunately the new BFGoodrich was leaking. We went to the local tyre repair (no jack, hand pump, no tools etc) and found that it had multiple small leaks. Basically too many holes to plug. Fortunately we had a spare tube and put this in the tyre. This involved a trip to the Catholic Mission to get the machine to break the bead.

We did get badly ripped off by the 2 chaps who did the repair and were gently chided by Gabriel for not asking his advice.

Avril  driving; 205 km; 9 hrs; N 02⁰ 45’ 22.3’’ E 036⁰ 43’ 16.1’’

Day 3 –22/12/12

Overnight we did get a small sample of the wind that comes to Lake Turkana, but it was not too serious. More serious was that the repaired tyre was leaking! Ray had worried that the repairers had not cleaned out the tyre properly and some debris had punctured the tube. And this turned out to be the case. So we had to repair this and did not get on the road until 08:30.

The road out of Loyangalani is actually designated as a C77 by the Kenyan road authorities. On the basis they have rated it as a road, we need to rate it as the worst road we have travelled on in Africa - > 70,000 km thus far. The easy way for them to lose the worst road title is to remove the rating that it is a road, cause clearly it is not!

We travelled in convey with Ian and Don. Again, the upside of the trip was some fantastic scenery.

At Baragoi the road was completely washed away and the side track was a mud bath – with a truck stuck in it. There was a small gully to one side and the locals said that other small vehicles had gotten through in this path. Ray inspected it and was dubious, but we decided to give it a go. We managed to almost get to the solid road, but the last ~ 2’ rise was too much and the vehicle was leaning at a precarious angle. A truck driver bought his vehicle down to try and tow us out, but it was not to be. Then all the onlookers got together to push us back out of the gully. All this assistance was given with great humour and generosity; there was no demand for payment etc. So nice to be back in “Africa”.

As all this was going on Ian and Don turned up and discovered there was an alternative track through the village. So at least we had a route out. We reversed the vehicle up the river bank and proceeded to get stuck in the mud at the side of the road. Bugger! Ian/Don generously back came around and towed us out.

The road had become a bit of an ordeal, just when you thought it could not get worse, it did. We also managed to get another puncture.

So we arrived in Maralal a bit after dark. Then the joy of civilisation, we went to the ATM to draw some money.

We camped at the Yule Camel club, which had reasonable facilities.

Avril  driving; 242 km; 10.5 hrs; N 01⁰ 03’ 33.2’’ E 036⁰ 42’ 39.8’’

Day 4 –23/12/12

As in theory we had an easy day, we had a bit of a sleep in and then went into town to get the tyres repaired. There was a lad (~ 15 yo) at the repair center and he did a lot of the work. Even though he was going to school, his father thought he should also have this skill. We had a slow leak on the front tyre and he found this and instructed Avril to get out of the car for safety etc. And, they did not rip us off (so got a generous tip). Very nice.

We had a quick look at Maralal and set off for Nyahururu. This road is shown on the Riese Know How map as an all weather main road. Mmm. The road was in bad condition with a very rough surface (either dried mud or rock). There were a number of mud pits to negotiate. Which we did safely. We passed a police post a few kms south of Mugi and asked about the road. They said there was one poor section, but we could definitely get through. Comforting.

When we got to the bad section, Ray waded through the water and the mud etc. There was a side road that was also a long mud pit. After some inspection we decided, no, we would not take the risk. We drove back to the police post and they were surprised. Then they asked, well, why don’t you take the good road? The good road???? We did not know there was another road. Oh yes, go back to Mugi Junction, take a left and then go through the village of Lonyek and follow the road to Nyahururu. And so it was, this is the road all the locals and buses use. It was a good surface and where there was mud there was a clear dry path around it. We often stopped other vehicles to ensure we were on the correct road. Invariably they greeted us with a smile, gave us directions and farewelled us with a “enjoy your journey. Travel safely”. The tar road started at the town  of Kinamba, which is located incorrectly on the Riese Know How map!

So, with the good road we arrived at a reasonable time at Thompsons Falls Lodge near Nyahururu. We had time to set up camp and take a look at the falls. Ks 200pp, Ray objected:”but last time I was here it cost nothing”. The attendant asked when that was and enjoyed the joke. (1978!)

At dusk, just as it was about to rain a Czech fellow showed up. He is hitchhiking around Africa and generally camps at the side of the road. A bit different to us. So we invited him to join us for dinner.

Avril  driving; 174 km; 5.5 hrs; N 00⁰ 02’ 44.4’’ E 036⁰ 22’ 04.5’’

Day 5 –24/12/12

Even though we were almost on the equator, it was a cold night. We had mainly good roads (with some pot holes and sections washed away) all the way to Nairobi. We stopped off at Nyeri to get our phone SIM sorted out and buy some food from a nice café.

We arrived at Jungle Junction in the early PM – having crossed the equator.

They had had a lot of rain in Nairobi and the ground was a bit flooded, but we managed to find a dry grass spot. Then we walked off to a western style shopping mall to buy some essentials.

There were lots of other overlanders at JJs for Christmas: Heidi (Australian) and Jens (her German husband) and Jesse & Odette (Dutch) plus a large number of Japanese who seemed to use JJs as a departure hall or such.

Chris, the very helpful owner of JJs put on a delicious Christmas evening BBQ, complete with starters and desert.

Avril  driving; 263 km; 5 hrs; S 01⁰ 17’ 20.2’’ E 036⁰ 45’ 37.4’’

Day 6 –25/12/12

This was our 1^st Christmas in a long time we were not together with the kids. After a lazy start, we Skyped home to our family. Then we went to an expensive, delicious smorgasbord lunch at the famous (from the happy valley colonial set) Norfolk hotel.

We then went back to JJs  for the obligatory Betros Christmas afternoon nap before a dinner with some of the other folks here.

Day 7 –26/12/12

We spent Boxing Day in recovery mode, hoping our bodies would forgive the excesses of Christmas day. We took a stroll to the shopping center and attempted to see a movie – but the movies showing were not really to our liking.

Day 8 –27/12/12

A lazy day. Too wet for chores. We needed to go into Nairobi central to register with the immigration authorities and get our carnet stamped. The Kenyan officials were very efficient and this was all completed with a minimum of fuss. We then went to a “stamp” shop and bought a lot of country stickers for the side of the vehicle. We went to the Thorn Tree café, but it is now very up market (read super expensive) so we just had a quick look (for Ray to reminisce) and returned to JJ.

Ray bought some charcoal and with others, we had a BBQ in the evening.

Day 9 –28/12/12

From other overlanders we heard that the Ugandan parks charge $ 150/day just for 4WD vehicle entrance. To that one needs to add park entrance (~ $ 30/pp/day) and camping. This was a lot more than we anticipated. So, we needed to have a  rethink of our forward itinerary and minimise time in the Ugandan Parks.

We decided to drive to Tsavo West park in Kenya for a couple of days. The main part of the drive is down the primary Nairobi – Mombasa highway. The road, which is in good nick, is only a single lane each way and the volume of traffic is massive. There are a huge number of trucks travelling slowly, so the local sedan drivers take ridiculous risks to pass trucks (and get stuck behind the next truck).

We arrived at the park in mid afternoon. Park entrance is 24 hours – and is strictly enforced. We had originally thought to camp outside the park and enter early the next day, but there is no camping accommodation outside the park, so we entered the park “immediately”.

The guide books warn that the viewing in Tsavo is poor, and so it was. However, there are some magnificent views across valleys etc that in some way compensate for the lack of game.

We camped at the Kenyan Wildlife Service camp site, just outside Chyulu Gate. This is generally described as “basic”, but they had (cold) showers, flush loos and wash basins. So, we thought it was OK. In addition, each site had a large thatched roofed rondavel, so even though it rained (which it has done almost continually since we arrived in Nairobi) we had a nice area in which to cook (Fusion: fajitas & tortillas with Asian stir fried vegies).

Avril  driving; 286 km; S 02⁰ 54’ 06.4’’ E 038⁰ 02’ 17.4’’

Day 10 –29/12/12

We made a relatively early start to the day and re-entered the park for some game viewing. We drove around until ~ 14:00. During the couple of days we saw: giraffe, Thompson’s gazelles, Kudu (lesser?), elephants (lots), ostriches, dik dik (heaps), zebra, water buck, tortoise, warthog, Oryx (Barnes?)  and interestingly a couple of jackals harassing a Kudu and the Kudu getting very angry. At Mzima Springs there is an underwater tank where we watched the fish (in the very clear water).

The roads in the park are generally in a bad state of repair.

We then drove to the Amboseli National Park gate. The road from Tsavo West to Amboseli is awful.  During this drive it rained very hard. There were great torrents of water running down the side of the roads. We engaged 4WD, stuck to the center of the road and made sure we stayed well clear of the edges.

We wanted to stay at the Community camp ground, but everything was poorly sign posted. Anyway, the camp ground we stayed at was well equipped with hot showers, flush loos etc. Oh, and room temperature beer.

Avril  driving; 186 km; S 02⁰ 44’ 15.3’’ E 037⁰ 22’ 36.5’’

Day 11 –30/12/12

Fortunately it did not rain hard overnight. We had come to the Amboseli Gate to try and get a picture of Mt Kilimanjaro without clouds. We waited until mid morning and for a time it looked like the clouds may lift. But, it was not to be our day. We did get a picture of the lower reaches of the mountain.

We then drove back to Nairobi on good asphalt. We again needed to navigate our way along the Nairobi – Mombasa road. In some towns on the highway they have car washing points, complete with power spray cleaning etc. After the dirt of the past few days we decided to get the car washed. The man quoted KS 300 (~ $3.5). Maybe he underestimated the degree of difficulty, so anyway he got a big tip. We did a bit of shopping and we drove back to Jungle Junction to camp for a couple of days.

Avril  driving; 246 km

Ethiopia 3

Ethiopia, Part 3

Day 18 – 14/12/12

We had an effortless crossing into Ethiopia, so the customs person at the Djibouti crossing may have been the exception.

We stopped off at Harar to have a look around and drove through the main gate to the central square. At that point we were mobbed by “guides”, vendors and every person who thought old white people may be an easy touch for the day. We were not in the mood for the whole situation, so decided to just drive around a bit.

We met a couple of younger Aussies and other folks travelling around and stopped to have a natter and lunch with them.

Then, we drove back to the African Village in Dire Dawa and a had wonderful pizza dinner, while chatting to the Swiss owner.

Avril  driving; 320 km; We must have made an error in transcribing the mileage. 209 out and 320 back does not seem right. Maybe the average of both would be near the mark

Day 19 – 15/12/12

After a very lazy start to the day we made drove to the Awash National Park. Boring though it may sound, we again had spectacular scenery through the Ahmar Mountains. We then descended to the Awash River valley, a drop of ~ 1,500 m. The valley is a lot drier/arid and hotter than the mountains. The road was generally reasonable tar, but with a number of degraded sections.

We picked up some fruit and veg at the market in Awash and drove to the national Park. The park has plenty of domestic animals grazing (camels & cattle), but we did manage to see a few Dik Dik. We were pleasantly surprised by the Awash falls. They have a similar layout to Victoria Falls, a broad fall into a long chasm that then flows through a narrow valley to reform the river.

We camped beside the River.

Avril  driving; 318 km; 6 hrs; N 08⁰ 50’ 415.8’’ E 040⁰ 00’ 24.9’’

Day 20 – 16/12/12

After a very relaxing night away from all noise we took a game drive through the park. We were fortunate to see a female kudu, a lot of beisa oryx (similar to gemsbok), some Soemmering’s gazelles, rabbit/hare and more dik dik. Not a bad morning’s effort.

The truck route from Djibouti joins the road at Awash, so the drive into Addis was slow and difficult. The road is generally OK tar, but with a lot of road works, detours and some “train tracks” where the large trucks have made tracks into the tar.

The highlight of the day were the ice creams we managed to buy at Debre Zeit. The low light was discovering that the track for Djibouti had disappeared from the computer. The only part of our journey missing.

We got to Wim Holland House at around 15:00

Avril  driving; 216 km; 5 hrs; N 9⁰ 00’ 36.0’’ E 038⁰ 45’ 19.0’’

Day 21 – 17/12/12

We were at the Kenya embassy 1^st thing in the morning. And the wonderful people there issued our visa on the same day.

We went to a local German beer garden for the best beer, wifi and bratwurst in town.

We did some vehicle chores to prepare for our trip to Lake Turkana.

Day 22 – 18/12/12

We were up at sparrows to get a fast break to Arba Minch. Wim had suggested the route via Butajira and it was a fairly easy run, for Ethiopia. Still lots of livestock and pedestrians on the road! The herders clearly believe that the whole road belongs to them – they do not bother to herd their livestock to the side of the road and make a path for vehicles.

The road is OK tar to Sodo, after that it is a mixture of poor gravel and remnant tar.

We camped at the Bekele Molla hotel, with a magnificent view over Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo and the Bridge of God that separates them.

Avril  driving; 458 km; 8 hrs; N 06⁰ 00’ 18.3’’ E 037⁰ 33’ 06.6’’

Day 23 – 19/12/12

Overnight there was a fierce thunder storm. The Lonely Planet guide said that the rains finished in October (we later found out that apparently the rain in the south are from October to December). We selected the route via Lake Turkana on the basis that the rain had finished, so the road would not be full of mud/bog zones. The alternative route is the main Ethiopia – Kenya road via Moyale and the Kenyan side is supposed to be terrible. Folks at Wims place in Addis said the Moyale route was now almost impassable, with vehicles stuck for days – but that could be blogger exaggeration/urban myth. However, rain could make the Lake Turkana route impassable. All this added to Ray’s stress level.

Ray was up early to take some pics of the stunning sunrise followed by coffee from the hotel. The blogs read that the road to Turmi was bad and we should allow extra time. As luck would have it, the road from Arba Minch to Konso was ~ 50% tar and 50% gravel. The gravel badly deteriorated in places. We filled the fuel tanks to the brim at Konso, as this is the last of the reliable fuel.

Then the delight of the day, there is a new asphalt road from Konso to Jinka – we turned off at Key Afar. Then an even bigger delight, there is a new high standard gravel road from Key Afar to Turmi. This latter section was 83 km. We arrived at the Kense Mango campsite early in the afternoon and Avril berated Ray for his lack of up to date research which had deprived her of sleep-in!

The road in the morning was full of livestock, and this continued for most of the day. The herders were driving stock to pasture or to a watering point or just grazing them at the side of the road. As is the custom in Ethiopia, the livestock had possession of the road and vehicles need to negotiate passage with them. We were surprised by the vegetation. In our minds, this was to be almost desert, however, there is some intense agriculture; bananas, corn and a large cotton project near Weito (Woyto). The steep, high hills beside the road were terraced to take full advantage of the conditions.

It almost goes without saying, the scenery was spectacular. Great vistas over wide valleys and some very rugged hills/mountains.

The begging was really intense at the start of the day. Apparently the local bottled water is/was called Highland. So, the chant here (for the empty bottle) in “highland, highland....” Often this chant is accompanied by a little jig the beggar has developed to attract attention. Some of the jigs are amusing, others border on the bizarre.

The Omo valley is “famous” for its “primitive” tribal people and there are lots of tour groups visiting the area. The biggest draw card are the Mursi people – the women are the folks who put plates/discs in their lower lip. We decided against going to see the Mursi. Other overlanders had not recommended it and said it was like a human zoo, with the local women pestering tourists (and there are large numbers of tourists bussed in) to pay to take pictures. In such an environment, any “natural” photo would be difficult and contrived. It would not be a memory, but a “tick the box” side trip.

Turmi, where we decided to stay the night, is known for its bull jumping. An initiation rite of sorts. This is accompanied by the violent flagellation of female relations or friends of the person to be initiated. This event occurs on a Monday, so we fortunately did not need to make a decision whether or not to attend – we like to think the answer would have been no.

As we drove, we noticed more indications of recent rain – Ray’s stress level was now at fever pitch!

We stopped at a local market in Aldaba. Stopping at a market it “the thing to do” in the Omo valley. We wandered for a bit. The market seemed to have very few vegetables but lots of cheap clothes, lengths of cloth and plastic basins etc. The local lads here wear mini dresses and have tiara of colourful beads. Some also have the beads on their arms and calves.

Ray made the mistake of giving a pen away t a school child; soon there were a large number of frenetic kids demanding pens. Fortunately we had brought a some pens for such an occasion, not enough for the insatiable demand, but we gave away what we had.

After the market we stopped at the side of the road for lunch. A few local boys came and stood a respectable distance away. We had more than enough, so shared our bread, sardines and bananas with them. They were appreciative. There did seem to be marginally less begging in the Omo and we even had some smiles and waves.

Avril  driving; 279 km; 6 hrs; N 04⁰ 58’ 33.0’’ E 036⁰ 30’ 55.8’’

Day 24 –20/12/12

We made an efficient start to the day and were at the Immigration and Customs post in Omorate at 09:00, just as it opened.  We completed the formalities in 30 min and spend another 20 min changing our residual Birr into Kenya Shillings (at a horrible exchange rate).

The bird life around Omorate was great with brightly coloured small birds and lots of larger ground birds. We also saw a few Dik Dik.

The road from Turmi to Omorate is passable gravel. The route from this gravel to the border is a dirt track. We were stopped a number of times for passport checks. The final check being just before the border and the last Ethiopian we met, the border official, asked for goods etc.

The distance to the border from the Mango camp was 132 km and took 4 hours.

Ethiopia Summary

I guess you can tell from the blogs, Ethiopia was not one of our favourite countries. On the positive side, the scenery is absolutely fantastic; probably no other country in Africa can equal it. Also, there is very little litter.

The big negative is the people. We found them to be sullen and morose. The incessant begging is very wearing – to the point where you avoid going out. You tend not to ask an Ethiopian for directions or anything else as you know a demand for money will result.

The driving is intense, with the bus and mini bus drivers acting like they are the only people on the road. The endless procession of villages, livestock and people makes it very stressful and exhausting. Ethiopia is probably the least developed country we have passed through.

For us an added negative was the lack of sleep. Really seriously over religions that seem to think sleep deprivation is a way to salvation.

For most overlanders, Ethiopia is a “hardship” post. Everyone we spoke to had had stoned thrown at them and been spat at – often with parents or older people watching.

The Lonely Planet guide (2009) is already severely dated. It’s helpful hints for those trying to travel on an ultra low budget of no use to us (or we suspect most travellers). We especially loved the budget for those who want fleas and those who do not. 3/10. Merked down because it could not get the rain patterns correct

As always, the Riese Know How map was very inaccurate. Often mileages were > 20% out, typically on the low side. 3/10. 

Djibouti, Ethiopia 2 & Somaliland

Djibouti

Day 1 – 8/12/12

The Djibouti formalities were completed efficiently and quickly. The drive was much the same as in Ethiopia, lots of trucks and a barren, desolate landscape.

Initially, the road deteriorated with lots of potholes. ~ 52 km from Djibouti City, the EU has kindly constructed a better road.

We had booked a couple of points nights at the Sheraton, but decided to try our luck for an extra night on arrival. The super helpful folks at the hotel pulled out all stops and got a room on points for us. A bit of luxury, a/c and showers.   

Avril  driving; 404 km; 8 hrs; N 11⁰ 36’ 10.8’’ E 034⁰ 09’ 28.5’’

Day 2 – 9/12/12

Not a good nights sleep. The Italian marines in the next room decided to party all night. It all got too much with the prostitute’s yelping at 04:00 and Avril got the manager to sort it out.

We drove to Lake Assal. Lonely Planet says this is the lowest point in Africa – it also says this about the Dallol Depression, in the same publication. The drive is back towards Ethiopia to the 52 km mark, the take the turn to the Tadjoura and drive on the excellent tar road for 39 km. There is a clearly marked turn to the Lake and then 17 km of very poor, badly potholed road.

The Lake is probably has more geographical interest than tourist appeal. It is a blue/green colour with salt precipitating at the edges. Local folks are on hand to sell you some salt of carious crystals.

We had a lazy afternoon in the hotel – but changed rooms!

Ray driving

Day 3 – 10/12/12

Ray was up early to have the vehicle serviced at the Toyota garage. At the service center, a new Renault showroom was being opened by a high dignitary, so there was military security and lots of hum around. The service was professionally carried out.

Otherwise, we spent the day relaxing and doing emails etc.

We had to decide on our route to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. Our original idea was to drive the route in Somaliland. The guide book says this is 2 days by car (night driving) and this was confirmed by one of the chaps on the Danakil tour. However, we could not get accurate information on the route, whether we needed to take a guard for the whole trip (an issue as we only have 2 seats) etc. After some thought we opted for the more certain route, back to Ethiopia and then to Somaliland. It seemed to be about the same duration and all the local folks in Djibouti recommended against the Somaliland route. Maybe we are just cowards!

Day 4 – 11/12/12

The Lonely Planet guide said that it was a rough 10 – 12 hour drive to Dire Dawa, so we were up early to ensure we got to our destination before dark.

We quickly got to the border crossing near Ali Sabein. Along the way we passed a very large European military exersize with loads of armoured vehicles and such.

The crossing into Ethiopia was completed without any real hassle. The customs bloke had already had his daily allowance of chat (the local “mildly” narcotic drug) so getting his attention and our carnet stamped was amusing.

Djibouti Summary

We were only in the country for a few days, so any observation must be superficial. The Djibouti people did not beg and kept their livestock off the roads. It was very nice to be somewhere where the locals do not beg. At one point, when we were stopped at traffic lights, a kid came to the car, however a local chap on the pack of a ute in the next lane told kid off and shooed him away.

We did not see any of the “French Influence” that the guide book talks about.

Ethiopia, Part 2

Day 16 – 11/12/12

Our immigration formalities were completed very quickly. But, the customs folks decided to make our lives difficult. For the 1^st time on the trip we were forced to open up the rear accommodation module. Then they wanted to look at everything, including our safe. They wanted to count our money (Lonely Planet says there are no currency import restrictions) etc. All a hassle, but we kept our cool and eventually were on our way. So much for the previous thought of the Ethiopians welcoming tourists.

The made road ended at the Djibouti border. The gravel road to Dire Dawa varied from dreadful to OK (ish). The 215 km in Ethiopia took 4.5 hours. At one point we were stopped at a road block and asked for 200 Birr, the reason being we did not have Ethiopian number plates. Some discussion ensued and then one of the chaps asked if we were Diplomatic Corps – “of course”. So, we proceeded through with out payment or further debate.

We booked into the wonderful African Village, a real garden oasis. Clean rooms etc. It is run by Pentecostal folks, so unmarried people cannot share rooms and there is no alcohol. A small price for the nice setting.

Avril  driving; 327 km; 8 hrs (including 1.5 at the border); N 9⁰ 35’ 36.1’’ E 041⁰ 51’ 03.9’’

Day 17 – 12/12/12

After chatting to the kids over Skype, we set off for Somaliland. The road via Harar and Jijaga all the way to the border is new high standard tar. As always with Ethiopia, the scenery was memorable. Immediately after Dire Dawa there were terraces hills, then a valley with unusual rock formations and finally into some open plains.

There seemed to be less general hassle in this area; still pedestrians and stock on the road and crowded villages, but virtually no begging and no “you, you you” chant.

Border formalities were completed quickly – with immigration requiring an exit photo and finger prints.

Somaliland

Day 1 – 12/12/12

We were greeted with “welcome to Somaliland” and a smiling immigration officer who made it his personal business to get our immigration (with photo and finger print) and customs formalities completed quickly.

The road for 20 km immediately after the border is 4WD, but with lots of local normal sedans plying the route. We were lucky enough to see a jackal along this section.

After the dirt there is a reasonable standard tar road (no potholes) all the way to Hargeisa, but with some vicious, unmarked speed bumps.

We had expected desert, but to our surprise, whilst the land is arid, this is quite thick scrub and some crops being grown. More intense agriculture than we would have thought.

Oddly, most (> 80%) of the vehicles are right hand drive, even though they drive on the right hand side.

We looked around for other hotels mentioned in the blogs, but could not find any, so settled on the Oriental Hotel where almost all bloggers tend to stay. It was fine, except that a prayer/mosque loud speaker was 100’ from our room. Sleep deprivation, again.

After settling in we went to look for the Ministry of Tourism, but we were too late for it. Ray was treated with some distain by the gate guard, apparently because he had shorts on. 

We then went for a bit of a walk around town. We were the object of everyone’s interest. Some folks took a coy glance and others were openly staring. We are used to this, but here it was a bit more intense. However, most people were friendly, with the older women more than willing to share a bit of a joke.

When we were almost back to the hotel a couple of youths (maybe ~ 16yo) said to Avril that she should cover her hair (she had put on long pants and a top to cover her shoulders). We tried to talk to them, but it was clear that there was no reason here. A crowd had gathered and one of the lads said Avril should cover her hair to prevent violence. Nice. We have been in > 15 Muslim countries, lived and worked in a number and this was the 1^st time we had experienced prejudice or hostility. We just returned to the hotel. We did see 2 other European women and both had caftans and head scarves. One of the women said that even though she had a scarf over her hair, her fringe was showing and as she walked through the market some one flicked the fringe.

After a long negotiation with the hotel management, we arranged a vehicle, guard and permits for the Las Geel rock paintings. $25/person entrance. Guard, driver and vehicle $ 80. There was some suggestion that we did not need a guard any more, but the hotel insisted that we did. Hence, as we only have 2 seats in our car, we would have needed a car for the guard anyway.

Avril  driving; 209 km; N 09⁰ 33’ 43.7’’ E 044⁰ 04’ 04.9’’

Day 2 – 13/12/12

Needless to say, given the strict Islamic nature of the country, we had a short night’s sleep. Here, they broadcast all the prayers, not just the call to prayer. And, in the evening this lasted > 2 hours. At breakfast we met a young German who described how, when he arrived at the bus station a group of school children had approached him and asked his religion. When he said Christian, they made throat cutting motions with their hands. Interesting.

It is 51 km to the Las Geel track turn off. The road is poor asphalt, with lots of pot holes. There were a number of police check points along the way. So, assuming one needs a guard, it would be quickly discovered that you did not have one.

There is a very poor dirt track to the site and a police guard ~ 500m before the site. At the foot of the massif,there is a small, interesting information display in a hut. Good access has been provided to the paintings. The paintings themselves are impressive. There are about 6 shelters (overhanging rocks). They consist of cows (not bulls) apparently without heads but with a colourful rectangle in its place, people (large bodies and legs but small arms and heads) and dogs.

The site setting is gorgeous, with great views over the surrounding countryside. Avril says just like the Magaliesberg.

Well worth the trip.

On return Ray went out to buy some lunch and was assisted by everyone. So, maybe the youths yesterday were just an aberration. Hopefully.

We lazed in the afternoon and did some computer stuff.

Day 3 – 14/12/12

As it was Friday, the chef decided to go to prayers and there was to be no breakfast (included in the price) at the hotel. TIA. Interestingly, with no males around, one of the (female) house keepers took the opportunity to chat to us. She said that the folks in Somaliland do not respect differences. She kindly organised some breakfast. After breakfast, we started back to Ethiopia.

We had an easy run back to the border and a simple crossing.

Somaliland Summary

This non-country clearly has a functioning government with civil works being carried out, lots of phone towers and a strong retail sector (it seemed to us they had better shops than Addis). Apparently it is a reasonable democracy and has a free press.

What do you say after 2-3 days? Most of the people were very welcoming. However, this is the most conservative Muslim country we have been to. There were NO women without long, drab head covering and lots with just the eye slit in the front. This was so, even for very young tots. Clearly clothes are a big issue for both men and women.

For overlanders, it does seem that apart from the Ethiopia – Hargeisa road, security (an armed soldier) is needed. This is an issue for us as we only have 2 seats. Hence, we did not bother to go to Berbera and the beach (we probably could not have gone for a swim anyway). 

Ethiopia 1

Day 1 – 9/11/12

Almost as soon as you cross the border the vegetation gets greener and the trees taller. Along the way, we noticed rivers with water and other signs that we were in a country that has rain. Unfortunately we were back to the typical, aggressive and selfish African driving standards. 

The road standard and condition also deteriorated badly; at one point there was a burnt out petrol tanker and trailer in the middle of the road. It had been there long enough to have its own garden complete with shrubs and grass. There were also a number of very bad rock falls blocking the road. The compensating factor was the wonderful and dramatic Ethiopian scenery. Great mountains and lush valleys.

As we were driving near dusk, the local herders were bringing their stock (donkeys, cattle and goats) home. They paid no attention to the vehicle traffic and occupied most of the road. In Ethiopia there are always a line of people walking along the edge of the road and the combination of people and livestock makes for difficult and slow driving.

Unfortunately we did not make it to Lake Tana but camped at the Belegez Pension in Gondor. We arrived slightly after dark and for us it is always a bit foreboding to arrive in an African town at night. There were no street lights, the road condition was terrible (lots of potholes etc), the local taxis and mini buses pay absolutely no heed to other vehicles and can stop or pull into traffic at any time and then there are the great number of people all close to the car.

The good news was the restaurant across the road from the camp area had nice food AND BEER!

Avril driving; 765 km; 12.5 hrs; N 12⁰ 36’ 37.8’’ E 037⁰ 28’ 19.7’’

Day 2 – 10/11/12

As we had visited Gondor before, we did not bother to go to the local attractions. We changed some money and got a SIM card. The telecom company here is owned by the government and an application needs to be accompanied by a copy of your passport and 2 passport photos.

We started out for Barhar Dar on a good road. Then, along the way we saw another overlander vehicle and we flashed our lights and they did the same. Great excitement… it was Luke and Shelly who we had met in Ghana. We pulled off the road and Luke put out his awning and we chatted, swapped stories and way-points, had lunch etc for 3 + hours. So nice to see “old” friends”. We were the object of curiosity for the locals and they gathered  in a large mob to stare, beg etc. We chased them away a few times, but as soon as one lot disappeared, another mob would form. Even the police could not disperse the crowd.

The roads in Ethiopia are not only for vehicles. There are always people walking along the edges in both directions. Then there is live-stock being driven from spot to another, donkey carts carrying goods, bicycles, commercial trucks, buses and mini buses etc. The cattle wander along the middle of the road, the passenger transport (buses and mini buses) stop on the road to drop off and pick up passengers – they do not pull off  the road, for this. No one really pays attention to the vehicles; they assume that the vehicles will slow, stop or take any or all evasive action to miss them. All this means the driving is more like an obstacle course than a leisurely drive.

We arrived at a decent time at the Ghion Hotel. Ray changed some tyres - to put the better tyres at the rear.

We had some beer and G&Ts and watched an EPL match.

Ray driving; 172 km; N 11⁰ 35’ 50.5’’ E 037⁰ 23’ 09.8’’

Day 3 – 11/11/12

Almost the night from hell. Apparently Saturday night is the big religious night in Ethiopia. So, they commenced chanting at ~ 00.00 and did not stop all night. Chanting was via loud speakers and from multiple locations. It was so loud and incessant that even Avril could not sleep in, so we set out early for Addis Ababa. The road as far as Debra Markos is OK to fair. After that to the Blue Nile Gorge it is very bad. The surface is badly deformed, there are potholes and ditches and stretches where the road has completely deteriorated to rough stones. Last time we were in Ethiopia the new bridge over the Blue Nile was being constructed. The bridge opened in 2008. The approaches are now totally deteriorated. The surface is very badly deformed with some drops in the surface over 2’. This in less than 4 years. What hope!

The road from the Blue Nile Gorge to Addis is fine.

We arrived at Wim Holland House mid-afternoon. 

Avril driving; 547 km; 8 hrs; N 9⁰ 00’ 36.0’’ E 038⁰ 45’ 19.0’’

Day 4 – 12/11/12

After a bit of a noisy night, we had a lie-in. We did a few chores and then Ray asked Wim about leaving the vehicle in Ethiopia whilst we went back to Oz. There was a bit of a misunderstanding when we crossed the border. Long story, short, we had to get our Temporary Vehicle Permit extended to match our visa. Ray went to the customs office and they were quite efficient at getting the paperwork done.

Later in the day, we went to check out the Djibouti & Somaliland embassies for visas. Again, Lonely Planet was wrong and they were both closed.

Brian & Anna and Rick showed up later in the day. So another reunion. They had unfortunately had a bad time in Ethiopia thus far. They had stones thrown at their vehicle, were spat at and  their vehicle was hit with a stick (a lot of the local men carry ~ 1.5 m wooden poles). In addition, their shock absorber bushes gave way on the (apparently) dreadful road to Tim & Kims. One of the bikers hit a donkey and whilst he was repairing the damage, his tools were stolen and his panniers riffled.

Day 5 – 13/11/12

A successful day. We managed to get both the Djibouti and Somaliland visas. The staff at both embassies were super helpful and went out of their way to assist us. The Somaliland embassy was in the process of moving but still issued us a visa on the spot.

Otherwise, a slow day.

Day 6 – 14/11/12

Ray had more administrative duties. The Temporary Vehicle Import document had to be altered again to reflect a departure to Djibouti. Then he had to arrange insurance – fortunately this will cover us all the way to RSA, with a couple of small exceptions

We then needed to go to the airport to fly back to Oz for a brief visit.

We spent from 15/11/2012 to 28/11/2012 on some business in Oz.

Day 7 – 30/11/12

After a frustrating trip from Oz (airline delays and late arrivals, spoilt brats and screaming infants) we finally got back to Addis. After some supermarket shopping we returned to Wim Holland House and were greeted like old friends. Very nice. The vehicle had been looked after but was quite dirty.

After sorting out packing etc, we had a meal at Wims and an early night.

Day 8 – 1/12/12

A poor night’s sleep; religious chanting over microphones all night. We tried to make an early start, but needed to have the vehicle cleaned and fill the water tank. So, we were only on the road by 08:30, in time for the morning traffic jam. It took ~ 90 mins to get out of the city.

We were treated to a really great drive. The scenery was stunning for most of the day, dramatic mountains and deep valleys together with some very long vistas. Lonely Planet: “off the Guassa Plateau and down the dramatic Mezozo escarpment is unforgettable”.

At the bottom of the escarpment, the vegetation and culture changed almost immediately. It was a lot drier, evidenced by the camels.

According to the GPS we reached our highest point of the trip thus far – 3277 m, at times we were literally above the clouds. We then very quickly lost > 1,700 m.

The road was excellent quality tar.

On arrival at the hotel we found that the external plastic water pipe had deteriorated and cracked. We tried to repair it without shifting the accommodation module but the work area was too narrow, so we had to lift the module for the 1^st time on the trip. Fortunately it worked easily – let’s hope the repair holds.

We stayed at the Sunny Side Hotel – expensive for Ethiopia and very average.    

Avril driving; 372 km; 7 hrs; N 11⁰ 05’ 21.9’’ E 039⁰ 43’ 03.5’’

Day 9 – 2/12/12

Another very poor night’s sleep – are we getting obsessive about this?? The other guests at the hotel were intent on partying etc and then the 1^st departures were at 04:30am.

Again we had a stunning drive over a number of mountain passes and across some very small valleys. Awesome scenery.

The driving was quite intense. The tight mountain bends coupled with the activity on the road meant that great concentration and even greater patience was needed. The roads in Ethiopia are not solely for the use of wheeled traffic. Much greater use of the roads is made by pedestrians and livestock. The herders make little (read no) attempt to clear the road for vehicles, so we had to stop often to inch our way past stationary livestock. The urban myth here is that the locals want you to hit their stock, as the vehicle is always responsible for the damages. There is almost full time pedestrian traffic along the road. Very often we were subjected to the aggressive, some-what frenetic chant “you, you, you” accompanied by the reflex begging that seems to be the norm when Ethiopians see white people. The bad news of the day was that we were spat at as we drove along.

The road was good tar, however on a lot of the mountain pin-head turns it has deteriorated, with the corners now being gravel and the heavy-duty truck breaking has pushed the approach tar into waves.

We arrived in Mekele in the late afternoon and were greeted by Barbara & John – friends of friends who had offered to “put us up” for a couple of nights.

It is very chilly at nights now and when we went out for dinner, jumpers were needed.

Avril  driving; 403 km; 8 hrs; N 13⁰ 29’ 40.9’’ E 039⁰ 28’ 51.7’’

Day 10 – 3/12/12

A good night’s sleep, despite being woken at 04:00 for more religious chanting. This stopped at ~ 07:00, but went on intermittently all day.

After a lazy start to the day we went to the travel company running the tour to the Danakil Depression. We found out that there is a made/asphalt  road south out of the depression. So, we decided to change plans (aimless) and take a 4 night/5 day trip and to finish up on the main road to Djibouti. Given the history of this area, it is compulsory to go with a tour company, guides, army, police, local Afar tribe guide etc.

After a pleasant lunch, we had a relaxing afternoon and an evening walk with Barbara & John.

Day 11 – 4/12/12

After a pleasant breakfast with Barbara & John we went down town to start our Danakil tour. Our group consisted of 4 vehicles including ours. 3 young men doing an experimental arts degree in Berlin (German, Danish & Norwegian), 4 Americans and a Belgian.

After a slightly late start we drove north out of Mekele. We then branched east through some hills. We stopped for lunch at a village “restaurant” (we both selected the eggs) where we picked up some of our protection team – Afar police. There was no let-up in the incessant/aggressive begging and pestering and Avril was spat at as she sat in the car.

We dropped from the Tigray region to the Afar region. We descended 1,400 m down the Rift Valley escarpment into the Danakil Depression in just a few kilometres. As you can imagine, this was very spectacular. Then, a little more sedately, we then descended another ~ 1,100m to our camp area at – 110 m. Along the way we saw a number of salt caravans transporting salt from Lake Assale to the village where we had had lunch. Apparently this is a 2 day/1 night trip and they only sleep ~ 4 hours on the way.

The track we drove along is basically the one on T4A. There is a lot of road work going on and in a few years this will probably all be asphalt.

We camped at the village of Hamadella. Ray made the mistake of giving some children some clothes. Soon, we were mobbed by local children all begging or rather demanding shirts. There was no gratitude; one girl even pouted and demanded a different colour.

Avril  driving; 164 km; 7 hrs; N 14⁰ 05’ 07.7’’ E 040⁰ 16’ 45.5’’

Day 12 – 5/12/12

A poor start to the day. As soon as we left our accommodation module we were assailed by children demanding pens, shirts and anything else. Things got a little out of hand and a child threw a stone at Ray. AND, he responded by giving a couple a whack. Then our guides got the local Afar police to settle things down.

We made a reasonably early start to the day in an effort to miss the worst of the heat. We  drove off into the Dallol Depression. This area is geologically very active and we were treated to some amazing sights. Sulphur structures, acid lakes, geysers etc. A kaleidoscope of colours; brilliant yellow, deep orange, white and black. One of the chaps doing the experimental arts degree, stripped off and painted himself purple and his mates took pictures of him with this unique back drop. Even we could see that this would be great art – and also took a few pictures. We also went to have a look at where the salt was being cut and loaded onto the caravans and an area that had a salt lake. You must be on the internet to read this, so use your favourite search engine to look up some pictures.

It was quite hot, 40^oC in the vehicle and probably a few more out in the open with the reflection of the white salt all around. In addition to the local Afar police and a town guide, we had a military escort. The soldiers were professional and when we stopped, went out to form a protective perimeter.

We were back at Hamadella around 14:00 and camped there again. It is worth mentioning that there are NO ablutions in the town, so everyone uses what the Army used to call “cat sanitation”, but there is no digging here. So, everyone has to go into the rock area around the town; I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Avril reminded Ray that very few of her friends would put up with this!!

Avril  driving; 34 km

Day 13 – 6/12/12

We elected to camp closer to the rest of our group and we not bothered by kids again. We drove along mud flats and sand to get to the base camp for the trek to the caldera of the Erta Ale volcano. The driving required concentration, but Avril got through with no issues.

We needed to stop at a village to get permits, local police etc. We decided to give out some lollies and pens to the local kids. And tried to educate them to not say “give me” but rather “please” – but with no success. One of the kids then drew on the vehicle in a permanent marker we have given him. Great.

The final 12 km of the journey was across the lava plains and took more than 2 hours, often we were in 1^st low.

After dinner (the chef had done a great job on the trip) we set off for a night time walk to the caldera. This took about 3 hours and it was a little tricky with head torches. We had camels to carry any gear. There were about 4 different groups doing the tour, however it was not crowded and we did not run into other groups. At the summit there are a number of huts where, in theory, one can get some shut eye. But with all the guides, army, police, camel drivers etc together with the ability of Africans to talk non-stop, sleep was difficult. Added to this, were the different time schedules of the various groups. I think our tour had the best schedule, setting off at 18:00 and leaving just after sun rise. But, others left at 04:00.

The lava lake is totally awesome, astounding, fantastic - well worth all the effort to get there. The crater is almost circular and the time we were there it seemed to be some way down the vertical sides – the level varies a lot. The impact at night is stunning, with fissures in the lava forming changing patterns across the lake. One point on the perimeter seemed to be in a state of permanent eruption. Then, other sites around the lake and sometimes in the middle, would erupt as well.

We looked on in awe for ~ 3 hours and then tried to get some sleep. Others slept, or rather kept watch at the rim for the entire night – but they were all younger than us!

Avril  driving; 106 km; 6 hrs; N 13⁰ 34’ 22.2’’ E 040⁰ 35’ 39.0’’

Day 14 – 7/12/12

We awoke early to get a final glimpse of the lava lake and watch the sunrise. The lake is a lot less impressive in the daylight – basically a grey surface with some fiery cracks. We then walked down to the base camp for breakfast.

As mentioned we had decided to drive south rather than to return to Mekele. After crossing the lava flow, the drive was relatively straight forward, but very dusty. As Avril says, “that horrible powder dust that coats everything”. We used the dust as an excuse to run the air conditioner. After about 1.5 – 2 hrs of the dust we hit the tar road.

We then drove onto Lake Afrera (but we still kept the a/c on!). The Lonely Planet guide raves about this, but we found it a bit ho-hum after Lake Asale and the volcano. It is greenish and very salty - Ray had a dip and floated like he was in the Dead Sea. But, it did not have the geographic attraction of the others sights. Ray also had a quick bath in the very hot, sweet water spring beside the lake. As it was early (ish) and there was little attraction in camping beside the lake in the very hot temperature, we decided to push on.

We then drove onto Semara. After a bit of a search, we found the Aramis Pension, a new, clean hotel. We had dinner at the Oasis Café – only “fasting food” as it was Friday - spaghetti with tomato, onion & chilli + importantly, cold beer.

The best news was that this is a Muslim area, so no all-night religious chanting.

Avril  driving; 214 km; 8 hrs; N 11⁰ 47’ 03.9’’ E 041⁰ 00’ 23.5’’

Day 15 – 8/12/12

We set off at a reasonable hour to Djibouti. The road links Djibouti, the “only” port for Ethiopia to the road system in Ethiopia. So, there was a huge amount of truck traffic. The drivers show little regard for the smaller vehicles on the road and many seem to think their trucks are Formula 1 vehicles – they do not have the skills to challenge Mark Weber.

Fortunately the road is in very good nick to the border. As a by the by, this shows that the Ethiopians can construct a decent road that lasts, when they want to.

The border formalities are ~ 1.5 km before the border and we missed them (no flags or official buildings etc). Some of the truck drivers queuing to go into Ethiopia pointed out our error and we turned around. Formalities were completed quickly, with no hint of corruption. In fact, it seemed that there were officials dedicated to tourists and they were very helpful.