Yesterday I got to go 'outside the wire' into downtown Djibouti City. Just on the ride into town I saw camels, burros, a pack of dogs and goats (who were just hanging out on a window sill of a building. That was rather odd.). This picture shows you what I found while waiting for them to change the battery on our truck at the Toyota dealership. I have some more pictures, but I am awaiting my technologically gifted cousin Jeff to tell me how to get all of them on the website. I don't have many pictures of the actual city itself...but there was garbage and dirt everywhere. Hardly anything green grows, and it's not hard to see why...it's just too hot. I'll tell you what our translator told me, and you can believe it if you want, but they said he was being serious, "It gets so hot, that birds die mid-air and just fall from the sky." Now that's hot. The whole city shuts down between noon and 4pm because that's when they take their 'khat' breaks. It's some plant that they chew and I guess they all get high from it. Apparently it's so hot you can't do anything else besides get high and pass out. (And before anyone asks, no, I haven't tried it, and no, I probably won't try it).
8 comments:
I'm liking the three hour break in the middle of the day. Now it would just be rude to not try the custom there and get high during the "union break". Just got done with a week of football camp which was lovely. Didn't learn a whole lot except how to run again and again. Well passing league is starting up pretty soon so I have to go get ready for that. ttyl
Hmmmm, birds dropping out of the sky? Doesn't sound like my kind of place! Did you get to drive the truck?
Football camps sounds like lots of fun....not so much. How was your trip to Madison?
I can't drive yet..I have to take the safety course, which I'm signed up to do on Wednesday.
Thanks for the slide show! (Jeff too) I'm guessing it doesn't take you long to clean your room:)
I had nothing to do with the slideshow, I cannot take any credit! It is a pretty cool little application up there! I can, however take credit for the Current Time in Djoubti....which I hope is correct Amanda?
Yep, you got the time correct. I am 8 hours ahead of all you central time zone peoples, and 9 hours ahead of all the mountain time zone peoples. And yes, cleaning takes no time at all, which is nice. And I would also like to say that I did figure out the slideshow thing ALL by myself. (I am very proud, can you tell?);-)
At least you have your own little spot to call home and don't have to share a room with someone! Clean or don't clean! In that heat an afternoon break sounds great but this getting high business gives new meaning to 'dazed and confused!' ha ha
What I want to know is do you have to watch out for snakes? I hate snakes!
Does it turn cool at night or does it still stay hot?
It's raining and cool here today. Yesterday some of Jim's family came to visit from Illinois and we took them up to Echo Lake Lodge so they could see snow then had coffee and pie. We needed jackets it was so cold.
Stay hydrated. We don't want our girl having heat stroke! We miss you sweetie.
Sending you big hugs!
We do have to watch out for snakes...the first thing they told us was to not leave open food conatiners in your room, because that attracts insects and rodents, which in turn attracts snakes. And every single snake in Djibouti is poisonous. EVERY SINGLE ONE. I am hoping to make it my entire trip without seeing one. That would not disappoint me at all! :-)
It gets a little 'cooler' at night-I would say in the lower 90s probably. Let's just say my air conditioner never gets turned off.
The Echo Lake Lodge sounds nice, you'll have to take me up there sometime. Thanks for the hugs-I can always use those. :-) I miss you all!
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