I wish, if just for the sake of memory, I could turn this review into a glamorous one.
Unfortunately this will never be.
Imagine destitution, hunger, no, starvation. Imagine small children fighting with grown men, to salvage what scraps of food you have discarded in a bin liner from the ship.
Live Aid on your doorstep, not just the video but real life people.
Somalian and Ethiopian refugees, all lined up along the quay, waiting for any hand out that may come their way.
Try as you could, you had to look them in the eye, and this hurt.
In the town, there is no sign of any refugees, as they are herded away out of sight.
I sat outside a bar, with some young African boy, who had somehow managed to get a tin of shoe polish and a filthy duster, and insisted on cleaning my shoes.
I think I gave him the equivalent of 50p, but he was singing and dancing after he got it.
This was the real battlefield, not the desert or the political statements, more often seen on T.V.
The town was frequented by Foreign Legion, who were cold people, except for an Irish lad, who drank with us.
He told us he was trying to get back to Ireland, but had little success.
I was reluctant to get to involved, as the reason he joined the Legion was not clear.
Back to the Town, or centre of Djibouti.
There were 3 bars and a bottle of beer was about £3, and that was 15 years ago.
1 Hotel, guarded by military police for some reason.
Few, if any shops, other than grocers.
No real reason to ever go here, except to help the starving, or to feel guilty about you condemnation of life.
The main reason ships stop here, is that it is the main refuelling point after the Suez Canal, and is therefore seen as a strongpoint by the Military.
I recommend you sail right past this place and keep heading South.
Angus