FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Shhh, Don't Tell Mamma: Mogadishu to Mecca, with a taste of Djibouti

Mar 20, 2018 | 4:00 pm

#46

rivlinm

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: TPA

Programs: AA PLT, HH Gold, FM Prem, SPG gold

Posts: 581

Djibouti Day 1

Once I had a plan in mind I ventured out to see all of the sites Djibouti doesn’t have. I passed a building called the People’s Palace (exhibition/convention center) but not a person was around.

Children were much more open to photos

Vice City: Khat, Coke and Tobacco

These guys were sitting here relaxing each and every time I passed (seemed common)

A gift from China in 1984

Memorial highlighting the freedom and liberation of the Djiboutian people

Along the Boulevard de la Republique I encountered two churches. Christians account for only 6% of the population (2% if you exclude Ethiopians and other ethnicities) in this Muslim dominant nation. Even though Islam is the official State religion, religious freedom doesn’t seem to be an issue in Djibouti. I continued north toward the beach and as I took a photo of some people (who asked to have their photo taken) a car drove past me and got my attention. He asked to see my photos and said these are bad. You can’t take them. (Oddly he really disliked a flag and goat photo, but didn’t comment on an airport and license plate photo) I agreed to stop taking photos and went on my way, but again I was irked and considered this another strike on my already stressful visit. Luckily there isn’t all that much to see, but I did pass up some photo opportunities throughout the afternoon. Strangely locals really were eager to have me take their photo or they asked if I was a journalist with a menacing scowl.

Djibouti (and Somalia)

Greek Orthodox Church of Djibouti

Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Bon-Pasteur de Djibouti was dedicated in 1964

Tokyo Roundabout

The shore was absolutely repulsive in both smell and appearance so I quickly moved along

Maybe a bit worse than most, but taxis were not in great shape in Djibouti

Hop aboard

This may have been the photo that attracted some attention from the photo militia

It turns out the free press rating for Djibouti is in the bottom 10% and the BBC has been expelled from the country. The paranoia of a country with exclusively state run media was now starting to make sense. I walked toward the Kempinski and passed a beach before deciding it was way too hot to keep walking. On the way back I passed the National Assembly and snuck a photo as it was the nicest building in the city by far.

Small public beach on the Gulf of Tadjoura

Kempinski, One of two high end western hotel chains in Djibouti, the other being the Sheraton, but are both rather removed from the city itself

Alcohol is not banned, but not particularly common to see throughout the city

Regular corner convenience stands

Khat vendor

National Assembly

After a break from the sun I ventured out again around dusk and the streets were lively with tons of khat sellers. I found a Yemeni fish restaurant on google and decided to check that out. For 1500 franc it didn’t disappoint. I picked out the fish I wanted and it was prepared and delivered right to me. Day one in Djibouti hadn’t gone as planned and day two still remained largely unplanned when I finally made it to bed. But not before a long overdue hot shower!