Just had a great 3 day weekend with our friends, Wanda Wood and Bill Damour, from the American Embassy. They drove from Djibouti City to Lac Assal on Thursday afternoon to meet us. Then, we all climbed into our newest Hilux Toyota 4-wheel drive truck and drove up to Tadjoura, about an hour from our compound along the Djibouti coast. We stayed overnight at Le Gulf, a little motel like place with awful beds, but great food (mussels and wonderful fresh fish, caught daily just off their back porch.) On Friday we drove up further along the coast to the small town of Obock. On the road to Obock the geography changed. No longer were we in lava rock country. Instead the cliffs on the inland side were made of ancient coral and the ocean side of the road was flat with long extended beaches. John and I talked about the beautiful coral faced buildings that are still standing in Djibouti City. Now, they tell us they are not allowed to use the old coral in this way.
When we got to Obock, we checked into the Le Mer Rouge, a really lovely place right on the ocean. They have many little muraled bungalows on the beach and up in the courtyard area. There were 4 attached bungalows on the bluff, overlooking the ocean with little front porches. We took two of them side by side. The beds were very comfortable, the food not so good. But the ambience and staff was great! I definitely want to go back there again when it is cooler. We snorkeled in the ocean and just lounged in the water for several hours in the later afternoon. It was great.
Then on Saturday morning, we drove back along the coast and then up, up, up through the mountains away from the coast to Mt. Day – what a spectacular view. There we saw the La Foret Du Day (The Forest at Mt. Day). Once a lush ancient forest, it now lies dead or dying. Changes in the weather, they say turned this once lovely forest into fallen, bare-leafed trees. An expensive replanting program will soon be underway to try and restore its beauty. We were able to see the President’s big KHAT (legal drug in Djibouti) farm through the guarded fences. But, he was also growing bananas, coffee beans, hollyhocks and figs. We also saw a number of little home gardens on our way up. One of our employees has a little family farm there where he grows tomatoes, onions, potatoes, corn and carrots. He brings us fresh veggies every few weeks. It is much cooler and moister up there.
Then, when we arrived back at the compound at around 1:30 Saturday afternoon, our wonderful chef, Ali, had a full 3 course meal set with while table linens we had brought him back from the US waiting for us. Were we all gratefully surprised. Our guests were really impressed and told us they were going to steal him away for the US Ambassador. We told them, absolutely not. We might, however, be willing to lend him for a special meal. But, that was all.
The pictures above: The coral cliffs on the way to Obock; goat with a mottled coat-one of the most unusual goat colorings we have seen; our traveling companions, Bill and Wanda; a muraled hut at La Mer Rouge.
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