Djibouti, a resilient African country, bears the visible marks of its French colonial past. Despite the challenges of widespread poverty, unemployment, and corruption, the spirit of its people remains unbroken.
Due to its strategic location, troops from several countries are stationed here, and prices are brutal; indeed, price tags are adjusted to their salaries.
Additionally, they rely heavily on imports for almost everything. The port is the only connection to Ethiopia, for which they pay a hefty lease fee, but only a few individuals benefit from the revenue.
Despite the challenges, Djibouti holds immense potential with its stunning landscapes and unique cultural heritage. However, realizing this potential would require concerted efforts from the leadership and the local community. It's a country that deserves more attention from tourists, but it remains largely unexplored due to the lack of information. (2024)
"We are real stars here. 😁 People greet us at every step, coming for a handshake. A taxi driver recognized us from afar and rushed over to give us a fist bump.
We were invited to a bar yesterday, and I said we'd drop by three hours later. When he saw me, he immediately hugged me and squeezed my hand. We had an Ethiopian beer here... hmm, it wasn't bad at all... especially in a Muslim country. Finally, I managed to take a picture of myself in a railroad worker shirt with a coffee. 😂☕️
Later, we had dinner at a local eatery. We really needed it, and it was delicious and filling. Of course, we were also a sight to see here. We even got some chewing gum as a gift. Luckily, it wasn't used 🤣🤣🤣
I woke up feeling broken this morning. My body finds it hard to adapt to this atmosphere. My son is just as wrecked 😁
Today's program is swimming at the beach. Yesterday, our taxi driver recognized us and came over. We went with him, trusting his decision. He took us to a pretty good place, and I arranged with him to pick us up in two hours. The water was divine; the 15-meter walk on the sand was hellish. If gravity had allowed it, I would have lifted both legs off the hot sand simultaneously. Unfortunately, I burned the skin off my soles... 😀
There weren't many people in the water, but immediately 6-7 kids around 9-10 years old came. They could almost believe us to be gods as we passed through the scorching sand and shone with our whiteness. 😂 They found inventive floaties for themselves. They tied two PET bottles to their pants... 🤔 Then two girls around 6-7 years old also came, playing with us in the splashing water. They asked if one of them was my daughter. A chocolate-brown little girl... 🤣🤣🤣🤣
When we got home, my son and I assessed the damage, and we both got badly sunburned. I also caught a cold from the air conditioning, so my throat hurts. This means sick leave at home. 🤐"
xxx
"Today, we finally got what we came for: we went on an excursion. Our driver was about half an hour late, but he was a cool dude. He looked like he was between 35 and 65 years old because it's harder to tell the age in this range than for NASA to launch a rocket.
The first thing he did was gear up with coffee. He drove us to such a place... hmm, I can't quite put it into words. I don't think there was COVID here because the virus would have immediately fled with the headline, "No ball games here." 🤣
Living below the poverty line here is like living in wealth. The poverty was so intense that I held my breath for two minutes and swatted flies away so I wouldn't have to look at them. But they warmly welcomed us before I dared to breathe... I shouldn't have.
The dinner in the evening immediately exclaimed: "Wow, I have an appearance." 🤮 I have various vaccinations, but I think I could have caught everything from Ebola to the plague... 😅
As we drove along the main road, we made occasional stops. The sights were beyond belief: wrecked cars, containers, and people of all shades walking from somewhere to somewhere, their destination a mystery. They lived in makeshift shelters, a stark contrast to our comfortable homes. I was almost tempted to ask, 'What movie did you watch last night?' 😂 Electricity was a luxury here, but the beauty of the landscape was undeniable.
After a beautiful canyon, we had coffee. To the joy of my hepatitis vaccination, it almost burst out of my skin. 😀 Then we drove along a volcano by the seaside. I saw more garbage on the way than Hungary's annual output.
The destination: Tadjoura, the old capital. It's now a sleepy, dirty little town with some seriously unique characters. It was an experience. 😁 On the way back, we visited Lake Assal. We stopped for a cola in a place where I had to step over a few intoxicated individuals. But despite the chaos, everyone was super friendly, waving and greeting. I felt a sense of connection, a warmth I will always remember. The lake, a marvel in itself, is Africa's deepest point and saltier than the Dead Sea.
Heatstroke was looming, but I bravely endured, so I crashed when we finally got home.
(Laszlo, 2024)
There are a lot of foreigners (mostly French and American soldiers stationed here), which means that people are not so friendly – they tend to be more focused on getting hold of visitors’ money. For this reason, and because of the country’s shape, many call Djibouti ‘the Arsehole of Africa.’
And indeed, the city itself isn’t very pleasant – both dirty and surprisingly expensive. On the other hand, it was also here that I had my most positive experiences, like the young restaurant waiter who, without asking for any money, came with me to help me find accommodation, and the person in a shop who paid for my water when I realized that my card didn’t work and I didn’t have any local money. They don’t charge for picking up hitchhikers either and sometimes invite me to sleep or eat at their houses. I was probably able to experience this because, except for one lunch and a session at an internet café, I avoided all tourist services.
Ordinary people in Djibouti live in the same little bodegas as in neighboring countries, but there is also a comparatively wealthy social stratum here. Some also call Djibouti the Dubai of Africa, and it’s a fact that anyone who’s well-placed knows ways of making money.
The country lives because this is one of the main centers for the French Foreign Legion, while the Americans were also allowed to build military bases here. Then, of course, there’s also the enormous port. 90% of GDP comes from services. In practice, it remains a French colony to this day. (2014)
