A New Year

The New Year provided a day off and chance to leave Camp Lemonnier and venture into the city of Djibouti. To date, our job has resulted in travel within Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda…but my only exposure to Djibouti had been from the air. Before arriving, I had been told that the living conditions outside of Djibouti city would be as challenging as any we would encounter in Africa.

Back in 2000, the Camp Lemonnier facilities had not been in use for several years and were in a state of considerable disrepair…although that is no longer the case, the area surrounding the installation still reflects hardship. During the drive into the city, it is common to see camels roaming and even goats wandering city streets.

Since we were rookies to navigating the city, we took the scenic route and somehow stumbled upon our destination…a local restaurant named, The Melting Pot, to partake in a sushi dinner. Based on the exterior of the building, you would never have guessed it was a restaurant…once inside, you were seated in a nicely decorated outdoor patio. The food was excellent, although expensive, with the bill being based on the currency for the French Franc, which caught us a little off guard...and $120 U.S. dollars lighter.

Here is a shot of the Commander enjoying dinner with his pilot friends…if you zoom in, you would see he has befriended at least 15 flies…truly a unique dining experience!