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Lakes where the salt caravans would cross the desert and dunes to ply their trade. The depression - which is 450 feet below the sea level — is filled by water seeping through fissures and cracks from the Red Sea and spreading out on the valley floor to become literally lakes of salt.
Johns - and his two “minders” Mohamed and Mohamed - would spend weeks in the desert with the Alar people, desert pastoralists who traded salt and herded goats. “They were tall, thin and very handsome people.” said Johns who also remarked that they were very fierce and. “really good shots” with their AK-47s.
Did he ever feel uncomfortable? “Well, you know, there were a couple of times.” begins Johns and one might expect a tale of bandits and daring escape. “You know it s really hot.” he said nonchalantly referring to the local climate. Where were the bandits? “I was mugged once outside my rental house in Johannesburg.” said Johns.
Johns then explained about the short-cut across the salt lake with Mohamed ami Mohamed. There is actual water in these lakes - very salty water - which are covered over by a thick crust of salt. As he tells it. they decided that if camels could cross over the crust - as they had seen the Afar do - then so could their two ton Land Cruisers. Besides, it was an
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