Ethiopia - Danakil Depression and last day

---

In the morning, we woke fairly early and had a quick breakfast before setting back out to the salt flats. Here, we were heading to the opposite end than the lake and it was flat and open, so the cars hauled it. This was our last adventure in this area and the highlight.

Dallol Hot Springs

We stopped briefly for the sunrise (see previous post), and soon got to the base of the Danakil geothermal area: Dallol Hot Springs. As with the rest of the area, this is part of the Afar Triangle in the Danakil Depression, which is formed from the divergence of three tectonic plates. It's one of the lowest places in Africa, and the hottest place in the world regarding average annual temperature. It was indeed super hot. These springs probably formed from a former volcano and consist of acidic waters, salt cones, and vents. The latest phreatic eruption took place in 2011.

It was about a twenty minute fairly easy hike up a short hill, with better and better views as we climbed. Our first stop, we got to an area of 'mushroom' shaped formations. These were definitely unique looking, but the best was yet to come.

We then climbed just a little more and started to see the thick steam rising, indicating our next stop. We came upon a pool of steaming, bubbling water, surrounded by yellow, white and red stained rocks, indicating mineral deposition (sulfur, calcite, and iron). I have been to a few places such as this (Iceland, Turkey, for instance), but never have I been able to get so close to these things (though Iceland did get you close at times!). I imagine it is a difficult place to get to and has few tourists, so you are basically just free to walk around. I believe you have to have a guide and a local military representative, which should keep you safe and the area in good condition. It was just so interesting to see!

The first pool was just the first of many features! Behind it was an abandoned sulfur mine, that was started by Italians (I think). I am not sure if was abandoned due to covid, the war, or economic reasons - probably a combination. We just kept walking along the amazing features and enjoyed the incredible landscape. In some places, you could just hear the crunch beneath your feet. There was a large vent with bubbling hot water that we watched for a while, before moving onto a large travertine area. The water was clear and calm, with so many colors around it. Another few minutes here taking amazing photos, then climbing up the side to view the pools from above. The ground up here was so cool! Well, hot really. Honestly, I could have stayed up here for hours.... despite the heat.

We walked back down to where the cars were and took a short drive to the base of the hill. What looked like red mud was actually salt rock! It was a dark red and mixed with more eroded salt. It was beautiful in a completely different way - just really got you to admire the formation of this whole area. We passed the Italian group that were set up in the shade of a large outcrop with their tables laid out for an early lunch. We, instead, headed back to our hut. We decided to just pack up and go, with a planned stop about 40 minutes before arriving back in Mekele. Again, we had a nice spicy pasta, this time i the front entrance of a small restaurant in a bustling village. This is after about a 4 hour drive, going through the beautiful mountains again.

Mekele

We got back to our hotel, desperate for a shower. Then we met the owner who took us to dinner at a traditional restaurant. The place was huge and she said it is usually quite lively, but since it was still Lent period, many people were not here as this place specialized in meats. Which was true - we ordered a few dishes and they were all so delicious. The staff were super friendly too!

Abuna Yemeta Gul

The next morning we packed up all our stuff and were taken to the next and last destination: the cliff church of Abuna Yemeta Gul. This is a church located on a steep cliff about 250m above the ground and includes some sketchy hiking. I was looking forward to this, but it was Sunday and super crowded and I was feeling unwell, so about halfway up, I sat under a tree, which I think had religious significance as it was being walked around by so many different people. One little girl just hung out with me while I read my book. It took forever for everyone to complete it, so I waited about two hours. Apparently, coming down was time consuming as there is only one way to go and you need a harness, so it was person by person. I saw my friends sitting for over 45 minutes in one place. I'm happy with my decision! Though it did look really interesting. We stopped for lunch and a cold beer at a small hotel, where shared a plate of our favorite: Beyainatu.

Leaving Ethiopia

We raced back to the hotel so a couple of people could take showers. Then we headed to Mekele airport. Two flights were scheduled for to Addis Ababa, but they were both delayed. And you only go through security just before the flight. Our flight was delayed about an hour and we just knew we would miss our connection to Dubai. This proved to be the case. We missed our flight and were unable to get seats on the next flight that night. It took three hours. THREE HOURS. For them to rebook us the next day and get us to a hotel. THREE HOURS. We did not get to the hotel until almost 2 am. I was so exhausted and annoyed at this point. I had said I just wanted to leave the airport and get my own hotel - I would have been asleep at midnight. This is why I hate flying through Addis Ababa. The new international terminal looks very nice, but the organization is still a friggin nightmare. Anyway, we made it home late on Monday and had so much to soak in from our amazing adventure.

---

Comments

[Ake Och Emma]

Totally a kind of place I'd love
Dallol Hydrothermal area is on my list of places I hope to visit before I kick the bucket. I like geologically interesting places so it is totally a kind of place I'd love. /Ake