Nate left on Saturday night for his month in Zambia with the Africa Peacebuilding Institute. We had some awesome rice crispy treats in the hours before he left as a special treat (thanks to the marshmallows Chris and Kari sent via Tim and Sonya. Thanks guys! And also thanks to the 600 shilling REAL Kellogg’s Rice Krispies! I never had $8 cereal before, but it was good!
Now, about our trip to Djibouti.

Djibouti at night.

We stepped off the plane in Djibouti City, and commented to each other about how it wasn’t as hot as we thought it was going to be. People surely had prepared us for the worst. Needless to say, we never did stop sweating.

In an effort to be culturally appropriate, I had borrowed a few Djiboutian dresses, and needed some help from Christy to know how to wear them. Wearing the dress feels much like dressing up in your mama’s nightgown…but really is the smartest way to go in the heat. The loose clothes really are a benefit. Walking through the market, Christy and I both received appreciative comments regarding our apparel. It was an extra sign that we were willing to connect with them in a different way.

Nate and I both really enjoyed the rooftop of Peter and Christy’s apartment building. From our perches we could anonymously take in the street life day or night. We spent several hours during the week simply people-watching. We also got a few shots of the city.

The money changers.

Mosque at sunset.

One of my favorite parts of the week was taking a day away to snorkel! Sean, Peter, and Christy took us out to Arta Plage (Thanks Nate for the correction in spelling of the French word. All the way from Zambia!) where we were able to do some Red Sea snorkeling! The numbers and colors of fish and coral were incredible. And I think I stopped sweating while in the water…

Another highlight for me was watching Nate speak Somali to the people in the market. It almost always happened in the same pattern:
Nate greets in Somali. Listener smiles, greets back. Nate continues in Somali. A puzzled grin spreads across listener’s face. Listener asks a question. Nate answers again in Somali. Listener is amazed, and rattles off something long and slightly difficult (at least to my ears) to test this white guy out. Nate answers again. Listener then asks if I also know Somali. Maya, I say. Nope.

I want to save a few stories and thoughts from Djibouti for our newsletter, which will be ready mid-May, so this is not a conclusive report. :o) But overall, we found the place to be much more laid-back than Nairobi, and very safe. In fact, we didn't even receive any of the infidel comments we were preparing to hear. We were pleased to be walking around at night, no problem! The afternoon naps were great, and the breeze from the sea made the heat more bearable. We do feel that the employment opportunities weren't quite what we were looking for, but more on that in the newsletter. It was a good and informative trip.