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I will go to Mekele, try to join a salt caravan and with them I want to go to the Danakil Depression.

One Year Africa: Maybe the Hot Season

Maarten de Boeck
2006-05-01 17:15:05

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capacity of at least 30 to 35 litres. I had rented a goatskin, which could contain at least 20 litres, plus the water bags I brought from home.

The day before I had written in my diary I was prepared to suffer, to bear the heat, to cope with the hardship. But that day it wouldn't become hot at all, at least not in the way I had expected. It remained cloudy all day. Although I had walked through one of the most spectacular landscapes I've ever been, I was a bit disappointed because of that lack of heat. Nevertheless it was a beautiful and spectacular journey. In the morning we had started following the wide valley, initially dry, but later there was a small river running through it. The landscape consisted of dry scrub. After passing the last village we embarked in a steep gorge. From that point the landscape was fantastic. I would describe it as moon-like. We passed bare rocky mountains and narrow gorges. We waded through the small river one dozen times. At the end of the day, when we approached Assobolo, I was entranced by these amazing lunar rock formations, works of art created by the forces of nature. (It would be a paradise for rock climbers, but I don't think the Afars would allow that.)

It had been a great day, but not without quarrels. Some Afar men in a village weren't so happy to see me. Soon they surrounded me. They didn't let me go, as I wanted to proceed because my camel was already ahead. One grabbed my arm. A bit of pushing and shoving resulted.
Finally the men backed down when I showed them the permit. They let me go.
But... after about a kilometre, two men with kalasnikovs had chased us. They ordered us to return to the village. At the fringe of the village a fairly large group of men had gathered. We sat down. The men began to talk. Respectfully, various men under which the village chief and Abdella listened to one another. It didn't look as much as a discussion. They rather said what they had ...