the third time in Africa

Africa - my favorite continent. The first time I visited him in 1999, then we are with friends (five of them) arrived hitchhiking from Moscow to the Sudan. The second time - in 2000-2001.; During the big Trans-mission of the Academy of voluntary travel (WUA) with ten men we crossed the entire continent. And third trip this year. We've been dreaming to get to Somalia and to visit the easternmost point of Africa, I had not seen any of the known Russian and foreign travel (in Somalia 12 years of civil war and all its fear). We've got all papers from the Embassy of Somalia in Moscow, but the Somalis in this country and not allowed to enter. But all in order.
At this time we were four: Sergey Braslavsky (also known as scribe) from Vologda, the oldest (30 years) and heavy (95 kg), member of the expedition; propelled woman Lipetsk Natalia Kislitskiy (note), Ilya Aligozhin of Yartsevo Smolensk region, and myself.
main road route into Africa is well known, through Turkey, Syria, Jordan. In Turkey earlier it was possible to travel freely through Georgia and Bulgaria, both countries have visa-free. Now the situation has changed. Now the Georgian visa costs, but made up to two weeks, Bulgaria is quicker, but for. Ferry ticket to Turkey (from Novorossiysk to Trabzon) costs, and the charter flight from Moscow to Istanbul -.
Most of us chose an unconventional route to Turkey: in Nakhichevan. We must get to Baku (Azerbaijan has a visa-free), there is only -20 can fly in Nakhichevan, an autonomous territory of Azerbaijan (planes 4 times a day). Thence along the road you can drive in Turkey. This method proved to be the cheapest and most convenient.
Turkish visa is now not as before as well, and still put on the border, however, now that the visa is reusable, that is, it is possible to travel from Turkey and within a month to go back there, nothing doplachivaya.
Two participants - Ilya Aligozhin and Natalia Kislitskiy - after Turkey attended the post-war Iraq. It is now visa-free country, and get there is completely free, easy getting a stamp at the border. Both the Americans and Iraqis belonged to the Russian traveler well, so again, Elijah went to Iraq, and another Hitch - Sergei Braslavsky - went on his way back from Jordan to Turkey through Iraq was to save the Syrian visa. All who visited Iraq to get out there presents: Elijah American soldiers gave secret military map of Iraq and two sets of army food "made in USA", Knizhnik constantly gave bundles of local money (with a portrait of Saddam Hussein) is still in effect.
is not known how long the visa-free Iraq, but so far it's very convenient for travelers. Firstly, there is an opportunity to get to Jordan, Syria, passing, and secondly, through Iraq is the only land route to Israel! On the Israeli visa or stamp in the passport there will not miss through Syria, or through Lebanon. And in Iraq - please.
In Jordan, some "wise men" have traditionally engaged in earnings. Scribe in one day earned in Amman 17 dinars guitar playing, however, one received a 10-dinar note was counterfeit. More about 10 dinars, but a trifle, he sang in Aqaba port. Ilya have successfully sold the traditional "Russian souvenir" (1 paper "mavrodik + three Soviet coins) and one hour sold 10 sets of" souvenirs "for 1 dinar (40 p).. After receiving an Egyptian visa, we boarded the ferry on the night of September 8 were in Egypt. (Six-month tourist multivisa worth 15 dinars in Aqaba, issued the same day. Ferry ticket - plus another 6 dinars to be paid for the Jordanians to leave the country.)