Camel Caravan, Djibouti

This photograph was taken by my lovely Australian cruise friend, Jill Sutherland.  She was on a tour yesterday to Lake Assal -- the lowest point on land in Africa.

Salt is harvested here by the local Afar people, and it is loaded on to camels to be taken for trade to Ethiopia -- a trip that takes five weeks to accomplish, and after all that work they get about $20.00 per camel caravan!  Unbelievably hard work for a pitiable reward.

We have just left the port of Djibouti, and are now sailing for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, where we will arrive on May 2nd.