Day 2

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Today I went to visit the Laas Geel caves, which has cave paintings dating back to 9000 BC. The ride on the dirt road was really bumpy and my personal belongings were jumping out of my bag. The car had to slow down a few times because some goats and their herders wandered into the middle of the path. While I was at the caves, I saw a painting of a man taming a cow and an antelope. After an hour of sightseeing, I went back to my hotel and let jet lag catch up with me.

After I woke up, I checked the brochure for any more places to visit. Bakara Market sounded interesting. When I saw where it was (Mogadishu, 19 hours away), and what they sold (things like weapons and stolen passports), I decided not to go. But a visit to the provincial museum sounded interesting. As I continued reading, I saw that there was a big no-no on bathing suits. Women must swim fully clothed, as Sharia law is strictly enforced. Sharia law is the religious code for living based on the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.

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