#103 SOMALIA

Somalia is not your typical tourist destination! But my exquisite friend Julia had moved there back in 2018, and I always said I'd go visit her. Sure, she might've thought it was just hyperbole, but in mid-2019, I contacted a few travel agencies, and before I knew it, I was booked on a three-person tour to Mogadishu with Untamed Borders!

Security was going to be the biggest issue, but I was confident (or naive? hopeful?) that our experienced tour operators had it under control. And, after all, I did live in Afghanistan for six years, so the idea of traveling around a war zone wasn't exactly scary to me. I was also traveling with two friends, so if something happened, at least we'd all go down together, and I'd have some company along the way.

Friends from Kabul reunited in Mogadishu!

We flew into Mogadishu from Hargeisa, which created something of a kerfuffle upon arrival because we were foreigners, coming in on a supposedly domestic flight, but without visas in our passports. Of course, we had Somaliland visas, but the government in Mogadishu, which claims complete dominion over Somaliland, does not recognize those. After some back and forth with airport officials, we were kindly escorted to the international terminal to process our visas for entry into the Federal Republic of Somalia. This whole process took a little bit longer than expected, but once we finished, we exited the airport to meet our driver, guide, and armed security escorts and begin our first exciting day of sightseeing!

Mogadishu street scene 

Security escorts in Mogadishu. 

Our first destination was Lido Beach, where we stopped in at a lovely restaurant and ordered a large plate of lobster with fried shrimp and fish. It came with copious amounts of fresh lime, green chilies, and bananas, which was really the most perfect meal any of us could have asked for at that precise moment! One of my travel buddies also ordered a cappuccino with camel milk, which was quite creamy and had some decidedly bacon-y undertones.

After devouring the delicious seafood platter quickly, we went down to the beach for a walk and a boat trip. Children played in the soft sand, people swam in the clear water, and it all felt like an ordinary beach anywhere in the world, which wasn't quite what I was expecting for such a dangerous and war-torn country. However, this was a firm reminder that no matter where you go, life still goes on, and people want to have fun no matter what the situation.

Securing the vessel! Lido Beach, Mogadishu

Fresh lobster, shrimp, and fish cooked to perfection! Lido Beach, Mogadishu

Women in the surf. Lido Beach, Mogadishu

After cruising the high seas off Lido Beach, we returned to our car and drove around town to see a few monuments. I should also point out that by now, I was starting to come down sick, so while I rallied hard for the beach and seafood lunch, my interest in wandering around the hot city, in the sun, with a fever was waning. It was time for me to go back to the hotel and catch some rest if I was going to be well enough to continue the tour.

Unfortunately, I awoke the next day feeling quite a bit worse and immediately downed a handful of Advil. I didn't want to spoil this trip after I'd spent so much time, money, and energy planning for it, but I'd also be lying if I didn't say all I wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep out the fever. But I rallied, and we made it to the Mogadishu fish market amidst hot fever flashes and cold chills. The floor was slippery, with a thick coat of fish blood and guts. Then, a fish scale landed on my cheek from some dark corner. It was crowded, and I put all my energy into taking careful steps to avoid slipping -- death might have been preferable to falling in whatever was on the ground.

All around us, men with large knives carried whole tuna, sharks, and swordfish on their heads. Somewhere we even saw a thresher shark dragged through the street, its long tail flapping about lifeless. We stopped and asked one fish seller how much a tuna costs; he replied with a price that all his fishmonger peers found ridiculous, and amidst their heckles, he quickly lowered it to $120 per fish. An inflated price because we were foreigners, no doubt, but still incredibly cheap by world standards. I was briefly tempted to buy one for lunch, but that might've been the fever talking.

A young man carrying a whole tuna from his boat to the fish market, Mogadishu

Skillfully dismembered tuna, Mogadishu

A mighty shark, tossed on the floor of the fish market, Mogadishu

It was also clear that we weren't the first tourists to visit the market as the fishmongers were all too eager to pose for photos and show off their fresh produce. I was incredibly grateful for their openness because I'm usually uncomfortable taking pictures of people when I travel, certainly not without their consent.

Man and fish, Mogadishu fish market

Worried fish faces, Mogadishu fish market

Check out my fish! Mogadishu fish market

After the fish market, we walked in the street a bit to clean the fish blood off the bottoms of our shoes and headed to the iconic lighthouse of Mogadishu. Local fishermen hauled their daily catch onto the golden sandy beach amid wrecked Italian colonial villas and crumbling walls. One young man carried a shark on his head and smiled at me as he passed. This was the most prized real estate back in the day, and standing on the beach, it was easy to see why. Somalia must've been a very cool place before the civil war and terrorism pulled it apart.

The beach in front of Mogadishu's lighthouse

A young man and shark, Mogadishu lighthouse

The rest of the day was a little blurry for me as my fever was picking up. We went to see a few more monuments, and I slept in the car. At some point, we had some Al Baik fried chicken for lunch, but I had no appetite, so I fed most of this Saudi delicacy to the stray cats in the Peace Park. Watching their scrawny paws fight over breaded chicken tenders cheered me up a bit. After that, I downed a few more Advil with some fresh watermelon juice and saved up my energy for the afternoon. After all, we were planning to visit my friend at the MIA compound at Mogadishu airport, and she was the main reason I decided to come all this way to Somalia to begin with!

So off we went to the MIA compound prepared for a million security checks and questions and body searches. But, much to my surprise, a few quick flashes of our passports and an invitation from the right person got us through most of the checks fairly swiftly; before I knew it, we were inside and headed to the infamous pool bar where the Italian soldiers weekend in speedos. My friend gave us a tour of her compound and an abandoned plane discarded on the beach after missing the runway. We drank some cold water, made some plans for the rest of our upcoming trip through Djibouti and Ethiopia together, and then said our goodbyes before the sun went down and our curfew kicked in. It was a quick but intense two-hour visit, but it was lovely to get a glimpse into her life in this strange place. Plus, I'd be an awful friend if I didn't keep my promise to visit her there!

Downtown Mogadishu

The beach opposite the fish market, Mogadishu

Security guards relax on the cliffs opposite the fish market, Mogadishu.

Once back at the hotel that evening, I immediately passed out after grabbing as many bottles of complimentary water as I could from the bar. We were leaving early the next day, so I hoped I'd feel better by the morning. Unfortunately, one thing I know from experience that flying and being sick is an unpleasant combination! Thankfully, I woke up a little more clear-headed, and so after popping a few more Advil, I managed to shower, pack my bags, chug some watermelon juice and eat a fried egg for breakfast. And then, we set off to the airport to continue our adventures in Djibouti, including some much-needed R&R by the pool!