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Djibouti

Looking down into the volcano Ardouokoba from a volcanic hill above the crater. The last eruption was in 1978. .

The Gulf of Tadjoura owes its existence to the interface between two of the earth’s tectonic plates, the Southern one being the African plate while the northern one is the Arabian plate... where the two meet there is a zone of crustal instability which results in the Gulf of Tadjoura and extends down through Africa as the East African Rift valley. ‘Crustal instability’ is a nice term which includes such things as earth quakes and volcanic eruptions as the two plates move relative to each other

From the top of the volcanic hill you could see Lake Assal and the crater in the opposite direction.

Road below driving across the face of the volcano crater floor.

Upon reaching the summit, we saw the raw crust of the coastline in the distance, looking like burnt sponge cake.

The wind was fierce at the top of the crater. At any minute a huge gust could blow you over the side.

Driving back to the shore it was hard to miss the huge fissure in the middle of the road. "That is the start of a new ocean," said our guide, What we were looking at was part of the Assal Rift, a point of convergence between three tectonic plates that is creating a crack, widening at a rate of 2cm a year. Djibouti, it seems, is nature's building site.

Devils Island Le Goubet

Djibouti was the last French colony in mainland Africa to gain independence, doing so in 1977. Warfare immediately broke out between the two main tribes: the nomadic Afars and the Issas. The latter group now have possession of almost all the political power. A truce was reached in 1994, and the chances of future conflict look slim – due in part to the presence of an American military facility here, the only US base in mainland Africa, which is maintained because of Djibouti's proximity to the hot-spots of the Middle East

The hamadryas baboon is native to the Horn of Africa

A rare sight by the side of the road two hamadryas baboons.

Lots of accidents on the narrow roads in the Horn of Africa

How would like to live in this town with the name of DikHil?

Another accident a tanker truck turned over

Meeting some local kids outside a lunch stop in DikHil

Meeting local kids for a few minutes

Nearby town of DikHil

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