Exploring the Capital

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  Hargeisa, Somalia
Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Traveling through Somaliland really gives you a sense of exploration and discovery.  This must be one of the least visited places on the continent.  During my time in Berbera and Hargeisa I only saw other foreigners twice and both times were in the capital city of Hargeisa. 


We all took a minibus ride, including our guards, through some beautiful mountains on the way from Berbera to Hargeisa.  After arriving in the capital and registering with immigration our guards bid us farewell and headed back to Berbera.  Although Somaliland was a former British colony it is still amazing how many people speak English here.  I had no problems communicating with most people on the street. 


Hargeisa is a pleasant town to relax in but everytime I stopped anywhere in the street people would surround me and ask the usual range on questions which became a bit annoying to answer over and over.   The only real landmark in the town is the war memorial, an old MIG jet that was used during the bombing of the city in the 1988.  This attack left over 50,000 people dead.  The city has recovered, however, and there is little evidence left of the bombing. 


Exploring the markets for a day was quite interesting and changing money was an entertaining experience.  Somaliland shillings are the most worthless currency I have ever used.  One dollar equals approximately 6400 Somaliland shillings.  The main problem is that the largest note is only 500 shillings or about $0.08.  This means that I literally had to carry around a bag of money and it often took several minutes to count out the money when paying for things.

Another Market Pic

   

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Hargeisa War Memorial	Money Changers	Money, Money, Money, Money.....Money!	Pic of the Local Market
RPG and Roadside Bomb 50% Off	View of Hargeisa from My Hotel Roof

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