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Published: December 20th 2010
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When Muhammad crested the hills of black, volcanic rock, powering over them in our trusty 4WD, we got our first view of the area around Lac Abbé; I understood perfectly well, then, why someone would choose to come to this far-flung corner of the globe to shoot a scene for a movie that takes place on another world. While I will admit that I have never seen the movie, part of the original “Planet of the Apes” was filmed in this otherworldly landscape on the remote edge of Djibouti (ok, so the whole country is remote!). Jutting out of the plain is a forest of fanciful stone “chimneys”, some belching smoke. Boiling hot springs gurgle out of the salt encrusted ground. It all looked like something out of a 1960s Sci-Fi vision of another planet – hence, “Planet of the Apes.”
***
Before I began planning my trip to Djibouti, I had heard the horror stories of how expensive the country was – maybe one of the most expensive in Africa. But even forewarned, I nearly had a heart attack when I was quoted the price for a two-day, one-night trip to Lac Abbé. However, with no public transport to
most of the major sights and, in many cases, no real roads to get to them (so making driving on one’s own a challenge), I had to decide whether it was worth the huge bite out of my budget (I won’t embarrass myself and say how much it was!). In the end, I took the plunge and signed on – how could I not see these surreal places when I was so close? When would I get the chance again? After completing that circuit, I can definitely say it was worth every penny.
I met my driver-guide, Muhammad – an affable Afar guy – early Saturday morning, and off we went. Between his Afar and French inflected Arabic, plus a smattering of English, and my caveman French, somehow we managed to communicate.** Indeed, we sort of developed this hybrid language, sometimes mixing Arabic, English, and French in the same sentence. Too bad my Afar is really rusty!
As we left Djibouti City behind us, the first thing I noticed were the number of Ethiopian trucks plying the highway. Roadside shops and call centers all catered to these truckers, displaying signs in Amharic. Muhammad informed me that among the
goods being brought over the border was chat (or qat), a plant with mildly hallucinogenic properties, chewed by a significant percentage of the population here and in rest of the region. Fresh vegetables? Or chat? You know, you have to have your priorities straight…
After passing through the village of Oueah, with its Foreign Legion outpost, signs of “civilization” diminished rapidly. Yet I was to find myself amazed, as we made our circuit through the hinterlands of Djibouti, at just how much human activity I witnessed in this desolately beautiful, yet harsh-harsh, country. You could be standing in the middle of sun-baked desert plain that had not seen rain in five years, without a living green thing in sight, and a goat-herder or camel-driver would, out of nowhere, wander by with his charges. What were these animals feeding on? Right now, it being winter, the temperatures are decent, but what about when its 150F? With no shade? All I can say is these Djiboutians sure are tough people. I feel so “soft” in comparison!
On our way to Lac Abbé, Muhammad drove me onto the Barra Depression, an expanse of ancient seabed, now a pancake flat desert of
salty sand, prone to dust devils and sand storms. We then stopped in Dikhil, an oasis town with a shocking bit of greenery, for lunch. Later, we passed through a couple hardscrabble Afar villages (collections of small domed huts set among thorn trees). Then by late afternoon we reached the main attraction – the real “Planet of the Apes”
***
Besides the famous “chimneys”, we went down to the shore of the lake itself, where flocks of flamingos waded in, and flew across, the saline waters (the lake is useless to the Afar nomads that live near its shores; it is just a taunting expanse of undrinkable water). The camp where we were staying for the night was perched in a perfect location on a hill overlooking Lac Abbé and the nearby lunar landscape of rock formations. I could sit in front of the main hut, sipping sweet, cinnamon laden tea and see it all. And, as I was the only guest, I had the view to myself.
That night I fell asleep under a sky full of more stars than I thought existed.
***
The next morning, after trekking out to the hot springs and eating
a hearty breakfast of fried bread, we ventured to the bigger chimneys, where the “Planet of the Apes” had been filmed. A pair of jackals joined us. It was to be my last view of the Lac Abbé region….
But Muhammad had more treats in store for me. Before we returned to Djibouti City, he took me to the canyon that is part of the Rift Valley and, even more impressive, the other famous lake of Djibouti: Lac Assal – Lake of Salt. The lowest point in Africa, it is a mirage of unreal blues fading to white; the center of an ancient salt trade carried out by Afar tribesman crossing the deserts into Ethiopia. If you put your hand into the inviting looking water, it will dry with a coating of white. It makes you beyond thirsty to think of so much salt surrounding you.
Again, I couldn’t help but wonder: how does anyone live here?
Two days to see another planet just isn’t enough time.
[I went a bit overboard on the photos for this entry - but I just couldn't choose! I saw so many wild landscapes - and wild animals! - that
I just had to share the whole spectrum. Enjoy!]
* Well, I did see one baboon. But "Planet of the Ape" doesn't have the same ring to it, somehow...
** French and Arabic are the official languages in Djibouti, though there are many other languages spoken, particularly outside the capital - Afar and Somali perhaps the most common. French is by far the dominant lingua franca (even the native Arabs seem more comfortable in it), but Arabic is widely understood - which has been a big help for me!
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Rudy Kotar
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Djibouti Travels
I loved your blog...just writing one now with a bit more detailed info...I was there December 2011, for 3 days and had similar experiences...I would liked to spent 5 days and I could have covered the "whole" country.