Djibouti - Day 1 - Where's That?

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I suppose we'll start with the obvious: Where on earth is Djibouti?

Djibouti is a small country just north of the Horn of Africa. It is on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, where the Red Sea meets the Indian Ocean. Its land neighbors are Ethiopia to the west, Eritrea to the north and Somalia to the south and east. There are fewer than 400,000 people living in Djibouti, with many of them concentrated in the capital city, Djibouti. The official languages are French and Arabic, though other indigenous languages are used as well. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti

In order to prepare for this trip I was required to get a Yellow Fever vaccine. A few things you should know about Yellow Fever:

  • It is the only disease governed by international treaty where nations can require travelers to be vaccinated for it prior to entering the country.
  • The Centers for Disease Control in the United States has a list of clinics authorized to administer the vaccine.
  • Without the vaccine, Yellow Fever has a 50% mortality rate.
  • The vaccine takes 10 days to fully activate.
  • When you get the vaccine there is a 25% chance you will experience flu-like symptoms in that 10-day window.

Suffice to say I was vaccinated in Minneapolis on August 31.

On Thursday my beautiful wife reluctantly dropped me off at the airport, insisting that I stay safe and that I don't do anything adventurous or stupid. As I walked into the airport I realized that a certain pastor in Florida is helping to foster a climate which could endanger me. Oh well, perhaps it's for the best that I won't be staying at the beachside Sheraton in town. I've been told that they have made Afghanistan-like arrangements for me there. I will be on post in a room or a tent (still don't know for sure), and I will be eating with the military (hooray for DFAC!).

My flight from Detroit left at 12:00pm and landed in Atlanta around 2:00pm. During my 7-hour layover I watched two other flights to Paris leave ahead of mine. Oh well, I thought as I hunkered down in the lounge and caught up on paperwork. Around 7:45pm I made my way down to the gate and boarded my flight. I stowed my luggage and settled into my seat. Being a full flight meant that I would have to sleep upright in the seat (again). After dinner I settled in to watch a couple of movies. The selection was slim pickings, but Date Night and The Bounty Hunter provided a themed evening to look at marriage relationships from a couple of different angles. It was nice to see them both ring with the message of "For better or for worse," that marriage is something worth sticking to. There are elements of questionable taste in each, but the message was on target in both.

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