Peace

This morning we walked the 10km down from Erta Ale in the cool of the day to find breakfast waiting at our camp.

We packed up, said our goodbyes to the camel men and the soldiers and set off in the Land Cruisers, driving very slowly across the lava fields and then the sand to reach the road. On the way, we saw Government trucks delivering water to Afar settlements. It was the only time during our whole trip that I saw people who looked hungry. I really don't know how people manage to survive in such an inhospitable place.

We had lunch at a roadside cafe in the small town of Ab'ale. When D and I went out to use the toilet (don't ask) I looked in at a doorway and saw some women dancing. They beckoned us over and we joined in. There's no language necessary when you share music and dancing. There were three generations of women - an old lady with a baby, the baby's mother and her sister. The rest of the group eventually came to tell us that it was time to go, and we waved our goodbyes.

I fel asleep on the long drive to Hamed Ela and we arrived in the late afternoon. Just an army outpost and a few shacks - and beside the road a few rope beds which is where we would spend the night. Before that, however, we were off again, driving into the sunset to a place called Dollo. 4 armed guards squashed into the vehicle with us as a precaution against attacks from Eritrea (this seemed unlikely but its a fact that in 2005  5 europeans were kidnapped and killed here). 

Here we were driving on salt - and there was salt and nothing but salt in every direction. Another of those surreal experiences..our guide produced 5 plastic stools, put them out on the salt flats and proceeded to ply us with Ethiopian red wine and then some local gin (very tasty!) and we watched the sunset feeling rather mellow.

The guards finished up the rest of the gin :-)