The Danakil Depression is called the cradle of hominids after the famous Lucy Australopithecus fossil was found in 1974. It is hottest and lowest places on earth and dry for most of the year. We made a four-day trip from Mekele into the area. In the two days we spent driving we covered less than two hundred kilometers. The highlights of the trip (Ertale open volcano, volcanic fields, salt mining) are covered in separate video clips. This clip gives an impression of the "roads", the Afar people living in the area, the caravans between Mekele and the area and the "facilities"for tourists. Background music is from Jon Sayles (http://www.jsayles.com/familypages/EarlyMusic.htm)