Bubble's Travel Updates

[south_sea_bubble]

A German NGOer was kidnapped in Somaliland in Feb. The government had to shoot it out to free him. Bad sign considering how few people venture in?

How to be extra super special safe in Somaliland advice requested.

[rickshaw92]

Glad ya had a good time Bubble. Do they still give free food?

[south_sea_bubble]

My GPS is working. Is it blocked in Egypt or something?

I visited Shashemene yesterday. It is the Rasta promiseland. In the village of "Jamaica" a couple of hundred Rastas, some are old original Garvey-ites and most are descendents of those folks, live. I was taken to the temple, a voudou like temple, almost exactly like the temple at which I saw a goat sacrifice in Haiti. There were seven Rastas, all of them wearing a Rasta style that out imagines any Hollywood costume designer. The quiet and seemingly senile elder wore a papal cape and had a staff. Among the group, most had dreadlocks so outgrown that it was curled into a gigantic beehive on their head. You can sort of get the picture.

I sat on the bench with the seven. The second elder did not acknowledge me. He continued to speak to the council, speaking the Jamaican patois, a dialect so thick that it makes Glaswegian sound like BBC English.

I could only pick up the keywords he told the council--"New Jersuelam", "Promiseland"--he spoke to a nodding council. He finally wrapped up and ask me where I was from and what my purpose was. They investigated more and found out I could not even speak Chinese. They were fucking astounished.

And they were almost angry. A British expat Rasta joined the conversation saying if I were a black man coming in here, not knowing his history and proclaiming an American multicultural identity, I would be branded as a traitor. The second elder continued to harangue me. He told me I was rooted in an epic civilization and that I must return to China to relearn my language and culture. He told me it was sad that I had voluntarily disowned my race when it was beaten out of all of them--the assembled Rastas--by slavery. I sat there trying not to laugh. I mean imagine. Sitting in a Rasta temple in Ethiopia being confronted by a council of Jamaican accented Rastas about my identity.

Anyways they wrapped that up to and got on with the service. It was rather interminable. They sung hymms for hours. Thankfully someone lit up the ganja and passed it around.

Pretty cool moment.

[OneLungMcClung]

Crazy!

Are you going to learn Mandarin or Canton....?

[coldharvest]

Eritrea and Djibouti have started to trade shots today.

[south_sea_bubble]

I am in Somaliland. The Internet is a lot faster here than in Ethiopia. yay free market.

[RAH]

Hi / just wondering for future possibility how you went to Somaliland. Its a slight possibility this summer. Was it by air from Addis or Dire Dawa, or by road? Was is easy to arrange once in Ethiopia?

[south_sea_bubble]

I just came back from Laas Geel.

I paid $15 at the Ministry of Tourism, the day before for a permit to travel to and take photos at the site. It was priced at $20 but a sultan of one of the minor clans in the area, who I met before, was coincidentially at the office and got me a 25% discount.

I hired the driver/4wd/petro for $70. They tried to stick me with two military escorts but I was able to discard one soldier just before leaving Hargeisa. So $10 saved.

At the checkpoint before Laas Geel, the manager did not give a shit that I forked over 15 at the ministry and had a thing with a stamp on it. He wanted his own $15. My people argued hard but it was no use.

Cool drawings. $110. My most expensive day.

RAH,

I took Daallo Airlines from Addis. $376/return. It is a horrible airline. The plane is old and turbulent. The Russian pilots look like they had a fun night. They might cancel my flight so I might be stuck in Hargeisa for 14 days. If you do fly, take Ethiopian even though it costs $130 more.

It is also possible to take the bus from Addis to the border. I met a Dane who will do this tomorrow. I will keep you informed.

I was thinking of taking the bus to Dire Dawe and then taking the train to Djibouti and then taking the $120/return flight to Hargeisa. I've also heard there are dhows moving between the countries.

Yes it is easy to get everything taken care of in Addis. The Sonmaliland office will give you your visa in the same day if you apply early in the morning. I recommend the Red Sea Hotel. $15/day.

Ever since the war in the south, there have been exceedingly few tourists. (the guestbook at Laas Geel attests to the dramatic drop) You will literally feel like you have the country to yourself.

[RAH]

thanx on that!

[south_sea_bubble]

The police are highly efficient at keeping tabs on foreigners.

I walked from my hotel to downtown and caught a minibus which dropped me off 4km away at a nice hotel. The police called my hotel owner informing him I had gone alone to the Ambassador Hotel. They asked him if I needed police protection.

Yesterday, I stayed out late at night, past 8pm, the police recommend someone accompany foreigners out at that hour. At 8:15 pm, a squad car drove to my hotel. I was sitting at a cafe across from the street when the sultan of one of the minor clans, another guest at the hotel, walked up on me and explained the police presence and the policy. He confirmed that they are shadowing me. "You also might be CIA," he explained.

I was dumbfounded. The government can't pave a road but one ministry, at least, has its shit together.

Hey redharen, how the fuck would the CIA operate in an environment like this?

[redharen]

You tell me, spook.

[coldharvest]

You tell me, spook.

...that's exactly how a well trained spook would reply.

[south_sea_bubble]

Since returning from Somaliland, I continued south into the Omo Valley, Ethiopia. This remote area is a kind of Papua New Guinea although in recent years the increase of tourists has been dramatic, ruining the experience of seeing the tribes. The people will surround you and demand money for pictures. There is no way to interact beyond ignoring their open hands. So I was often left to return to the camp, hours away, after a 15 minute stroll through the village. A crappy week.

I took a 22-hour bus ride from the Ethiopian border to Nairobi (they drive all through the night).
I'm about done with my safari. Masai Mara was wonderful. I saw over a dozen lions, in maybe 5 different incidents. I saw a cheetah stalk something, loads of elephants and giraffes, a leopard for a few seconds, and the great migration of wildabeasts started the day I was at the park (this was 2 weeks early and completely unexpected--rich people the next day hurried into the park, the air strip was very busy).

I lived in a camp staffed by the people of the Masai tribe, a warrior tribe that has strictly kept its traditions despite the extreme exposure to tourism. I like being a tourist with a cultural anthropological bent, especially looking into the realm of divinity, so I asked the Masai to take me to their village witchdoctor. It was nothing like the breathtaking six hour ritual in Haiti but I had fun. The witchdoctor shook a horn full of rocks, spilling out the contents into a bowl, centered in a chalk circle. The arrangement of rocks had meaning. While he shook and moved the rocks he sipped a plastic coffee mug of the local hooch (sweet and weak stuff). He had only one significant prophecy: My first born child will be a son. He wrapped up and told me I would have a nice trip. The Masai fellow--maybe a bit apologetically--explained that he had not drunk enough of that beer--cause if he had he would have a lot more to say.

I am now in the Rift Valley Province to see the lake. I had no idea I would be at ground zero. I was an hour in the Valley before the driver noted where we were, catching me my surprise. If I had known I would have researched a little to best prepare my attempt at getting under the political/religious/racial skin of this place. Looks like there is no chance to do that since I will leave tomorrow.


---
Wrote this two days ago. The net is better in Nairobi. I'll be heading to Mombassa next by that nice sleeper train. I'll search for Swahili magic. I must be in Cape Town by my birthday, August 12 (to catch my planes). I don't feel I have enough time so I will be rushing through Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, and SA. I might not even visit Western Kenya or Tanzania so I'll miss out Lake Victoria sacred traditions.


How does Zimbabwe look?

[soulohio]

How does Zimbabwe look?

rather like Afrika. great post old chap! keep them coming!

[south_sea_bubble]

My luck ran out. Days ago my wallet was stolen while I was at the bus station in Llongwe, Malawi. My trip was ending and I became sloppy, barely carrying a reserve amount of money. I didn't discover my loss until I was about to cross the border, leaving me stuck at the border to sort out the Western Union. The first domino fell and since then my schedule is in tatters and I don't expect to see much of Southern Africa besdies buses, trucks, and trains. Ugh. I can't wait for the Qatar flight. I will drink a lot.