First impressions here are underwhelming. This is the capitol city of the yet to be recognised breakaway state of Somaliland. The drive in is along dusty potholed streets. The squat buildings are shabby in a way that is downmarket even by African standards. It is the back story, though, that inspires. After decades of civil war this city was practically obliterated. All that I see has been built in the last 17 years and this is now a city of 1 million people. In that time they have also managed to create a stable government and society which for all its faults speaks volumes for the resilience of these proud people. The vibe is upbeat and as this place literally only sees a handful of tourists annually we are feted as celebrities by the locals.
Our morning is spent seeing the tiny and basic museum and cultural centre.
The afternoon has us bush bashing in our bus to get as close as possible to the twin hills just outside Hargeisa that look like and are locally known as woman’s breasts (Naaso Hablood).
The best of the day, though was in the late afternoon myself and two others going out independently into the massive market in the heart of town and experiencing the chaos, colour, sounds and smells of this vital establishment. This is the form of travelling that sees me in my element.
