Magazine Mar/Apr 2018

During these moments of inactivity, we had few precious distractions. One of them was our guide, Mulugeta, who would regale us with stories of how courtship is conducted in parts of Ethiopia. “A man throws a lemon at the feet of the woman he wishes to date hoping she acknowledges him by picking it up,” he shared. On another occasion, we visited the village of Waideddo where the local Afar chief and his family received us. We spoke to him about their customs and the future of the region. “We don’t need our children to go away and get an education. We are very happy the way we are and do not want to change,” he declared. The Afar people are proud of their origins and very protective of their land. They are not particularly fond of tourists, and often refuse to have their photo taken. Our highlight was a visit to Erta Ale, known by the Afar people as the “smoking mountain”. Erta Ale is a 600-meter high volcano, one of only a handful of continuously active volcanos in the world, and a member of an even more exclusive group – volcanoes with lava lakes. While there are only five such known volcanos globally, Erta Ale often has two active lava lakes – making it an extremely unique site.

tears and sweat, our WOAM team successfully completed the first-ever crossing of the Danakil Depression of Ethiopia on bicycles. Two hundred kilometers in six days over vastly contrasting terrain – it was an arduous expedition, but we persevered, and every day we pushed on, finding resources we did not know we had. Throughout the journey, we were rewarded by breathtaking landscapes and unbelievable spectacles of nature, who transfixed and overwhelmed us with her raw power and might. However, our ultimate satisfaction came from pushing ourselves far beyond our comfort zones for a cause that bonded us together: the plight of women survivors of war. We were driven by the desire to make a difference in the lives of women deprived of the most basic freedom – the right to live in peace and happiness with their loved ones; to education and self-accomplishment; to live with respect and decency; to dream. In Mulugeta’s words, “Women are capable of anything if they set their hearts and minds to it.” On the last evening, the entire Ethiopian crew shared in the celebration of our achievement and felt just as proud to have taken part in this extraordinary, pioneering crossing. It was a voyage to an otherworldly place, an unforgettable adventure to the most inhospitable place on earth.

The cycle through the ‘Gates of Hell’ was indeed one of our most grueling expeditions to date. After much blood, toil,

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THE AMERICAN CLUB MAR / APR 2018