I hear the unmistakable braying snort of camel and the scuffle of hooves. I run to the dusty source of the commotion, two camels fighting. One is frothing profusely at the mouth and he is the aggressor. As I arrive the cameleers rain down blows from their batons but the camels seem to be oblivious. I take pictures but the thought crosses my mind that there is an element of cruelty in the unfolding scene.
Markets are the best way to really get a feel for any culture but more so in the developing world. At this unusual market a buyer with a keen eye and haggling powers can pick up a camel for the princely sum of $1200. A goat, by contrast is an absolute steal at $70 US.
This daily market happens on the outskirts of Hargeisa and just as with the market last night, affords a fascinating glimpse of the Somali lifestyle. Not only that there is also the opportunity to photograph one of nature’s more whimsical creations, the camel.
As it is the first day of Ramadan here the lunch options are few and far between and it is back to our hotel for a lunch away frome the fasting populace.
The afternoon excursion to a nomad village near the Ethiopian border fizzled as the old matriarch of the encampment gives us a frosty reception and refuses to show us around. To fill the gap our guide takes us to a plane parked in the middle of a paddock that is being converted to a restaurant. It is also closed. A random “cold call” to a nearby orphanage yielded a better welcome.
