THE CAMELS OF DJIBOUTI

The camels of Djibouti have one hump and are called dromedary camels. They are very interesting and always around - on the road, by the road, in the villages, in the cities, in the countryside. Usually a nomadic family will have a herd of goats, a few camels and maybe sheep. The camel may be used to transport wood, water, building materials, food etc. But, most are sold to Dubai where they are fattened up and slaughtered for their delicious meat. Djiboutian camels are prized and much sought after in the Middle East. I am told that there are no large camel producers. Buyers of camels for the meat market, purchase the camels from individual nomads, consolidate them and ship them amass to Dubai for processing.

We see the camels hobbled at night and tethered to trees near the villages. The baby camels are many times seen enclosed in a makeshift cage around a tree for shade inside the village compound itself.

At this time of year, at the end of the hot season, the camel is without much fur. But as the season gets cooler they will get furrier. The group of camels you see pictured are contained and awaiting transport via ship out of Djibouti City to Dubai. They are brought here in open trucks, from as far away as Ethiopia, traveling on their knees for 2 days or more. This website gives some interesting information about the dromedary camel: www.garden-city.org/zoo/animalinfo/Mammals/dromedary_camel.htm

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - A UNIVERSAL THEME

In Djibouti city this morning, it was nothing but gridlock surrounding each Djiboutian public school, especially the big one downtown. Cars were parked everywhere, with traffic going nowhere, as students returned to school after the long summer break. Anxious parents lined the dirt walkways nearby and held the hands of young ones crossing the street. And, all of the children, from the smallest kidergartner to the oldest secondary school student, was dressed in their newest school clothes. The scene was just like in the US and I would think almost everywhere else in the world.

The 1st day of the Djiboutian public schools had been delayed this year because of Ramadan. We were told that they started back to school 21 days later than normal and will make up the days with shorter breaks at Christmas and elsewhere. The French school here has been operating for three weeks already.

As we made our way back to Lac Assal, John and I saw the shutters finally opened on the small rural schools near the outskirts of Djibouti City. But, to my sorrow, as we got closer to the compound and Lac Assal, we saw the many, many children, who have no school to go to, playing in the dirt or herding the goats. We must do something about providing clean, sustainable water here, so that these kids will have a chance at an education! Until there is water here, there will be no school.

THE BANQUES

The Banques is the large salt deposit that has formed around the western edge of Lac Assal,Djibouti. Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa - 550 feet below sea level and is the saltiest lake in the world. It also gets extremely hot here during the summer with temps of over 135 degrees. John and I were here yesterday and it was a cool 101.

Salt Investment is building a large salt production facility at the Banques. The first picture above is of a part of the Banques as it looks naturally. The salt runs up to 40 meters deep and is so hard that heavy Astro trucks and trailers can easily traverse it. The other two pictures show John testing the temperature of the water in one of the crystallizer ponds and that pond itself which was formed by removing the top 35 centimeters of salt and forming a long rectangularly shaped box. This pond rapidly fills up with water from the lake,the wind and sun evaporate the water and salt remains. They took the salt which was removed from the pond area and formed salt roads which surround and allow access to the ponds. John is crouching on the side of one of the salt roads in order to get his sample water temperature.

THE PEOPLE OF RANDA

The people of Randa were as fascinating as the beauty of the countryside. Like in Djibouti everywhere, there are old men with henna stained beards and mustaches. The henna is said to make them more viril. Children are children everywhere, laughing and playing - always welcoming strangers. And, with water always the first priority in Djibouti, there are women with their donkeys carrying water to nearby hamlets.

TRIP TO TADJOURA AND RANDA

For our 41st wedding anniversary John and I took a special trip north of our compound at Lac Assal to Tadjoura, a coastal town. We stayed overnight and then traveled inland, on a mostly 4-wheel drive road to Randa and then beyond up into the mountains on the road to Di Mountain. It was a lovely trip. Driving inland from Tadjoura, we went up the right hand side of a huge wadi (wash). We went up and up until we came to the town of Randa. On the way we say villages with houses made very differently from those around Lac Assal or Djibouti City. These structures were made of wood and other materials. These are called das. These houses were always in a compound with fencing all around. The fencing was usually made of wood and then some thorn bush stems. All of the farm animals in these parts are kept in the enclosures at night because a predatory black panther-like cat lives and hunts in this area.

AFTERMATH OF SHOPPING FOR EID

The evening before the start of EID (the 2 days of celebration after the end of Ramaden)is a shopping frenzy. The downtown marketplace is filled to overflowing with shoppers buying shoes and clothing for the celebration. The next day, the streets are littered with trash - mostly shoe boxes and plastic sleeves which previously held the desired celebratory clothing.

PICTURES OF EID

On Sunday, September 20 we feasted with Souleiman Rirach, our colleague, at his home in Djibouti City.

EID -2 Days of Celebration at the end of Ramadan

On Sunday, September 20, John and I celebrated Eid Al-Fitr at the home of our colleague, Souleiman Rirach with his family and friends. They served us a delicious traditional Djiboutian meal of goat, rice, potatoes, salad and pudding. We wore our traditional Djiboutian clothing. Because I am not muslim, I am not required to wear the head scarf. John put a belt around his skirt (foutour sp?) just in case. The skirt is a tube of material wrapped at the waist to keep it on.



Eid Al-Fitr means "Feast of Fast-Breaking." In Djibouti, it is celebrated for two days beginning the day after Ramadan ends. Because the month of Ramadan is all about fasting, Eid-Al-Fitr is all about NOT fasting. During Ramadan, Muslims have not eaten while the Sun is in the sky. On Eid-Al-Fitr, they celebrate the end of Ramadan with a sweet snack and then get ready for 2 days of celebration.



On the first day of Eid , Muslims are encouraged to dress in their best clothes and attend a special Eid prayer at their neighborhood mosque. Before the prayer begins, Muslims make an alms payment (the Zakat al Fitr) for the month of Ramadan, in the form of food or its cash equivalent. This food and/or money is then distributed to the poor. After the special religious service, the focus turns to gift-giving. Children are given many gifts. Women get gifts from their loved ones. Also on this day, people are encouraged to settle feuds or disputes, especially those between family members



The streets of Djibouti City are alive with people on the first day of Eid. There are lots of proud fathers walking through the streets holding the hands of their little girls with bows in their hair, new outfits and big grins on their faces. All day the first day is spent visiting friends and family, feasting and gift giving. It is much like Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. The next day is more subdued. Most businesses are closed both days except shops dealing in food items and restaurants.

TRUCKS, TRUCKS & MORE TRUCKS

Trucks are the lifeline that holds Djibouti up and is the umbelical cord for Ethiopia. There are only two paved roads in Djibouti. The most important, National Hwy #1, which is only partially paved, runs from Djibouti City and its port to Accra, Ethiopia. Ethiopia is landlocked, so all of its imports, which are many, come through Djibouti. There are many truck accidents on the road and so, we don't drive at night. And,damaged trailers, are often left along side the road forever.

THE GOATS OF DJIBOUTI

In Djibouti there are goats everywhere, in the city, in the middle of the highway, along the countryside and on top of trees. Yes, on top of the trees getting at the tastiest bits of new green growth. The Djiboutians are traditionally nomadic goat herders. They still are. And their goats are fine looking, healthy and happy.

Goat is the country's traditional dish. I have eaten goat and it is really delicious. Although, it is very fatty. So, you have to go through a lot of fat to get to the meat. It is very hard to understand how these goats can get fat living on lava rock. But, they do!

MINIBUSES OF DJIBOUTI

The minibuses of Djibouti are famous for their decoration. Some have huge plumes arising from their front or rear bumpers. Most have a flower-like covering surrounding their sideview mirrors and all have special colors or emblems painted on them. There are minibuses in all levels of repair, from dented, falling apart to new and well cared for. They are on the streets in town and in the countryside.

They are almost always crowded with people, some hanging out of the doors on the more popular long haul routes into town. Luggage and other goods can be carried on top. Minibuses are everywhere. Most Djiboutians walk everywhere they want to go. If they can afford to ride, a minibus is always nearby.

OYSTERS

Down by the beach, below our house at the compound, where they will be storing the salt and building a jetty where the large ships will come for loading, there is a fabulous bay called the Goubet Al Kharab. It is filled with fish and seafood. We can see many colorful fish and teaming schools of fish just from the shore.

Two of Salt Investment's Phillipine contract employees go often into the water and bring back pink mussels, clams, fish and even oysters. Last week they encountered a huge eel. John is holding one of the oyster shells from an oyster they found and ate. It is a special oyster, the kind seeded to produce pearls. Legend has it, that someone many years ago wanted to start a pearl production facility here and planted these oysters. Long abandoned, they have just multiplied on their own. Have you ever seen such a large oyster shell before?

When we come back in February, after our leave home, we are bringing our snorkels, fins and throwaway underwater camera so we can see these wonderful creatures up close. We will try and take some great pictures to share on our blog.

KHAT

KHAT - the drug of choice in Djibouti. Legal and even grown by the Prime Minister, khat is pervasive. It is sold every afternoon on every street corner, on every road inside Djibouti City and out in the countryside. Most of the khat is grown in Ethiopia and brought to Djibouti in trucks like the one above filled with armed guards. This truck has a lead car also filled with armed guards.

Khat is a stimulant. There are different grades - but it all looks the same to me - a handfull of twigs with medium size green leaves. It is chewed by men, rarely if ever by women. After several hours of khat chewing, the men are basically in a daze. No work can be done and the whole economy comes to a halt. It is really a debilitating drug. Djiboutians can spend up to 1/3 of their meager incomes on khat. But, it is a part of their culture.

Salt Investment is attempting to be a KHAT FREE workplace. We have so much heavy equipment here that it is dangerous to be drugged and working. This is a very difficult concept for the Djiboutians to grasp. Wish us luck.

Humidity Haze and After the Rains

In Djibouti one can understand the ongoing need for rain. After days of no rain, what we call humidity haze hides the mountains and sits over the water like a thin veil. John and I saw the same effect in South Africa. The extreme heat and humidity mix together with particulate matter in the air and form a haze that goes on for miles. The humidity haze even obscures the sun and turns it a golden hue as in the first picture above.

But, after the rains, the air is clean and clear. You can see for miles and miles. It is a welcome change.

Traditional Djiboutian Housing

Traditional Djiboutian Housing comes in two models: The portable Daboita, made from date palm stems and in the past covered with animal skins (now plastic or canvas type material is used) and the stationary Tulo, built from stones with a roof of whatever is available, scrap pieces of metal, wood, tarps, etc.

The Daboita can be dismantled and carried by camel to wherever the nomadic Djiboutian finds water for his animals. The Tulo is built and abandoned as the need arises. So, we see the countryside littered with Tulos without roofs. The roof could be transported and volcanic rock is plentiful everywhere, so no need to carry the material to make the foundation of the house.

Both houses are used predominantly for shade and protection from the occasional rain shower. Only women and small children sleep inside either structure. Men and boys sleep outside.