Ethiopia: Salt, Acid and Coffee

Ethiopia was our next International travel after Rwanda. I thought Rwanda was going to be my favourite country to visit in Africa, but I was wrong. Ethiopia blew my mind, it was spectacular. All of it, the salt, the acid and the coffee. 🙂

We took an evening flight after stopping in Nairobi for our Burger King fix (yes we found Burger King, and yes we do visit every time we’re in Nairobi. Rice and beans gets old ya know.) Arriving at the airport in Addis at around 9pm we were met by some long-lost friends who are also interns in Addis and introduced to their friends, who were intent on leaving the airport and starting the night. We took in the sights and sounds of Addis at night as we drove through, we visited the girls apartment within the city before settling down for some local draught beers “Saint George” at a little local joint across the street. Our first impression of Ethiopian hospitality our glass was hardly empty before there was a newly poured one placed in front, waiting for you to continue. We also soon learned that if you weren’t constantly talking our smiling, you were told “relax, have fun”. Ethiopians don’t like silence, so on we went all talking at the same time excited to be with a new crowd.

That night didn’t last too long for us as we were exhausted and retreated to our Airbnb for a good rest before a whirlwind day touring the capital of Ethiopia. We woke up to breakfast prepared by our host, complete with our first experience of authentic Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopian coffee is essentially the equivalent amount of coffee grinds, to about 2 tablespoons of water, or espresso (kind-of) …IT IS STRONG. Fortunately for me, Caitlin B dislikes coffee but couldn’t possibly refuse the kind offer so on I went, downing two cups. You would think I would have stopped there, but that day I lost count of coffee; every corner you stop at, every time you enter a new place, there is coffee in Ethiopia, so on I went, drinking my way through Ethiopia.

We had a full day in the city, taking the metro across town for an affordable 4birr (equivalent of ~20 cents), exploring the city and stopping at the oldest hotel in the city for our first authentic Ethiopian brunch. This brunch was complete with injera bread (a flat pancake style sourdough that you accompany with multiple different beans, vegetables and assorted dips? (called shiro, tibs, wot etc.) It is often quite traditional to eat with meat dishes(tibs), however luckily for me it was a fasting day, meaning they eat all vegetarian.
Another fact and something that is quite obvious, and an interesting experience is the religion and the presence of their devout orthodox Christian beliefs throughout Ethiopia. This was seen through the everyday life of the citizens, the number of churches around the city and the observance of prayer days and different holidays that we learned of while speaking to some of the intern’s friends.
We visited merkato, said to be the largest open-air market in Africa, explored the city, drank more coffee, rode matatu’s and finished our day with a pasta dinner and cupcakes.

The next morning, we flew out early to Mekele where our next big adventure (and in my opinion something that should be on everyone’s bucket list) began. We were heading for an unearthly environment, arguably the hottest place on earth at 130m below sea level covered in salt flats, acid pools and desolate terrain. We were heading for the Danakil Depression and Dallol, set only ~30km off the Eritrean border, where we would spend 2 days exploring this unique place. We set off with our driver “Telee” in a land cruiser, music playing and energy at a high. We were excited. It was an amazing drive, winding through rocky barren desert through canyons and past evidence of rock slides, stopping for lunch at a Bedouin style restaurant where we were served pasta (another fun fact: Ethiopia was under Italian influence for a short time, so some authentic Ethiopian dishes include pizza and pasta…weird I know we thought so too). Driving through we witnessed homesteads of the Afar people in the middle of desert, goats grazing and water tanks which were frequently refilled to provide water amidst this dry place, all while the temperature steadily rose. It was a very different environment than the lush green hills that we started off seeing in Ethiopia and this area straddling the borders to Eritrea and Djibouti made me think of a possible resemblance to Afghanistan, Iraq etc., barren, rocky desert (maybe not but that’s what I picture).

As the houses and evidence of civilization diminished we were told we were nearing our accommodation for the night, and as we drove in to an area ridden with bed frames and only frames of houses, Telee exclaimed “Welcome to your million-star hotel”. We laughed, but he said “No seriously, tonight there will be a million stars as you sleep. He did not lie…it was unreal.

This area was something I had never experienced before. We were sleeping outside, in the middle of a nearly uninhabited area of Ethiopia, on bed frames and no structure. There was no bathroom, aside from walking away from camp and behind what was so eloquently called “shit mountain” to squat it out. We quickly unpacked our sleeping bags and settled in briefly before beginning the drive to the salt flats. As we drove, all we could see was a sea of white getting closer and closer until we were driving on it. It was spectacular, and we were in awe. It looked like the arctic tundra, barren snowy land but instead it was salt for miles, as far as the eye could see. We stopped with the rest of the vehicles, walked around the salt and then came to a small hole filled with water. Time to swim. Cait B was in there before anyone knew what was happening. Now the edges are sharp as they are made of solid salt flats, and so she was instructed to be careful getting in, “perfect she thought, cannonball will solve those issues”….Not perfect, with the high salt content in the water it is very dangerous to the eyes and so before she could even think of opening them post cannonball the guides and drivers were pouring fresh water from water bottles in her face and yelling at her to not open her eyes. It’s a good thing its salty and she barely had a chance in sinking, but she learned her lesson…and so did the rest of us. It was quite the experience soaking in this salt pool, in the middle of these salt flats. From pictures it looks like some polar dip but instead it is about 42degrees Celsius, the water is almost hot, and you float, literally, I could not sink or even keep my legs under me if I tried. So, there we sat inspiring others to take the plunge and marvelling at our current situation. Unreal.

We were coaxed out before long, given some fresh water showers from jugs provided by our drivers and driven to the middle of the salt flats to view the sunset.Driving on the salt flats are quite the eerie experience, especially since it was once underwater and after seeing a pool in the middle, however there is literally almost 800m of salt beneath the surface.
We got comfortable, took some pictures and were served some very interesting wine, setting the sunset mood. The wine was not something I would call wine and I’m not even sure how to describe it, but we were happy to drink that over the cup of pure vodka they were offering otherwise. I have a special appreciation for sunsets, and this one was no different.

For some history, these salt flats are part of Afar triangle, a depression caused by three tectonic plates joining and moving. This area was once underwater as the Red Sea and in a matter of time with the moving of the plates, it is said it will once again be covered in water leaving Eritrea, a neighboring country, to disappear into the sea.

We returned to camp sitting on the top of our land cruiser, taking in the sites and marveling at this awesome opportunity…pretty cool if you ask me. Back at camp we were served a delicious dinner of soup and pasta with a side of grasshoppers that would jump in unsuspectingly as we ate in the dark. We continued to a nearby army base after dinner with the rest of the group for some beers and socializing before heading back to camp. At this point the moon was slowly coming up, one full ball of red, it was a beautiful sight. We sat a little longer making friends with Hungarians at the camp and then headed off to sleep under the million stars above us. Such a surreal feeling lying there just realizing where you are at that moment. Pretty beautiful sometimes when you stop and think of your life and the blessings you are able to enjoy. The temperature interestingly enough had only increased since sunset so sleeping was a matter using our sleeping bag as a pillow and trying not to sweat too much.

The next morning, we woke early for breakfast and packing up, before heading to the acid pools of Dallol. We arrived and were instructed to change into covered hiking shoes. This was a problem for me as I had only packed my sandals, so after some convincing and joking that I might not return with all 10 toes, we started the hike with an armed escort to the ponds. It was only around 8am but the sun was already scorching. (We hiked with a guarded escort due to our proximity to the border of Somali and few past incidences, but only as a precaution. Never was he needed. J). I felt like I was entering another world, Mars maybe? You could smell it before you could see it but even that didn’t prepare you for the unearthly experience. From the smell of sulphur and acid, the sound of the acid bubbling and hissing, the feel of the unbearable heat to the sight of colorful ponds scattering the landscape, it touched all the sense, almost. No tasting or touching allowed.
These acid ponds are created by rain and sea water being heated and then reacting with minerals in the magna from a nearby volcano, Erta Ale. The pools consist of sulphur, iron and copper salts with a pH of 0.2(sulphuric acid, and almost unparalleled on earth) and a temperature of 100C. Not something you want to swim in, or accidentally step in with sandaled feet. The good news, with some careful steps, all toes remain, and I believe only my nostrils were burned from the pungent smell.

From here we visited “Salt Mountain” and area of mountainous forms of salt where planet of the apes was filmed. We hiked a bit up and were able to witness the vast environment, before heading out to see the salt mining. We drove back across the salt flats to a section of men, camels and donkeys gathered to mine the salt. The salt is extracted from the ground, chiselled down into blocks and then loaded onto the donkeys and camels for the week-long trek to the market in Mekele. This has been occurring for 100’s of years and remains the primary source of income for the families situated in this area of Ethiopia. It is a brutal profession working in the salt mines under the blazing sun, but it remains a popular occupation, for now. While these salt flats were once valuable and even used as currency, they only earn about 4birr a slat, hindering the profession even more. I highly encourage you to visit now, before anything changes.

This marked the end of our tour. We drove back to Mekele, said goodbye to our awesome driver, found our “hotel”, had a good long shower and found somewhere to get some pizza. Before you judge us for eating pizza in Ethiopia, remember it’s an authentic dish 😉

The next day we flew to Lalibela and did a tour of the rock-hewn churches with one being the famous Saint George, Bete Giyorgis. These churches are UNESCO heritage sites and attributed to king Lalibela who was aiming to construct a new Jerusalem, providing Ethiopian Christians somewhere near to worship. There are eleven churches carved out of the rock, complete with drainage ditches, caves, catacombs while all churches are connected by passageways in the rock.
These churches were breathtaking with the detail, the precision and the design of both outside shapes (some resembling the crucifix with head, two arms, body and legs of Christ) and the inside murals and paintings. These churches are still actively used, being closed to the public for mass each day and hosting mass pilgrimages each year.

We went for dinner at the Ben Abeba restaurant, also known as Scottish lady’s restaurant after the quirky Scottish owner. It is set on top of a hill in the midst of Lalibela’s rolling mountains, a perfect perch to watch the sunset over Lalibela. Seeing the sun set behind the hills, leaving a glow on the adjacent mountains surrounding us was magnificent and I relished the moment (remember me and sunsets…). I enjoyed my last platter of Injera (yes platter, I ordered a sharing meal for myself) with an Ethiopian beer, soaking in the full experience.

The next morning, using a tuktuk we went back into the town and wandered the streets, enjoying the views and doing some shopping before flying back out to Addis and eventually Nairobi.