Hello everyone. I wrote this post three days ago, but at the time of publishing had not worked. Today I tried again and still nothing ... I thought there was a problem with blogger.com but after I 'came with a suspicion and a search on google I found out that in Ethiopia blogger.com and' censored! Along with most other blog sites! Not only is' impossible to publish but also to see any blog.
Obviously it takes more to stop someone like me (aside from antics, as well as a personal passion I had to refine techniques in the office when the illusion of us do not use the Internet. In this case, and 'simply a proxy for the record : www.vtunnel.com)
I take this opportunity to send a vaffankulo to all the allegations, always. And we remain vigilant so that 'what' is not done soon in Italy (with any excuse they like it there appioppare here in Ethiopia, the authorities 'even say that it is a technical problem! All this since 2006!)
A' Last thing. In these two days I was a bit 'sad' cause my friend at the last moment decided not to come and do not know if will be able to 'come in the next few days. The post that follows, 'the original one written before I knew it was not coming.
---------- Hello everyone! They are in "our" Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. Camels on the streets have sprung up in the sky and the North Star. A traveler network that ends up on this blog and see the banner that says "Dekar in South Africa" \u200b\u200bwill think ': Ethiopia in South Africa? But this will not Dekar 's a bit confused? No, dear traveler. The fact 'that the journey had begun them' and then gradually I got here. So do not break. However now I will tell you the journey from Nairobi to here. "We were told to expect the worst and the worst 'state" had told an Israeli couple che l'aveva fatto (all'inverso). In effetti e' stato a tratti allucinante e sconfortante, pero' a conti fatti anche molto avventuroso e divertente.
Allora. Poco dopo aver scritto l'ultimo post ho preso un taxi per andare in un quartiere nella periferia di Nairobi chiamato Isli, abitato in prevalenza da somali, dove mi avevano detto che partono pulman o camion per Moyale, la citta' al confine fra il Kenya e l'Etiopia.
Volevo andare e tornare prima che facesse buio perche' Nairobi, ad eccezione della zona centrale intorno all'Hilton, con le tenebre diventa molto pericolosa, pero' siamo rimasti bloccati in un traffico infernale. Cosi' siamo arrivati in questo quartiere quando era ormai buio e il tassista era spaventatissimo, continuava a guardarsi intorno nervosamente e a borbottare che i somali sono gente cattiva, gente cattiva.
Non sapevamo nemmeno precisamente dove andare, poi ci hanno indirizzati verso una via buia che era completamente bloccata da alcune auto che si erano impantanate nel fango. Allora siamo scesi e abbiamo proseguito a piedi. Il tassista era sempre piu' spaventato e mi trasmetteva uno stress addosso incredibile, fra l'altro avevo tutto con me, passaporto, carta di credito e quella cavolo di macchina fotografica (questa macchina fotografica mi ha insegnato solo una cosa: chi possiede e' posseduto). Finalmente siamo arrivati di fronte a un minuscolo baracchino fatiscente che fungeva da ufficio per questo pullman.
Dentro non c'era nessuno ma e' sbucato un signore that made me a ticket. He said the coaches would have taken at least 35 hours, but almost certainly more, and that he would leave at 11 am the next day. On time, please.
The next morning I was there at 11 'but the coach was not there. I looked inside the shack and in the beginning it seemed that there was none, then huddled in a corner I saw a little boy little rickety. Already had 'the look of an old yellow eyes and yellow of some disease.
I asked where was the bus and he said that he would arrive in minutes. I sat on a plastic chair at the edge of the road, and I was a bit 'so', looking at people who passed in this district of Somalia. Towards
the 4 I began to suspect that any coach would not come. Around 5 o'clock this opinion was shared by all those waiting and by the way many of them had already 'done the day before this experience. But the little chap 'continues to ensure that the bus was there' them 'to get only a few minutes. At 6 also the little chap, under pressure, admitted that no bus would come, but certainly the next day '!
I and the majority we took it easy but some are inkazzati and started yelling. Eventually an elderly woman has gone insane and after suddenly entered the small shack-office began to beat him bad. The little chap to be honest did not react fist fights, just trying to parry the blows, while everyone else shouted the woman to stop (I think, spoke in Swahili). No one but 'the physically blocked, maybe' cause in the end we were all happy that this alert seize a little prick 'club. Then, after you have finished Struppa good and better, he's the Lady 'with her almost every round.
We were only the few that they had to leave, there were no saints (April 10 and was, as I said in the post, I had to reach Addis Ababa on 15 for an appointment at the airport with a friend came from Italy). We made it clear to the guy who was now better resolve the situation and he has in effect 'because from the very beginning, going back and forth to find a passage in the truck.
the end and 'managed to find a place in a truck that was leaving for Moyale, but the problem was that these trucks usually you can' be on top and then so 'is not so dramatic, but not on this truck: carrying planks of wood and there was a small space between the end of this axis and the edge of the trailer, little more 'than one meter. Li 'I should have put, staying sat down' at the bottom, narrow strait. Click
35 hours or more 'buried them' in conjunction with 4 other unfortunates did not seem to be the case. I also believe that it was not even so sure 'cause if such was the case a hard braking the wooden planks were slide forward crushing.
Fortunately in the meantime I met a distinguished gentleman in his thirties, Hussen, who had been in Italy as a child and a sister who works in Milan. Hussen, without asking anything in return, and 'made an effort to help me and eventually I found a situation thousand times better: a place in a truck in the driver's cab to a city' called Marsabit, approximately 8 hours from the border. Li 'I could rest for the night and then take another truck the next day. Perfect.
In the cab of the truck was really good, wide, with a beautiful view. Besides me and the driver was a boy, Ismael, who was among those waiting for the bus before and after we got started to discuss various things, especially religion, and he in fact 'a devout practicing Muslim.
Around 3 am we stopped for a break in a place called Isola. Until that time the road was in good condition but they 'would suck on to the border. In the lay-by truckers talking all agitated and restless, and I asked Ismael what they were saying. It was that night that the bandits were active on the stretch of road from them 'up to Marsabit and some trucks had been attacked.
Cosi 'we decided to continue with two other trucks, such as a mini-caravan to be as' safe. Ismael told me that this band usually block the road in some way and when the truck stops, armed with rifles are made to hand over all. Other times just suddenly appear from the sides of the road at gunpoint and if the truck does not stop shooting. He added that if we stopped I was not absolutely oppose or react to what they said wit 'me killed. Ale '.
We actually broken and just after the road began to suck, at times you could not even speak of a real road. A truck ahead of us in the middle and one behind. That went out fast and often disappeared from view after a while and whatever 'took another route. But the other was left behind and often so in the end we were almost always alone.
The area was deserted, there was a full moon and the shadows degli arbusti creavano continuamente immagini di feroci banditi armati. Quando e' spuntato il primo raggio di sole un'ondata di rilassamento ma ha invaso e nonostante la strada mi sono addormentato.
Mi sono svegliato un paio di ore dopo, ci eravamo fermati. Davanti a noi c'era anche l'altro camion, fermo, e tutti discutevano animatamente. I ragazzi che viaggiavano sopra il carico dell'altro camion sostenevano di aver visto alcuni uomini armati in mezzo ai cespugli, lontano. Ho detto a Ismael ma come e' possibile? C'e' la luce ormai! Ma mi ha risposto che non c'entra niente. I banditi sono attivi 24 ore su 24.
Dopo una decina di minuti fu deciso che avremmo fatto quel tratto alla massima velocita', tutti e due i camion assieme, vicini vicini. Ismael was quiet: God would help us. Among other things, on the night before, talking about religion, he said, see John, we could die tomorrow, but this is not 'important ... and so 'on. Unfortunately, since he was a deep and fascinating speech I did not even Treaty shall balls at the moment and I think it was too late to do so.
Then, still calmly, said he now wanted to call his wife to hear one last time in case something happened. Unfortunately I had no faith in divine comfort me (and how I envy you in those moments, Salvo! As you could see them 'impertubabile and brave to face the bandits!) And me the most about' the talk of the driver who complained in particular the fact that often the bandits pounding badly, even when no one opposes and can 'happen to end up with some broken bones. And this was the situation.
We turned the engine and go! The driver then no longer has to 'nibble a word, very concentrated on driving. We ran like crazy, jumping all over the road ditches and potholes. Is not 'nothing happened, just one point and' popped a guy from the bushes running toward us yelling something and making a sign to stop, but was not armed and therefore we are not there just cacati.
And so 'we arrived safely to the one checkpoint in the area (in southern Kenya catered' one every 5 km in the northern one for every 500, ok, '). Li 'we had breakfast and expect it to arrive in the meantime other trucks. Now we were really a caravan, 6 or 7 trucks, and from them 'we left traveling together' cause that was the trait most 'dangerous of all. Fortunately, when it 's a caravan so' long 'very rare that the bandits attack. Keep in mind that each truck was carrying the load above an average of ten people, so we were really a lot.
As you proceed, from time to time, the driver became even more 'worried and told us about the ways' of the assault that had happened there' where we were going. What is really impressive was the "when" the attacks had occurred. It was not a year ago, or months, or at least weeks. No. The day before yesterday I surfaced from them '. Three days ago they attacked a friend of mine after that curve. Yesterday they have attacked one here!
He told us also a very unlucky trucker who three days earlier had been attacked twice on the same day, both outward and return! Ismael I asked if he knew who they were. He said they are mainly of the tribe 'of Make them, that inhabit these areas largely as nomads living by hunting. They dress almost like the Masai, but, unlike them, did not hesitate to firearms. When, as now, there are periods of major drought 'and can not hunt animals to survive the attack truck. We also made two stops in small villages Make them. And in fact they are the shit, do not wanted to take pictures. Then I made some of the hidden (after I put them). Those to which I was not acquainted with it but instead they came to protest in other ways too aggressive! Luckily there was Ismael, which always appears to me the situation.
After passing the last point of operation, with the rocks down to the edge of the road created a perfect hideout at about 5 pm we arrived in Marsabit.
The next morning (April 12) I went looking for a truck with Ismael. Around 2 I found a step above the load of one (they said) there was 'them' to go. I got up and she was not bad, but 'a few minutes later I heard that the truck would not go directly but the border would have stopped for the night somewhere in the middle of the desert. I feared then that I would not have done more 'in time for the event, so' I went down and I had been looking for something else.
But there was nothing to be done all the trucks stopped in that place for the night and left again the next morning. In the meantime, however, 'I found a place where there was a truck driver in the cab of this part and I did well to get off the truck before' cause then I saw it starting at 7 pm, then I would stay up there 'on the load in the sun still for 5 hours!
We started around 8 in the evening. As we brought the car load of tourists only seen during this trip Nairobi-Addis Ababa: 3 American boys who had miraculously arrived for them 'with a normal car (not an SUV). The machine had reached more 'dead than alive, but now they had done to repair the stretch of road was really impossible.
We went into the desert proper, you could not see more 'even a small shrub around and around midnight we stopped to sleep in a place a little' Spartan, let us say so '.
The next morning at 7 and a half we left. The driver said that in 3 hours we arrived in Moyale, the closest 'to the border. Very good. The road was a mess of mud and getting worse. About 8 and a half we stuck for the first time. We managed to spantanarci (there?) Just a couple of hours later and we broken. Fifty yards and we re-stuck. Among other things we were not the only, the whole street was full of trucks blocked. After a couple of hours we left but in the meantime had punctured a tire. There was no spare wheel, had to repair it on site. Fortunately now we were no longer 'in the desert full of shrubs, under which were out of the sun. I sat in the shade and waited events. We left around 2 and a half ago. So it took us almost 6 hours to do 100 meters. D'altrocanto not we all Shumacher. In the evening we arrived at last in this fucking Moyale, a town split in two by the Kenya-Ethiopia border. And again I must thank the Swiss couple (and the saint who gave it to me mandata) per avermi detto che il visto per l'Etiopia non si puo' piu' fare li'. Senno' dopo tutto questo dovevo ritornare indietro a Nairobi! Mi sparavo.
La mattina dopo (14 aprile) sono partito per Addis Abeba (con sosta notturna in una citta' chiamata Awasa) e sul pullman ho conosciuto due sorelle etiopi, Yeshi e Isega (Salvo, desisti!) che mi hanno aiutato in tutto. La sera abbiamo visitato Awasa, il suo lago e un parco pieno di uccelli e poi abbiamo mangiato un buonissimo piatto tradizionale etiope (prezzo: mezzo euro!). il pomeriggio dopo ho finalmente raggiunto Addis Abeba pelo pelo per l'appuntamento - sic! - (nel senso che cosi' avevo scritto, ma anche come piccolo singhiozzo triste, ma da qui in poi ve lo racconto la next time)
With respect to photos, I could also use the proxy but it takes a lifetime. I put in an alternative here:
Photos of the trip from Nairobi to Addis Ababa
Happy Easter to everyone!
Oh, and by the way ... I'm at the point after all 'ste tarantelle least I remove the whim of writing: ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT TO FUCK! You are worse than Mussolini, Selassie and Mengistu put together.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment