#102 SOMALILAND

Ok, ok, I can already hear some of you starting to say, "Somaliland isn't a country, it's just a part of Somalia." But I don't like to deny a people their sovereignty and independence, so I'm counting Somaliland as my 102nd country visited regardless of its UN member status and giving it its own blog post. Anyways, it's not like anybody really reads this, so I figure the chance of offending someone with this decision is quite slim.

I should begin by saying that my trip to Somaliland was kind of an unintended part of a more extensive trip to the Horn of Africa. The original plan was to just go to Mogadishu and visit a friend who had moved to Somalia two years earlier, even though she thought it was a completely crazy idea. Then I discovered that Somaliland is a major hub for illegal wildlife trafficking to the Arabian peninsula, particularly cheetahs, and the environmentalist in me woke up: I had to learn more.

Generally speaking, I like all big cats, even if I'm not really a fan of the little domesticated ones that love to hunt birds and spark allergy attacks. Cheetahs are probably my favorite, though, because their faces have an adorable combination of playfulness and melancholy. They also always look a little bit sleepy, and I can associate with that. I also symbolically "adopted" a cheetah via the World Wildlife Foundation for Christmas this year, so now we sleep with a cheetah plushie next to our bed. My cheetah obsession runs deep, but I'll spare you all the details for now as it's not really the point of the story.

Backtracking a few months to summer 2019, I was chatting with my friend in Mogadishu about some nonsense when she forwarded me a flyer for a cheetah-themed pub quiz in Hargeisa that was being organized by the Cheetah Conservation Fund. It felt like destiny was calling because the only thing I love more than cheetahs is a good pub quiz! So I wasted no time in emailing the organizers and set about inviting myself for a visit to their facilities in Somaliland to see firsthand the fantastic work they're doing to save trafficked cheetah cubs.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund in Hargeisa (Somaliland)

We flew into Hargeisa from Dubai before dawn and proceeded directly to the Ambassador Hotel, which came highly recommended by my friend in Mogadishu. I was traveling with a South African friend from Kabul, and later that day, we'd meet up with a third American friend who'd join us for the rest of the trip. From the hotel, we arranged our transport, logistics, and security detail to visit the unique cave paintings in Las Geel that date back to around 10,000 BCE. Most of the pictures were of long-horned cows and some very excited-looking gentlemen that were clearly very pleased with their livestock. It was a long two-and-a-half-hour trip on unpaved dirt roads to get to Las Geel, where we met our local guide who didn't speak a word of English but gladly collected a $25 entry fee from each of us. It didn't take us long to walk around the caves, and even though we were eager to explore other sights in the area, our guide insisted we return to the hotel as per our original plan, which was mildly disappointing.

Long-horned cow, Las Geel (Somaliland)

Man and cow, Las Geel (Somaliland)

Back in Hargeisa, we decided to stretch our legs after spending five hours squeezed in a car, and so we set off to explore downtown. The hotel staff didn't think it was a good idea to walk around town unescorted, but then again, we were two pretty rough and tumble guys used to war zone living and extreme travel, so we obviously ignored their warnings. And we set off, walking down a dusty road to get to the animal market and hopefully see some camels or other beasts on display. Traffic was pretty organized, and we noticed many Syrian restaurants along the way, a reflection of refugees arriving in recent years, we were later told.

After about an hour, we finally reached the animal market and were immediately encircled by a group of young boys. Apparently, all the camels, longhorns, and other big animals are only on sale in the morning, so we were the most exciting things left at the animal market by mid-afternoon. Several different guys came up to talk with us and ask what we were doing and if we were lost. None of it felt aggressive or dangerous, but it was becoming evident that we stood out a bit too much, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, we decided to start the long walk home to the hotel. By the time we got back, the sun was beginning to set, and my stomach was rumbling. We'd walked well over 12 km that day, so when dinner came calling, its name was unquestionably Grilled Camel Steak Frites!

Camel steak frites, Hargeisa (Somaliland)

The next day we met up with the CCF team to visit their safe house and meet some of the many cheetahs they were caring for. Walking into their facility felt exhilarating because I'd never seen cheetahs in real life before, and here they were up close and personal! But it was also a sad reminder of their endangered status because every single animal here had been rescued from illegal traffickers, taking them to wealthy buyers in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and other Gulf states (https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/28/africa/somaliland-cheetahs-gulf-intl/index.html).  

CCF newsletter "Cheetah Strides"
available here: https://cheetah.org/cheetah-strides/cheetah-strides-no-18/) 

In a better world, all these cheetahs would be out in the wild doing what they do best: running, hunting, playing and napping. Thankfully, the CCF team is on the ground, caring for these rescued cubs, and raising awareness about the issues threatening cheetahs throughout the Horn of Africa. It was an inspiring and educational visit to see their local and international veterinarians in action and left me wanting to do more to support their team on the ground. If you're interested in supporting cheetah conservation and want to learn more about CCF, check out their website here: https://cheetah.org

All in all, our two days in Somaliland were extremely eventful and exhausting; however, our trip was only beginning, and the following day, we had an early morning flight to Mogadishu aboard the somewhat questionable African Express!