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A Good Time, A Bad Time, A Djibouti Time
Entry 23 of 53 | show all | print this entry |
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It was a long hard road traveling from Somaliland to Djibouti. In fact, in many places it was not a road at all. We chartered a vehicle one morning to take the six of us from Hargeisa to Djibouti City. It was a rugged 15 hour drive through some beautifully varied terrain to the small village of Zeiyla near the Djibouti border. After a few hours passing through customs we all got back in the vehicle and sped towards the capital.
In Djibouti City we split up with the French couple going to their apartment and the Japanese guy catching a bus to Ethiopia. John, Brian, and I checked into the Horseed Hotel which is one of the "cheapest" hotels in the city. One thing you should know about Djibouti before coming here is that prices are equivalent to or greater than prices in Europe. Djibouti is a very small country and as far as I know does not produce anything. A majority of Djibouti's income seems to come from its location as a port for export of Ethiopian goods and from the money it receives from the US and France to maintain military bases in the country.
Djibouti is not geared for budget tourism yet and to reach most popular spots you have to rent a 4x4 which can be very expensive. As a former French colony the second language here is French, not English, and the capital contains some fine examples of French architecture giving it a similar feel to the French Quarter in New Orleans. After a few days relaxing in the capital the three of us caught a khat boat headed for Tadjoura on the opposite side of the gulf bearing the same name. When arriving at the docks in Tadjoura we were greeted by a large crowd of restless people who had been waiting several hours for their daily supply of drugs to be delivered. While in Tadjoura we stayed at one of the worst value hotels, $66 per night, I can remember. We also met with a man named Mohammed who agreed to take us around for a day to see the major sites for $120.
The following morning we left to see Lac Assal, Bay of Ghoubbet, and Lac Abbe. Lac Assal is the lowest point on the African continent, 150m below sea level. It is also one of the saltiest bodies of water in the World. I had an enjoyable walk along its beach made of pure, blindingly white salt. After leaving Lac Assal we traveled by a point where the earth is literally coming apart to form a new ocean. This large plane of desolate volcanic rock is one of the most barren places on the planet. While traveling along the road to Lac Abbe we passed several groups of refugees traveling from Somalia through Djibouti and eventually to UAE or Saudi Arabia where they hope to find a better life than back at home.
Our first major problem stated when we reached Dikhil, a small town about 35km from Lac Abbe. Mohammed asked us for more money than we originally agreed to pay and then refused to take us any further if we didn't give him more money. After fighting about it for a while and ruining our relationship he agreed to take us to Ali Sabieh which is near to the Ethiopian border. After a few months experience in Africa it is disappointing fact I must admit that it is almost impossible to fully trust anyone here. Although I have met many genuine people that have been very kind and helpful I have also met many who seem that way but later turn out to be cheats. The problem is that you can often never tell who is being genuine and who is a cheat. Much of it could be due to other tourists paying too much in the past. I have found it much easier to find good people in the places with the least tourism.
When we arrived at the only hotel in town several others came out and took Mohammed's side saying we should pay him more. We again argued for over an hour before finally giving him half of the remaining balance we owed. After he left we had to pay again for another overpriced room since it was the only hotel in town. Upon leaving the next morning a man at the hotel, who had been bothering us the night before, followed us into town as we were looking for a bus to the border. Although John told him several times in French to go away the man still would not listen and as we stopped to talk with some others he told them he was our guide and they should get lost. This pissed off John to the point where he started pushing the man back and yelling at him. I think the whole town must have been watching the incident unfold. Finally he left and we got a minibus to the border.
Now my bad luck was really starting to begin. After arriving at the border the official told me my visa had expired and I had to go back to Djibouti City to get a new visa. When I arrived in Djibouti the customs agent told me I had 30 days from the entry stamp on my visa before it expired. This was not the case however at the border when trying to leave. After more argument he said I had no choice but to return to the capital and sort out the mess there. John and Brian left for Ethiopia while I took a bus back to Djibouti City. I arrived back in Djibouti City late in the afternoon and found a dingy hotel for about $16 per night. The next morning after 3 trips back and forth to immigration I was finally allowed to turn in my application for a new visa. The man then told me to come back after two days. Two days! I just wanted to get out of Djibouti. So I sat around the rest of the day and by evening I started to feel really sick to my stomach. When checking my temperature I found it to be nearly 103 degrees. I decided to head to the hospital to make sure that I wasn't developing malaria or some other dangerous ailment. After a few hours in the emergency room the doctor informed me I just had a bad stomach virus and gave me some medicine.
I returned to the hotel feeling a little better but about an hour after I went to sleep I was awakened by a terribly pain in my stomach. The hotel clerk came to check on me and left the door open when he went back downstairs. Finally after about an hour the pain in my stomach began to subside and I fell asleep. Around 2:30am I reached for my blanket and jerked back quickly when I felt something bite my finger. A rat had come in my room while I was sleeping and now it took me nearly a half hour to chase the damn thing out the door of my room. After this I could not help but laugh as I was sure that at any moment I would be struck by lightning. Well, I lived and finally on the third day received my visa so I could escape Djibouti once and for all. Luckily there was a train leaving for Dire Dawa in Ethiopia that evening and I quickly packed my things and headed to the train station.
More thumbnails ...
Where I stayed:
Horseed Hotel
Latest Comments (2)
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rats. (reply)
Feb 3, 2007 19:14 EST by jonesica
scuba dan -
as i know, there was another lovely incident involving rats in your life. you should really try to steer clear of those creatures, and apparently dijibouti as well.
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Bahamas (reply)
Feb 1, 2007 12:45 EST by alexa
Jeez man! This sounds like a nutty place. Just stay safe...Ya know, you should try visiting a normal place, dude...like Italy or I hear the Bahamas are nice right now. Djouboti, not so much.
Keep the posts coming and keep safe!
L8r Bro,
Alex
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