Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AWASH TO ASAITA
The lonely road north to Asaita crosses a hauntingly bleak landscape of parched plains, fe-
rocious sun and barren scenery. Besides some occasionally beautiful vistas and a rifle-tot-
ing Afar tribesman or two picking their way through acacia scrub, there's little to stop the
perpetually curious spiralling into a freefall of boredom.
The Djibouti road as it's now known (it used to be the Assab road) branches north just
after Awash (officially Awash Sabat: 'Awash Seven') and crosses
Awash Arba
(Awash
'Forty') 10km to the north. After another 37km you'll hit
Andido
where you can detour to
a pair of wanna-be upscale lodges. It's then 70km to the featureless town of
Gewane
,
which doesn't warrant a full stop, just a slow-down to admire Mt Ayele looming to the east.
After Gewane, the country begins to resemble Djibouti more and more: arid and desolate.
The road passes through
Yangudi-Rassa National Park
but, frankly, don't expect much
wildlife other than ostrich and gazelle; there's probably less here than in any national park
in Ethiopia.
One hundred and twelve kilometres north of Gewane is
Adaitu
. Built mostly of sticks
and sheet metal, it's one of three Issa (a tribe often in deadly conflict with the dominant
Afar) towns along the road. Both peoples are traditionally pastoralists and live in domed
thatch huts which are light and easy to transport. As you'll see, plastic sheeting is now part
of the standard design. Just after town, the road crosses the Awash River.
Mille
, 30km after
Adaitu, is spread between an upper and lower town on opposite sides of its eponymous
river. Lower Mille has internet and a Commercial Bank.
Southwest of Mille is
Hadar
, the famous archaeological site where the fossilised re-
mains of the hominid Lucy (
Click here
)
were discovered. It's a long way to go just to see
a memorial plaque, but if you want to, head west 40km to Eli Wuha and then 25km south
to Hadar town where you can get an Afar guide to lead you the final 9km drive and 3km
walk to the top of the hill. You'll need a 4WD for the very rough road and if it rains you
probably can't reach it. You'll first need to pick up a permit in Semera. There's talk of a
museum at Eli Wuha, but don't count on it.
The second half of the 48km stretch of road north of Mille takes you through a virtually
lifeless expanse of rust-coloured volcanic boulders and, just after the Lake Tendaho, whose
impoundment feeds sugar-cane fields, the road deposits you in
Logiya
, the most developed
town along the highway. There's a reasonably well-stocked supermarket on the south end, a
telecommunications centre on the north, business centres with internet at both ends and a
Commercial Bank in the centre. But don't expect airs and graces: it has the same surfeit of
seedy bars and brothels as all the other towns.
