Last Visit to the Gulf of Aden Part 2
March 28, 2022 // 0 Comments

Somalis have an undeserved reputation for being pirates, especially since the Tom Hanks film, Captain Phillips, recently released at the time of this story. J- told me the real criminals were illegal fishermen, traveling to the Gulf of Aden from places like China, Iran, and Spain to poach the locals’ catch. They sabotaged his nets and threatened the fledgling industry with violence. Somaliland has claimed territorial waters but they are effectively lawless since the region is not formally recognized as a country by the international community. Its meager coast guard does not have the capacity to adequately protect its claims.

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Camel-Burao-Somaliland

A Trip to Burao, Somaliland
February 12, 2022 // 0 Comments

In Burao I received a Somali name: Roble, the one who brings the rains. A doctor gave it to me at a hospital we toured. It started raining very hard on the way back to Hargeisa as we drove up Sheikh mountain.

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Things That Happened to Me in Garowe
February 12, 2022 // 0 Comments

Our UN airplane landed in a desert, not on a tarmac. The airport was basically a tree, a sign, and a small building in the distance. I wasn't allowed into Puntland without first swallowing a liquid polio vaccination administered to me in a tent by WHO officials dressed in white biohazard suits. My passport was taken away from me at customs to be "processed" during my stay.

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Last Visit to the Gulf of Aden: Part 15
January 22, 2022 // 0 Comments

At the far corner of the terminal I found my old haunt and got the attention of the gossiping waitresses long enough to order some shiro, injera, and my first beer in two weeks. I took in the view from the brasserie and watched travelers circulate through the airport as if they were extras in the Star Wars cantina scene.

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Last Visit to the Gulf of Aden: Part 14
November 20, 2021 // 0 Comments

I discreetly took out my Steri-pen, a UV light filter, and dipped it into the water. A neon blue light turned on and I stirred the water for a full minute, watching the particles in it swirl around like a mini toilet bowl. Drinking the water was now safe; the light was supposed to kill off all the amebas and sea monkeys, but that didn’t mean it sat well with my sensitive stomach. I took a sip and then waited for the aches, pains, and diarrhea. Why I didn’t just buy a bottle of water from the cafe I don’t know. I guess I just felt like I needed a big bottle of water for whatever surprise or long wait was in-store for me between Hargeisa and Addis Ababa.

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Last Visit to the Gulf of Aden: Part 13
November 11, 2021 // 0 Comments

"Power on!" She yelled I was unsure how me turning on suspicious-looking electronics would avert any threat of blowing up the security line but I complied anyway. Most everything turned on except for the spare laptop. Its battery was dead.

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Somali fishermen near Berbera

Inside Somali Fishing
August 13, 2018 // 0 Comments

Somali Pirates Return as Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing Continues in the Gulf of Aden Reposted from New Security Beat After pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel last year near Bosasso, a major seaport in ...

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