Part I: “On the way to another planet”

I don’t even remember now how I came across a photo of lake Abbé, but I have done so much research about Djibouti, that could easy became its honored citizen!

For almost a year I was annoying my friends and colleagues asking if they wanted to come with me on my new adventure and stay overnight in a camp at lake Abbé — I was even in touch with a local guide and a driver — and all I needed was just a company to share it with me!



Autumn passed a baton on to winter, which was giving way to spring too quickly, days were getting hotter and hotter, so I decided — now or never!- contacted my guide Mousa and asked if he could take to me lake Abbe in couple of days — and that’s what he did!

I landed in Djibouti City around 1am and after spending a bit more than half an hour running from one counter to another and explaining the immigration officers where my country was and what I was intending to do in Djibouti, I found myself all alone in arrival hall — where did everyone go that fast? Unable to connect to internet and download my hotel reservation for address or a phone number, I decided got try my luck and approached one of the taxi drivers and with a straight face asked :”To the Chinese hotel, the one that had a restaurant in it!”

Luckily for me Djibouti City didn’t have such a wide selection of hotels and my driver knew exactly where I was going, so by 3am I was nicely tucked in bed after a long day of never ending flights and airport lounges.

I was woken up by a whats app message from my guide, who informed me that Ahmed — my driver for the next two days, — will come to pick me up around 10 am, who actually showed up twenty minutes earlier and announced his arrival with :”Miss Irina, miss Irina” on the whole neighborhood! Ahmed was eager to leave earlier as we had to go to the market.

Changing money in a local market is an interesting experience itself: money changers are usually women, who are sitting on the side of the road and are busy chatting lively or gossiping enthusiastically. We stopped close to a small butchery and I big mama in colorful dress got inside the car next to me)

-How much?- she was not wasting time on introduction.
I was taken by surprise and looked at Ahmed.
-I know her. Good woman. Very. No worry

Money changed, cooler filled with water and fruits for the road, we stopped by a big mosque in the suburbs of Djibouti City, where we finally met Mousa, who told me, that, unfortunately, he was not able to join me, but I was in capable and trusted hands, and I could always call him if I needed some help or had problems in communication as, unfortunately Ahmed didn’t speak English at all!

-Whatever you do, just don’t eat salad!- shouted Moussa when we took off towards our adventure…
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