Friday 27 November 2009

Moyale, Ethiopia

After driving through misty Marsabit town we descended to the lonely desert road between Marsabit and Moyale.  The volcanic black rock is barren but strangely beautiful.  About half way the surroundings change to scrubby bush, then green bush.

Along the way we saw more camels; half a dozen enormous eagles take flight after drinking from the puddle in a pothole in the road in front of us; many miniature antelopes which (after consultation with the wildlife guide) I think are Kirks Dik Dik and a dangerously fishtailing articulated truck barrelling towards us along the road in deep sand, for which we got off the road completely which is just as well because it was trailing scaffold two meters long into our side of the road.

The other sight which characterised the journey was the dozens of shredded tyres discarded on the side of the road.



Formalities at the Kenyan side of the border at Moyale were straightforward and it was refreshing to not have to find a pen to complete forms for immigration on the other side of the bridge in Ethiopia - the immigration clerk entered all the information directly into computer.  Immigration dealt with we crossed the road to customs only to find it was closed for the muslim holiday Eid tomorrow, it being Friday afternoon.  Two hours later a tour guide had located the customs official and he stamped in the Land Rover and came to check its contents.  He took a quick look at the back seat and asked laughingly if we had any drugs or weapons and that was that.  Actually he needed to go to Addis the following day and could he get a lift with us?  We arranged to pick him up at the customs office the following morning and camped at a hotel up the road, which was full because of the festival where Duncan tried injera for the first time which was served with 'fried meat'.

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