Impressions of Djibouti

Perhaps it is fitting that Djibouti is the 50th country that I visit. Djibouti is the kind of place that only a travel junkie would visit. It is the kind of place you visit when you are collecting stamps in your passport. If it weren't so close to Ethiopia, and if I weren't such a travel junkie, I would never bother. But I was curious to see this place. Some people try to say that it is the Dubai of Africa. Previously known as French Somaliland, it definitely has a strange place in history and somehow I couldn't imagine what it would look like without going to see it for myself. It is no Dubai, for sure. Mostly just a navy outpost with not much to see. True, I didn't go out to see the salt lakes and the whales were already gone for the season, but I don't think there is much to see in any season. One good thing I can say about the place is it may be the safest city I have ever seen.


Had trouble getting to the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia because some heads of state were in town for an AU meeting about Cote d'Ivoire. This is the official plane of the President of Equatorial Guinea.	Although Libya is now experiencing its own "Arab Spring" the OilLibya gas stations are still running in Ethiopia and the company even provides jet fuel.	These look like tents to me, but I can't be sure. Most of Djibouti is just a big desert.

On the approach into Djibouti Airport, I can see more impromptu housing and rubbish.	More junk.	Water?

I love when the Muslim elders have the orange beard. This guy was pretty nice, but the taxis are way overpriced from the airport.	I arrived Friday evening, just in time to get a first look at the city on the way to my hotel.	Some nice houses and quite a few people out walking the streets.

But mostly there is just tons of garbage lining the streets... very strange.	More garbage	More garbage.

More garbage and some kids playing among the garbage.	Artistic garbage? Or for sale?	Seriously... most countries try their best to make the road from the airport look much better than the rest of the country, but this is the ugliest ever!

And more...	And more...	Although Djibouti gained independence from France in 1977, the French Foreign Legion still has a base here as does the US Navy. Other countries use the port and have some presence.

Getting a little dark for my iPhone camera.	Gulf of Aden	Somewhat famous restaurant across from the train station in downtown Djibouti.