Hot, hot, hot - the Danakil Depression

Camels loaded with salt in the Danakil, Ethiopia

In Bahir Dar, I also got to know other tourists, who have booked a tour in the Danakil depression. As it is quite difficult to find other tourists for that kind of tour at the end of the season, I just changed my itinerary according to the date of Danakil depression. 

The Danakil is one of the hottest places of the whole world. Moreover, one of the places with most active volcanoes.
The most active and interesting of them is  Erta Ale. In the Danakil, you face something like 50 degrees centigrade, so, it makes sense to climb Erta Ale at nighttime. There it has only refreshing 35 degrees....
However, because of my eye situation and of course also because of the heat I will rent a camel for getting on top of the vulcano. The ascent takes three hours in the middle of the night - someone, who does not see very well and in addition not  three-dimensional just has to take the consequenes. And that was the camel. also, I agreed with a guide, that he will look after me on top of the crater, as there is a bg lava lake and I do not want to fall into there, just because of bad eye sight and taking pictures without looking further.... This would be definitively final!

Soldiers for our security, Danakil, Ethiopia

In the meantime, a few days have passed, actually, 10. The Danakil Depression was a great experience. Temperatures up to 48 degrees. All together we were 12 slightly mad tourists who did not want to miss this dubious fun to experience the hottest place of the world... We were distributed to three jeeps and had another vehicle for guide, cook, cooks assistant and the various soldiers whom we had to take on the way. Everything to our security, for sure. Actually, when it comes to security, these 10 soldiers did not understand any fun - before every camp, before every midday their jeep went to the place, the soldiers were spreading out and protected the area with their ready to shoot guns.... Why all that? Last year there was a raid on tourist in the Danakil. Several tourists were killed and others were kidnapped. What exactly happened, why and who was it - there are the wildest rumours. Fact is, that now every tour is guarded there by several armed soldiers from the area, so that someting like this does not happen again.

Camp in Hamed Ale, Ethiopia

We have spent the first one and the third night in Hamed Ale. This place was called a camp - well, this was a little bit exaggerated. Hamed Ale is an impoverished village in the middle of nowhere. The agency has there two houses - one for the beds, one for the kitchen.
The beds are covered with cords, so that it cools at night from below. A thin mattress on it, ready. Covers nobody needs in the Danakil, that is for sure!
The second night was exciting - we spent it on top of the volcano. We started around 7pm and arrived about  3.5 hours later. Whether I with my camel was better off as others on foot - I have no idea. 3.5 hours on a camel back, this is definitively not very
amusing. Climbing a vulcano on foot at pitch-black night is not better.
However - when on top all hardship was forgotten, whether on foot or by camel!
In the crater a lava lake bubbles, about 30 metres wide, 60 metres long. And we looked from above directly into the crater - just about 20 metres away!
All the bubbling, the outbursts and the fire - it was just great. Something like this I have never seen before...
It was so exciting!

Erta Ale Vulcano, Ethiopia

Erta ale Vulcano, Ethiopia

On our fourth day we went to Dallol. There are sulphur lakes. This looks out like in a bad movie - anyway, I had these two days the feeling, that I am somehow in the movie "Lord of the rings". Because of its many minerals, the lake has quite different colours - yellow, green, orange, red..... And it has a very bad smell!!!
But photogenic these lakes are anyway.

Sulphur Lake, Danakil, Ethiopia

There is also a big salt lake. To this place, the men of Hamed Ale come to dig out the salt. They knock out it literally from the salt lake and hack it to 30x40-cm-pieces. Camels take these pieces to Mekelle. A salt piece costs in Dallol 15 Birr, in Mekelle one can agree up to 40 Birr (25 Birr is 1 Euro). A camel can carry up to 50 such salt pieces.... 

After these 4 days we were pretty tired and reached Mekelle. It was just great to have a decent shower, get on clean clothes and have a gigantic pizza in the best pizzeria in town!

Sulphur Lake, Danakil, Ethiopia

However, there also remains a big thoughtfulness - we were so glad to leave this inhospitable place after four days. There are people, who live there their whole life, stand barefeet every day in salt, dig out salt at 50 degrees without any shade for 8 or 10 hours a day, ladies deliver their babies somewhere in the wilderness without any assistance. Children get a marginal school education, if at all - for example, if they live in one of the villages.

Getting salt, Danakil, Ethiopia

All inhabitants of the Danakil depend on food programmes. Otherwise, they could not survive in this area.  Still, they refuse to leave. This would be the end of their culture and their traditions.

Warm Coke and Fanta in a pub in Hamed Ale - still, a great taste!