ETHIOPIA

now before us lay Ethiopia - the coldest country Africa. In contrast to the hot desert of the Sudan, where the day was 45 deg. C in the shade, here was green, wet, windy and cool and even cold at night (10 deg. C).
Ethiopia - a very poor country. Poverty of local residents are on their laziness. "Better to die from hunger than from work" - Ethiopian proverb says. Millions of people all day doing nothing, and seeing such a rare foreigner who surround him and follow him, repeating: "U" Give me one birr "Mister, give me 1 birr! Damn Mister, give me my money!"
Especially a lot of beggars in big cities, so that even India, compared with Ethiopia seem civilized and wealthy country.
Ethiopia, in contrast to the Sudanese do not call strangers to visit and a night, rarely treat them. Two exceptions: the drivers and the Muslims. Driver of a rare car to pick you up on the road, generally does not want money and will be happy to feed the passengers, and Muslims, here representing a religious minority, you can shelter in the mosque, of course, if you know the Muslim tradition and speak a little Arabic or Amharic, as both English and especially Russian, they certainly do not know.
We conducted in Ethiopia, about two weeks and did just in case Yemeni visa and headed for the north-east of the country in the city of Harar, Zhizhigu and then, on the border with Somalia. In Zhizhige, 70 km from the border, we have already put exit stamps as well as on the border of any of the immigration authorities of Ethiopia anymore.
But in Somalia, we are not allowed. On its territory during the Civil War, formed a few no one recognized sovereign states: Somaliland, Puntalend, Dzhubbalend and a dozen more. On the authorities of Somaliland paper Embassy of Somalia in Moscow did not act: that we are both sovereign state! Visa at the border also did not want to give (ringing in its capital, Hargeisa, to refine it; Ethiopians admit freely, and "Mr. White" - a rare phenomena not studied yet!) - And sent back to the Ethiopian town of Dire Dawa. Supposedly there is Somaliland Embassy (address unknown), get a visa and come again.
We returned to Ethiopia, already having an exit stamp of the country, we are easily missed. Went to Dire Dawa, but the embassy of the unrecognized republic was not found. Perhaps it was not. But found the Embassy of Djibouti and quickly made a visa Djibouti, have decided to go there.
From Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa and Djibouti railroad is the most broken-down in the world. The train is made up of freight cars and one passenger car with smashed windows 50 years ago, without electricity, all filled up with debris, and some bags. They carry in
Djibouti "chat" - the narcotic leaves of the tree, is one of the major export of Ethiopia (second only to coffee). Travel without a ticket is prohibited; ticket collector accompanies his aunt 2 x 2 meters with a gun. Generally the train many soldiers - with machine guns, extra cartridges horns and even hand grenades on his belt! People travel a lot, both in passenger and freight cars. Average speed 15 km/h.
At the border station pressure all the passengers gathered passport. Soon after we landed, the train left and we were detained. The reason for steel exit stamps erroneously we obtained in Zhizhige. "For a one-time visa can not leave the country twice," - decided to border guards. Instead of getting rid of us in the simplest way (to send to neighboring Djibouti before him just 5 km), the guards, wanting to curry favor, became nazvanivat authorities in Dire Dawa, Zhizhigu and Addis Ababa. For two days we lived in the pressure, then the train went back and took us under guard in Dire Dawa. From there, another soldier with a gun accompanied us in Addis Ababa. Our passports were kept in a sealed bag in the pocket of a soldier cherished. In the capital we put in prison, where we spent another three days and three nights. Finally, a week after the arrest to contact the Russian Embassy,