Blogs from Somalia, Africa
May 12th 2012
Somalia (img=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg/11px-Loudspeaker.svg.png /soʊˈmɑːliə/ url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Pronunciation_respelling_k... read more
Rock Paintings in Laas Geel and a Trip to the Seaside
Published: April 8th 2012Africa » Somalia » Somaliland » Berbera
March 30th 2012
It was another early start today, as we wanted to visit the rock paintings in Laas Geel and get to Berbera by the afternoon. We took a bus down to the city centre and found where the cars were going to Berbera. For some reason, they have buses that provide local transport around Hargeisa, but to travel outside the city there are only shared taxis. A crowd of nearly 50 people gathered to see how the 3 white guys would get on, with everyone seeming to want to have their contribution. Half of them looked like they had been chewing chat since the night before. Chat is mildly narcotic leaf, that is chewed over the course of the day. It is fairly popular here in Somaliland and in parts of Ethiopia. We negotiated places in one ... read more
March 28th 2012
First to explain, Somaliland is a separate state to Somalia and has been since the early 90s. It just has not been recognised by the international community yet. So, this trip was not some suicide mission into Mogadishu nor was I in search of any pirates. I had been told that it was safe to visit and quite interesting. As I wanted to visit Harar in the east of Ethiopia, I decided it wasn't that much more of an effort to get to Somaliland. From Jijiga, we got a minibus to the border town of Wajaale. There, we completed the formalities on the Ethiopian side, had our bags checked not-that-thoroughly and walked through the rope across the street that formed the border and into Somaliland. We got stamped in and had some camel for breakfast. We ... read more
December 27th 2011
You live in Somalia where law and order is collapsing around you, a country where warlords and terrorists preach hate against your moderate values and beliefs. A country consumed by war and piracy in which you want no part, a country failing to provide the basic services that you need. Crippled by corruption and poverty, you look for a way out, a distant land rising from the rubble, a shining light amidst the political darkness, a glimmer of hope in the horn of Africa. That future is Somaliland. Mogadishu is the corrupt capital for the failed state of Somalia, a place where pirates and terrorists rule. The Fund for Peace has ranked Somalia number one according to its ‘Failed States Index’. Yet to the north, the breakaway region of Somaliland is stable and at peace. Un-recognized ... read more
May 31st 2011
Somaliland is still fighting an unsuccessful battle with the United Nations, in trying to achieve international recognition as an independent country. The people of this territory have taken a different path to the lawless, dangerous and chaotic goings on that dominate Somalia and Puntland, both of which are absolute no go zones for foreigners. The stark contrast in Hargeisa, however, sees the capital city of Somaliland on a peaceful path since 1991, where foreigners prepared to put in the effort to obtain a visa in advance receive a warm welcome. I scooped up a visa from Addis for forty bucks, and it was not a drama obtaining the necessary paperwork to visit one of the last frontiers in this wonderful world we share. The journal left off in Lalibela, dear reader , at the conclusion of ... read more
December 26th 2010
“Don’t try and be a hero!” are the famous last words my dad said to me as we said our farewells for my 5th Journey. It’s the only thing that hurts about travelling sometimes. It’s letting down your family members in your selfish quest to discover new things about the world because you are too lazy to open up a book and read it for yourself. But these words that my dad said to me kept ringing in my head. But… even so it couldn’t shy me away from visiting a country that officially doesn’t exist, within a country that exists only by name. I apologise to all family members but once you read on you will realise this place is just too fascinating to miss out on. I head off from Harar in east Ethiopia ... read more
December 26th 2010
I arrived in Somaliland on the day the UN announced that troops will increase for Somalia by 50% from 8000 to 12 000 soldiers. But even though Somaliland is part of Somalia by name it is so far away from what you’d expect a portion of Somalia to be its unbelievable - There is no need for UN troops here. This is the peaceful part of Somalia. This an organised country with a recent election of a president, its own currency, flag and successful trading abilities. Unrecognised internationally, Somaliland peacefully go through their days waiting patiently to one day be recognised as their own identity. As a tourist it is a very unique destination. Many places in the world you don’t hear about want to split from the country they are associated with but don’t have ... read more
December 20th 2010
Today I'm finally leaving Somalia. Everything's packed and ready to go. I checked out and waited in the lobby for the shuttle to come. It was pouring rain when it came, and there was an armed guard waiting outside. You can't travel anywhere without one. The last time that happened, the vehicle was shot up. At Egal International Airport, the plane wasn't due for another 20 minutes, so I wandered around and read the plaque mounted on the side of the building. It commemorated the opening of the building in 1958. I'm almost nostalgic about leaving Somalia. The stifling weather was irritating and the monsoon rains created huge puddles everywhere. But some parts I will miss, like the Laas Geel cave paintings and the beach.... read more
December 19th 2010
I woke up with a headache and feeling cranky. My trip to the beach was canceled because of the monsoon rain. I went down to the dining area and ate a breakfast of millet porridge and milk. They were also serving a special, xalwo, which is a jelly-like candy made from water, sugar and honey. I ate half of the bread and left the other half untouched on the plate. In Somalia, it's polite to leave a little bit of food to show you were given enough to eat, and treated kindly. Afterward there was nothing interesting to do, so I spent the rest of the day lounging and looking for anything else interesting about the country. I found out that there's no truly functioning national government in Somalia and the local long form (name) for ... read more
December 19th 2010
The beach trip was rescheduled for today. When the bus pulled up, everyone going to the beach was clambering to get in. It was the only source of air conditioning outside, where it had to be at least 90 degrees. On the ride to the beach, the guide told us that Somalis followed their religion strictly, so no bathing suits allowed. She told us to swim in our clothes. When we got to the beach, it was all white sand and blue water. I saw some little boys playing soccer on the beach. There were also some fishing boats out in the water, since fish is another main export besides livestock. I put up an umbrella and sat down to read. A minute later everyone was screaming, "Come here and look at that fish!" Sure enough, ... read more
