The Central Market is the beating heart of daily life in Djibouti City. Stalls spill across the downtown blocks selling everything from fresh fish hauled in from the Gulf of Tadjoura to spices, fabric, electronics, and the bundles of khat that arrive by truck from Ethiopia every afternoon. The fish market in particular is worth an early morning visit — the catch comes in fresh and is sorted and sold with speed. Come before noon when the heat is manageable and the market at its most animated. The afternoon shift belongs to the khat traders, when men gather at the stalls to select their daily bundle — a deeply ingrained social ritual that effectively shuts down serious commerce for the rest of the day.