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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Nov 24, 2004 07:00 PM To the state which does not exists...
Poor, destroyed by civil war Somalia is divided now into 3 parts. The northern one - Somaliland is doing best. Very few people know how does it look like... I decided to go and see...
Exciting adventure! Since Somaliland is not recognized as a state it has no embassies abroad. I got the scan of my visa via internet - it was arranged by Ambassador Hotel in Hargeisa - the capital city of Somaliland.
After 45-min flight on a junk Il-18 plane I landed today in Somali. My first impessions: blue sky, dry heat, noisy crowd in the tiny airport terminal. Before you go to the immigrations you are forced to change in the bank window at least 50 USD on official rate (1USD=3500 Somaliland Shillings) minus commission. While the market rate is 6500!!! Then be prepared to pay 20 USD of immigration fee. Then you will get your stamp. Doors will open. You are in Somaliland. There must be a country like that!
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Nov 23, 2004 07:00 PM Deepest depression of Africa...
Still no message about my luggage... I spent last night in Auberge Sable Blanc - small pension located few blocks out of the central Blv Republique. I do not waste my time: today I took full day trip to the Lac Assal - very picturesque salt lake announced to be the deepest depression in Africa: 153m below the sea level. It is located about 100 km west of Djibouti City. No local transport. I rented a car with a local guide-driver: Houmed Loita (french only, please) his mobile ph: 82 22 91. - he is worth to recommend. The lake itself surrounded by dormant volcanoes is very impressive. Two days after walking on the white snow in Poland I walked here on the waste area of white salt! Locals collect this salt and export it - mostly to Ethiopia...
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Nov 22, 2004 07:00 PM Did you see my luggage?
The airline staff in Frankfurt issued new ticket for the route: Frankfurt-London-Nairobi-Djibouti (this was my final destination) They also promised to send my backpack the same way. Uff... 8-hours long Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi
was half empty so I layed down on the 3 seats until 5 am. In Nairobi I changed the plane. It was 11.45 am when I landed in Djibouti... Bon jour! (limited knowledge of english here since the beginning). When they brought all luggage to the terminal I recognized: there were no my backpack on the plane. Africa.
Heat, high humidity. I have heavy, snow-resistant clothes on me, no shaver, no toothbrush, no messages... No forms to fill - just write your name on the piece of paper. Ask tomorrow - maybe... Djibouti - the capital still has strong French military presence. Local people are friendly and streets are safe. One baguette cost 20 francs, an hour of slow internet - 250 francs.
1 USD is worth 177 francs... But were is my luggage?
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Oct 21, 2004 02:00 PM 22nd Nov. 2004 - TO THE HORN OF AFRICA...
New, exotic voyage starts today!
I visited Ethiopia many years ago but the other countries located in the "Horn of Africa" remained unknown to me. Only few airlines fly there and special tarrifs are not available. I found that it will be very profitable for me to use an award ticket from Lufthansa frequent flyer program to fly there - to Asmara in Eritrea. It was snowy and frosty day in Poland when I started from Gdansk airport to Frankfurt. The flight was delayed due to heavy traffic over Frankfurt. I misssed connection to Asmara (next after 2 days). First adventure...
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Oct 03, 2004 02:00 PM From Wild West to Eastern Europe...
This was the last day of my voyage to US Nosthwest and Canadian Rockies. I started early from Lake Tohoe. It is worth to know that aroud the lake fuel is very expensive: 2,45 USD per gallon and more... So before driving to the lake fill up - the best fuel prices in the area are in Carson City - 2,10 per gallon.
On my way to the Reno airport I made a stopover in Virginia City - well preserved mining village from the time of gold and silver rush. Yes, I think that this is no.2 tourist attraction of the area (just after Lake Tahoe). You will find there saloons, old-fashioned shops, steam train, long wooden sidewalks and you will feel Wild West atmosphere...
In the afernoon in Reno I returned car and boarded 737 to Seattle for connecting flight to Europe. The voyage is over... I drove more then 6000 miles and saw a lot: mostly the national parks. I am again impessed by the beauty of nature in North America. The Nature - that's in my opinion what America has to offer to the foreign tourists instead of skycrapers in the big cities...
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Oct 02, 2004 02:00 PM Lake Tahoe - The crowded Beauty...
It is one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the world... It lies just on the border between California and Nevada. I spent full day driving around the lake, enjoying the landscape and taking pictures. There is road going around Tahoe - the problem is that along the coast there are quite a lot of private properties and the access to the shore is limited. Settlements are full of motels, lodges, souvenir shops etc... Roads and popular tourist places are crowded...
South of the lake seems to be more interesting then the north. The famous Emerald Bay is undisputed highlight so do not miss it... It is also worth to take narrow Angora Ridge Road to get to the lookout with a nice, panoramic view of smaller Fallen Leaf Lake and the highest mountain in the area - Mt Tallac.
It is hard to find the view point with all Lake Tahoe on display - if the day is clear like today I suggest cable car operating from the Stateline on the southern shore. They charge hefty 22 USD for the round trip but the view from the first upper station - 9123 foot above sea level - is magnificent!...
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Sep 30, 2004 02:00 PM The Mountain of Sand...
How to try the taste of the Nevada Desert? If you are in Reno take the road no. 80 - "the loneliest road of America" - that's how they call it... Have a tank full of fuel and plenty of drink...
It is hot and monotonous drive after Fallon. About 95 miles east of Reno empty, bare mountains will appear. On the the left side of the road you will see huge sand dune. They call it Sand Mountain and it is recognized as State Recreation Area. You must turn left and proceed about 2 km by dusty gravel road... The dune in 670 feet (like 220 m) high. Some US citizens are coming here with their campers and 4-wheelers to go up and down on the sand but since it is quite far from big towns there is usually only few of them. The view is impressive - you can climb the mountain for the better pictures - just do not forget your hat and sunglases...
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Sep 29, 2004 02:00 PM Gambling in Reno - Nevada
No, I am not a gambler. But I wanted just see Reno before my onward drive to the next wonder of the nature - the Lake Tahoe...
In the internet I found interesting offer: a room in Sands Regency Hotel & Casino for 24 USD - it is lower price then in the motel!! Transfer from the airport is also included...
So I decided to take it. The room is excellent (remember: I am backpacker!) King size bed have capacity of 3 persons! They also offered 10 USD gift credit for gambling... Yes, I took it - I went to the slot machine to try my luck and after few minutes I had 16 USD in quarters in my pocket. So: 24 minus 16 = 8 - this is the real cost of my king size bed....
Downtown Reno is small enough to walk around. The real face of the "small Las Vegas" is visible after dusk - when all neons and lights are on - but one evening is just enough to stay here.
Try your luck while in Reno and go to the Public Library for free internet access!
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Sep 28, 2004 02:00 PM The view from Hurricane Rigde...
I am in the Olympic National Park - 3 hours drive from Seattle. It is wild, less known, not so often visited by the tourists... The most popular place to visit is Hurricane Ridge - the Visitors Center accessible by car from Port Angeles... When the morning fogg will dissapear there is beautiful panorama of the snowy peaks, glaciers and green valleys. You can see distant Mt Olympus - the name of the park comes from its highest mountain. The best time to drive there is usually afternoon... On the western side of the park there are picturesque beaches - offering combination of the sand, lonely rocks and big drifting logs. The best one is Ruby Beach - but you need some luck to take good pictures there - when I came to the beach it was cloudy and misty. While 10 miles east - in the Hoh Rainforest area it was sunny again and I photographed there an old, majestic male elk...
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Sep 26, 2004 02:00 PM The lake in the crater...
Can you imagine deep-blue huge lake - about 5 miles diameter, located on the altitude 2 km above sea level?...
Ii was a long way from Redwood to the Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. This is the only national Park of the Oregon State. There is a good paved road going around the crater, but it comes to the rim only at the several view points. The best one - in my opinion is The Watchman - here you have a beautiful view of the Wizard Island located in the crater. It takes about 1,5 hour to drive around the lake with short photo-stops... Allow more time because the views are outstanding and I cannot remember any similar place in the world...
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