I flew from Tajikistan to Djibouti via Dubai, and headed to Lac Abbe and Lac Assal before returning to the capital. I enjoyed the natural scenery and ethnic diversity of Djibouti a great deal more than I had expected--most people treat it as a transit point rather than a place to spend a few days. I then got a return flight to Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland. The northernmost part of Somalia, the territory of Somaliland has de facto independence and a strong, relatively democratic government (compared to no government at all in much of the rest of Somalia). It is waiting for recognition from the international community. I then returned to Djibouti for my flights to Eritrea. Eritrea is covered in a separate gallery but I was happy to get back to beautiful Sanaa, Yemen for a day on the way there.