Category: Djibouti

The Desert at Lac Abbe in Djibouti

The sun sets behind limestone chimneys with steaming hot springs near Lac Abbe at the border between Djibouti and Ethiopia. Lac Abbe is a hypersalinic salt lake in the centre of the Afar Depression in the North of the East African Rift. The area is inhabited by Afar people herding camels, sheep, and goats.

Djibouti does deals with everybody, the exile Frenchman said. He’s living in Djibouti City for almost three decades, is married to his second Djibouti wife, and owns a transport company. Not being picky was probably born out of historic necessity, as Djibouti always was a spot of many interests. For thousands of years the Gulf of Aden…… Continue reading The Desert at Lac Abbe in Djibouti

The Wreck of the Priamos

An Arabian angelfish (Pomacanthus asfur) swims af the wreck of the French cargoship Le Faon sunken 1970 after a machine room explosion near the Moucha island, Djibouti.

The Gulf of Aden, notorious for pirates, is one of the major waterways on the globe. Connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via Suez Canal, there are about 21’000 ships crossing the gulf per year. Hence it’s not surprising that there are quite a few shipwrecks on the seabed. One of them is the MV Priamos…… Continue reading The Wreck of the Priamos

Harvesting the Salt of Lac Assal

Aras harvests the salt at the shore of Lac Assal in Djibouti, a highly saline lake situated 155 metres below sea level. Depending on the wind, each segment of the shore produces its own shape and size of grains of salt. Aras' family sells the salt to tourists.

Trading with salt from Lac Assal in Djibouti goes back to bartering with Abyssinian caravans by local Afar and Issa tribes. The lake is situated 155 metres below sea level in one of the hottest places on Earth.