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.

Sudan

Day 1 – 2/11/12

The ferry docked in Wadi Halfa at ~ 12:00. From the distance the town is as dismal as the blogs suggest. The efficient Sudan bureaucracy was quickly aboard and the tourists were issued with their travel passes.

Magdi (0121730885) was there to greet us and after a bit of push and shove our little group was on the quay side. Magdi ushered us to the customs building some 300 m away, no small effort in the heat. We quickly passed through customs and then had to lower our standards and take a Land Rover taxi to town.

Avril had ordered the best place in town. AND, to our surprise we were given a room with evaporative cooling, fridge and en-suite bathroom, but no windows. The rooms were dirty and grimy and Avril inspected 5 before selecting our room and then got the local staff to carry out a superficial clean. The lack of cleanliness continues to amaze us; there was dirt and falling plaster on the beds and floor, the residue of the previous guest in the bathroom, the balcony was littered with discarded plastic bottles etc. But, we were pleased to have some cooling.

We then gathered with Magdi to discuss the forward program. Magdi called Mahmoud in Aswan and was informed that the barge would leave Aswan 18:00 that day. In the mean -time, Ray had asked Samir to also call Mahmoud from Cairo and he was told that the barge would leave the next day, Saturday. The lies continued even after we had left Egypt!  Magdi said that he does not believe or trust the Egyptians.

Magdi had also arranged for the official who issues the Photo Permits to come to the hotel and we got this small piece of bureaucracy out of the way. The cyclists and walker were keen to start the next day and register with the police in the morning. Arrangements were made to do this.

We ate at a local restaurant; deep fried Nile Perch and beans (foul and fasoulia also on offer).

Canjan Hotel. N 21⁰ 47’ 41.6’’ E 31⁰ 20’ 52.9’’

Day 2 – 3/11/12

We were up early to wave off Hannah, Diarmaid and Chris. But, Magdi came around and informed the cyclists and walker that, as it was the weekend they could not register with the police (this must be done within 3 days of arriving). Once again, erroneous information! So they decided to stay an extra day.

Ray wandered with the others to the local market to get some fruit & veg; Avril just relaxed.

We wrote the blog, Avril did some clothes washing and we chatted to the group and passed the time.

Ray managed to contact Mahmoud (who for once answered his phone) and was told the barge would arrive in the afternoon the next day. More lies??? Time will tell.

Chicken for dinner.

Day 3 – 4/11/12

Again, we were up early to wave off Hannah, Diarmaid and Chris. This time they managed to register and depart. Magdi came around with the Registration stamped in our passports. Another administrative task completed.

Given the time delay, we were concerned about the state of the accommodation module batteries. It was super hot and the fridge was probably working overtime. As a precaution, we had put a number of frozen water bottles in the fridge. But, with the assurance that the barge would arrive 16:00 on Saturday and the risk of theft, we decided not to put the solar panels out. We now feared that all our fridge contents will be mush.

Our other concern was that we have flights back to Australia from Addis Ababa on the 14^th November. With all the delays, time was running short.

Chicken for lunch.

Later in the day Magdi phoned us to say he has spoken to the barge captain and the barge has only just arrived near Abu Simble. No chance it would arrive that day. The barge must have left on Saturday, not Friday as promised. To Magdi.

We all decided to go for a tuktuk ride but as we left the building a local man with a top range Landcruiser jumped up and offered to take us for a ride. We all piled into his car and were given a tour of the village. On the way we ran into Mizat, the other local fixer. He told us that our barge only left on Saturday and would arrive tomorrow morning. He also said the Egyptians just lie!

Over our chicken dinner Anna’s brother texted that Brian’s EPERB device was showing that the barge had stopped on the Egypt/Sudan border. So, tomorrow it was! We were all left to wonder at the blatant and useless lying of the Egyptian officials.

Day 4 – 5/11/12

After a restless nights sleep, our little group met for breakfast and then went to the town to get a tuktuk to the port. Magdi reported that the barge was yet again running late and would not dock at 08:00 as planned.

We arrived at the port at ~ 10:00 and were super excited to see the barge arriving, with our vehicles. After docking, Ray rushed aboard to start the engine and hopefully salvage some of the fridge stuff. There were boxes packed all around and almost over the car. We only noticed later that the workers loading the barge had used the bonnet of the vehicle as a platform for loading and put a bad dint in it. All 3 bikes had minor items stolen. We managed to offload the vehicle with a minimum of fuss. The steel ramps that Nile Valley Navigation Company promised would be loaded in Aswan were not there (surprise, hey) and we broke the packing pallets they had placed down as a ramp in the process of unloading.

We were soon off the dock and completed the customs process and paperwork very quickly. Unfortunately the official who accepted money had gone to the bank and so we needed to wait for him. The port authorities allowed us to leave and pack the vehicles whilst Magdi waited to pay the necessary fees and get receipts for us. We were impressed with the efficiency and common sense of the Sudanese officials.

We were finally on the road at 13:45. It was an extremely hot day, mid 40s and we met Chris, the walker, around 50 km out of Wadi Halfa, in the middle of a very barren landscape – harsh desert. With the heat, wind, lack of shade and desert environment, it was a punishing time for the walkers and cyclists. We were very worried about Chris. Later we bumped into Diarmaid and Hannah who were also struggling – we gave them some snacks and lots of encouragement!

After a time the road joined the Nile. We drove alongside the thin strip of vegetation and a considerable amount of housing.

Our group; Brian & Anna and the bikers, Rob, Rob & Rick camped beside the eastern Deffufa (ancient mud building) near the village of Kerna. Whilst the mound of bricks may be > 3,500 years old, from a tourist perspective, it was not that impressive.

Avril driving; 338 km; 104.5; N 19⁰ 36’ 08.6’’ E 030⁰ 26’ 36.1’’. A high standard tar road until we headed to the Deffufa. The corners were not cambered all that well, so we needed to slow for turns.

Day 5 – 6/11/12

The night noises were appropriate for the rural setting; donkeys, occasional cow, dogs and roosters to greet the morning. We were up for sunrise and visited the Deffufa. Having seen the eastern one, we decided that it was not exciting enough to see the western.

We drove through to Dongola and bought some veg and bread. We then drove to Jebel Barkal (the Holy Mountain – actually more of a hill than a mountain), and lunched by the pyramids there. We went to see the Temple, but there was an entrance fee and the guide book said it was ruined, so we did not bother.

We then drove on to Arbata where we joined the main road to Khartoum. After the freedom of the desert roads, it was tiring to have a large number of trucks on this road.

We turned off the main road at the Meroe pyramids, where we camped the night.

Apart from the thin border along the Nile, the drive was through some uninteresting desert – very flat.

We noticed that the driving standard was much higher than a lot of other places we have been to on our journey. There were no mad, needless manoeuvres to gain an extra mm and at check points one line formed rather than people forming 10 lanes and aggressively bumping, hooting etc to push in, truck drivers allowed space for overtaking etc.

Sudanese have a reputation for hospitality and friendliness. Along the way we got lots of waves and greetings. It was very nice to note that the women here seem more emancipated. They are quite happy to greet you and chat a bit. Their scarves are not pulled tight, but rather draped lightly and they often show their hair.

Avril driving; 621 km; 10 hrs; N 16⁰ 55’ 57.2’’ E 033⁰ 44’ 54.5’’. Again, we were on good standard tar the whole day.

Day 6 – 7/11/12

We had a quiet, desert camp near the Meroe pyramids. Some of the local kids set up an impromptu souvenir store for us, near the camp But it is a bit hard for us to buy along the way as we do not have the space. The Sudaneses respect one’s personal space and a local chap came and chased the kids away. After a leisurely start to the day, we visited the pyramids. It is a fairly large site and we basically had the whole area to ourselves. Unfortunately the pyramids here are not intact. An Italian bloke dynamited the top off all the pyramids looking for treasure in ~ 1834.

After the pyramids we went on to the two temple complexes at Musawwarat Es sufra and Naqa. The sites are probably more interesting to a keen archaeologist rather than a casual tourist. There was not all that much of them and after the grandeur of Egyptian temples, they are small and without a lot of detail.

Driving from one temple complex to the other, we managed to get bogged in the only bit of sand around. Brian towed us out, one of the many advantages of travelling with others. The drive itself was quite interesting across the desert and scrub. In contrast to other parts of Africa, there was not a lot of people or livestock around.

The day took a bit longer than expected and we did not arrive at the Blue Nile Yacht Club until after dark. We went to the local “Steers” restaurant for dinner.

We were very unimpressed with the facilities at the Blue Nile Yacht Club – a traditional overlander camp. They were very dirty and there was no water in the girls’ shower for the whole time we were there.

Ray driving; 301 km; 9 hrs; N 15⁰ 36’ 41.7’’ E 032⁰ 32’ 03.5’’

Day 7 – 8/11/12

We spent the day doing a few chores and hanging out at the (only) a/c shopping centre, the temperature remained in the high 30’s to low 40’s. Ice Cream was a key factor in Avril’s decision to shop there.

Avril had a “chat” to the camp site manager about the ablutions and he variously said: “not all Sudanese are nice” (our experience was that he was the only exception to the accepted norm that in fact all Sudanese are very nice); pointing to the mess in the club camp area “Africa is dirty, you should get used to it” and with the lack of water “Africa does not have water”. We were still expected to pay full price!

We also tool a taxi to the junction of the Blue and White Nile

Day 8 – 9/11/12

We set off very early with the aim of getting to a camp ground on Lake Tana in Ethiopia. However, the traffic gods were against us. The commercial traffic was heavy, the road conditions not great (though the road is paved the whole way, at times we felt like we were riding a mechanical bull) and police and other stops meant we did not make the time we wanted to.

The toll booths are an interesting experience; there is a chap standing outside and he has a witch’s hat which he places in front of each car as they (finally) get to the booth. It seemed to us that a critical KPI was his ability to have a long conversation with each car. He would then take any money due and pass it to the man in the booth. The man in the booth would then hand- write a receipt and stamp it. He would hand it back to the chap outside the booth who would the pass it to the driver.

As we made our way south, the desert gave way to Sahel type country and then a massive cereal cropping area with huge paddocks. There were a couple of small mountain ranges, kopjes, to break the endless flat plains. We also noticed that the houses changed from the typical flat desert house to a traditional circular structure with a conical grass roof.

We made sure we filled up our tanks (gasolina here) as it was supposed to be a lot cheaper than Ethiopia.

As seems to be our habit, we arrived at the post at prayer time. But, it seemed to us that prayer time = the time we get there i.e. it bares little or no resemblance to the time on a watch. Anyway, we waited for an hour for the man with the stamp to come back. Whilst waiting, we changed a rear tyre that had developed a leak. Tyres again!

The formalities on both sides of the border were quick and efficient – when the person was there.

It remained very hot all the time.

Sudan Summary

We like Sudan. The folks are as welcoming as their reputation – always lots of waves and smiles. We did not find the bureaucracy too hard and the Sudanese try to make it easy e.g. with the forms being done on the ferry, allowing us to leave the port area even though we had not completed all the customs formalities. It was a delight to drive with people who are not aggressive, who do not push in and show consideration for other drivers.

The roads are mostly good to OK. “Wild Camping” is easy and no hassle.

The biggest downer was that it was hot the whole time we were there.

The Bradt guide was useful = 8/10. Again, the Riese Knowhow maps were very disappointing.