Peacekeeping...

By special invitation, Monday was a day outside of the city.  We traveled with the ACOTA Djibouti team to Arta (1.5 hours away) to participate in a command post exercise as NGO role players. The goal was to challenge the Djiboutian Army officers to interact with the international humanitarian aid community, to better function in their roles alleviating suffering in Mogadishu.

Arta is situated on a lovely, cool clifside overlooking the Bay of Ghoubet.  The islands spotting the bay look to be giant turtles transplanted from "The Neverending Story."  It was a refreshing change from the streets of Djibouti, and a nice setting for role playing and outdoor activities.

After several hours of exchange with soldiers speaking an array of Somali, English, French and German, we headed back down the hill.  Along the way, we stopped for lunch at a roadsize restaurant.  The crowd of guys jumped up from the blue-covered picnic table under a tent in the courtyard so the four of us could sit in the best place in the house.  A mural on one wall mistakely promised us samosa and beignets (which we have grown to love). But, fear not - $10 brought us teeming plates of delicious rice gras and ice-cold Cokes.  Aha!  A little relief from the inflated prices in the city.  Throughout the meal, the goats assured us of their presence, while the gals took their portraits. And, as we were leaving, one of my colleagues thrilled the scavengers (and surprised me) by moving her aluminum plate of rice leavings onto the ground.