Blue Dome Viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the flooded volcanic caldera on the Greek island of Santorini. Originally connected to the island, the volcano has repeatedly “blown its top” over the past two million years. Each eruption ejected rock and earth from the mountain peak, leaving a near-perect ring of high cliffs surrounding a … Read more
In the early morning hours, this troop of baboons strolled onto the road in Mago National Park in the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia. Established in 1979, Mago is the country’s newest national park. Not only can a stunning diversity of wildlife be seen in the park, it is also home to a number of … Read more
I eased into the low canvas deck chair my driver had set up next to our jeep. Waving off the glass of wine he proffered, I focused on the enormous lemon-colored sun descending through the salt haze. Earlier, I had walked across the salt flats in Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression to Lake Karum. As I approached … Read more
Dallol, officially one of the remotest places on earth, is located in the Danakil Depression in northeast Ethiopia. The area is known for its otherworldly hydro-geothermal features that include acidic sulfur lakes, geysers, and bizarrely colored mineral deposits. Though technically listed as a settlement by the government, Dallol is no longer inhabited. Other than nomadic … Read more
Initially, I thought the line of brown bumps were cliffs on the distant horizon. But as our jeep sped across Ethiopia’s infinite salt flats in the Danakil Depression, I realized the bumps were moving. Moments later our driver pulled over and invited us to step out into 115 degree temperatures to watch the first camel … Read more
