Awash National Park

Sunday was our first full day off, so we took a little road trip to Awash National Park.

The drive was a busy one, since it was one of the main roads to & from Djobouti.

As we were driving along, we came upon this truck. At first we couldn't tell what they were transporting, but as we got closer we realized it was a truck full of CAMELS!

Packed in like sardines, they really didn't seem too concerned that they were flying along the highway at 100kph. They seemed to be on a sight seeing trip, and every time the truck would have to slow a bit, all the camels would raise their heads and crane their necks so they could see over the railing. It was very amusing.

The scenery was quite beautiful, with large expansive grasslands as far as the eye could see. There was still quite a bit of foot traffic though, especially each time we passed through a small town or village.

As we got closer to the park, we came upon Lake Basaka. Instead of driving around it...we drove straight through it! The water lapped the road on each side, and I'm sure in the rainy season often was impassible.

Finally we made it to Awash National Park.

There were LOTS of rules, which was rather nice to see since it meant they were serious about conservation.

One of the rangers was quick to offer to be our guide. He spoke minimal English though, so once again our driver Amir stepped in to play interpretter.

It soon payed off to have a guide though. We immediately spotted a few Oryx in the distance.

And then a couple of Soemmerring's gazelle stopped by to say 'hi' as well.

This Abyssinian Roller posed nicely for us when we stopped to take his picture.

We drove through the park for a little while, and all of a sudden could hear the rush of water. A LOT of water.

Suddenly, around the bend, came this sight. A huge waterfall formed by the Awash River. We were able to stop and hike around the top for a few minutes before heading down a long flight of stairs to the base of the waterfall.

It was so impressive! As we got closer to the falls, we could feel the mist in the air. A welcome relief from the hot dry weather.

We explored the base of the falls for about an hour. Lots of picture taking and rock skipping occurred. I think the massiveness of the falls made all of us feel like kids again.

Across the river, someone spotted this guy. Sunning himself on the rocks, a nice sized (6-8 feet?) Croc basked in the warmth of the sun's rays. He blended in really well, and reminded all of us to take caution near the waters edge.

Finally, the guide growing impatient, we were herded back up the stairs. By now, all of us had worked up an appetite and there was a lodge nearby so we bribed the guide to let us stay for lunch by offerring to pay for his meal.

The lodge had seating that overlooked the river gorge and we were able eat lunch while we watched the water roar by. If you are ever in the area, you should look into staying here. The modest little cabins all overlooked the gorge and would be a fabulous place to stay overnight.

We finally called it a day and started to head back to Adama, hoping to make it back before it got dark. The roads at night seemed just as busy as during the day, however without the benefit of daylight the chances of hitting an animal were much greater.

During several miles along our trip back, the roads were buckled. Amir told us it was from the summer months, when the temperature sored into the triple digits (F). The pavement would get so hot it would soften, and then when the heavily loaded trucks traveled slowly up the hill it would squish underneath the weight of the load.

Along the way we passed by a huge herd of camel. It was a fun sight to see, especially what appeared to be some brand new, gangly legged babies at the end of the pack.

Throughout our drive, young kids would often be walking along the side of the road...herding their goats or cows along, as soon as they saw us they would break out into wide grins and begin running along side the van. It was always a fun sight and brought a smile to all of our faces.

What a great day we had. Happy to be back at the hotel, we had a 'quick' dinner and then all headed to our rooms to crash in our beds.