Day 63 Moyale 7/12/12

Typing this as we wait at the border to cross into Ethiopia. Just a minor problem - There is no power so they cannot scan our passports. With what we have experienced over the past few days, no electricity is almost usual here (along with no hot water, or even no water at all) - all part of the travelling experience. Even in last night's upmarket hotel with individual lodges we had neither water nor power for most of our stay. Fortunately, we had brought candles from the previous hotel, so did have some illumination - but water supply decided limited.

The past few days have been spent travelling around the Lower Omo Valley - Lonely Planet says "the images will stay with you for ever". In many ways, spot on although not always for the right reasons. I have often felt sorry for the Queen sitting through endless African dances on her state visits - now I know just how she feels (but at least I did not have to keep a smile on my face all the time). However, parts were really great such as the bull jumping, and the Mursi tribe - better known as the "lip plate people". The scenery and animal life was good too, such as pairs of dikdiks and lots of beautiful guinea fowl with pale blue heads, as well as many other colourful birds that fly past us on frequent occasions. sure quite how I should write this. We started off in a couple of boats from Paradise Lodge (in fact, a very small tin shack the size of a garden shed), as we set out on to Lake Chamo through channels in the tall papyrus (remember "The African Queen"?) escorted by a whole variety of large dragon files, and on past "the Bridge of God" to where the crocodiles reside. Then, we just floated through many more such channels, where a whole variety of crocs of assorted sizes were snoozing quietly (thank goodness!) on the banks. We were so close we could almost literally touch them - although no one took the risk! Great experience. Then it was on to the hippos, who seemed to time their appearances above the waterline to last just fractionally less than the time it took me to take a shot. Fortunately, our boatman today did not harass them in any way. Then it was back across the lake - and, just as we were coming back to shore, a large flock (several hundred?) of flamingoes flew past.

We finished with a delicious fish meal, overlooking both of the two lakes, as storks and raptors circled above and below us.

All on all, just another boring day.
ns. We started to see the occasional termite mound - chimneys up to 10-12' or more - then more and more until they were really commonplace, dozens at a time.

Earlier today, we visited Salt Lake at the bottom of a large crater - difficult to walk down, far more difficult to walk back up! We were all slightly puzzled, but it seemed that the locals obtain three different types of salt from this - black, crystal and white.


We finally received our exit stamps just as the Ethiopian side of the border was closing for the night, but fortunately they let us through to Kenya where we are now back to driving on the left hand side of the road. Camped in the grounds of the border police station, and dined in the prison welfare canteen - a new experience for us all.