When the cactus plants bloom in Hargeisa, they cease to be the ordinary, dull, fleshy, plain plants that you only notice when trying to avoid.

Patanjali (c. 1st to 3rd century BC) said: When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

Not every flower is a rose, just like not everyone is tall, or stunningly beautiful, or Einstein intelligent. But, what might you allow yourself to be if you bloom?

The Government Minister for Public Works reported the damage by the Somaliland floods on BBC radio as 5 people killed and 25 injured. 10 vehicles were swept away from the Hargeisa-Gabiley and Hargeisa – Berbera roads. An unknown number of animals including 25 donkeys were lost. There was significant structural damage on roads, bridges, public and private property and also at the source of Hargeisa water. The President has already appointed a disaster Committee. Government electricity supply has already been restored and apart from the congestion of the one bridge that survived the floods, things are slowly getting back to normal.

All you who put your hope in
the LORD be strong and brave.
Psalm 31:24

A legend from India tells about a mouse who was terrified of cats until a magician agreed to transform him into a cat. That resolved his fear…until he met a dog, so the magician changed him into a dog. The mouse-turned-cat-turned-dog was content until he met a tiger – so, once again, the magician changed him into what he feared. But when the tiger came complaining that he had met a hunter, the magician refused to help. “I will make you into a mouse again, for though you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of a mouse.”

Sound familiar? How many people do you know who have build a formidable exterior, only to tremble inside with fear?…We face our fears with force…or…we stockpile wealth. We seek security in things. We cultivate fame and seek status.

But do these approaches work?

Courage is an outgrowth of who we are. Exterior supports may temporarily sustain, but only inward character creates courage.

- Grace For The Moment: Inspirational Thoughts For Each Day Of The Year by Max Lucado

When lights suddenly went out last night at around 10.00 pm, I thought it was a blessing in disguise since I would be forced to go to bed early and sleep off the fatigue accumulated during my latest travels. It was raining and I took that as a bonus since as you know, slumber is twice as sweet in a warm bed when the drops are pounding the tin roof.

I really felt inconvenienced when I woke up to find that electricity had not been restored despite the fact that the rain had not been heavy enough to cause any substantial damage in electricity infrastructure. Whatever the case, the only kind of accident expected would be a tree falling on the power lines – usually dealt with within hours. Apart from missing the early morning conveniences that are easily facilitated by electricity, I could not use my computer. It is especially frustrating when you have a story to publish online.

I was a bit surprised when Gabriel from CARE International called to inform me that there are some serious damages on the roads in Hargeisa. Certainly, last night’s rains could not warrant damage of the magnitude he was talking about! For that reason, I decided to join him and find out just how bad it was.

When we arrived at a bridge where the greatest damage was evident, we found a large crowd gaping at the spectacle in awe. What we found was beyond both our expectations, or anyone else’s for that matter.

Onlookers are puzzled by the unexpected damage

Apparently, the rain that fell here last night did not occasion the floods that raged through a dry river bed that divides the city of Hargeisa into two. The floods came from rain that fell in the highlands west of Somaliland, and from as far away as Ethiopia.

The floods left in their wake collapsed bridges, damaged roads, ruined walls, uprooted trees, dangling electricity and telephone wires, destroyed homes, lost property and a stunned city. They came in the night, stole, cause havoc, maimed and killed and left before morning – just like armed thieves.

The road that vehicles use to cross the river was washed away

This collapsed footbridge used to run across the river from the spot where we are standing.

A collapsed wall protecting Xaraf Hotel from this kind of emergency

A woman, now homeless, ponders her fate by the roadside as a man walks past with a salvaged electricity cable. Notice the telephone wires on the ground.

Not even International Organizations were spared

Boys will be boys: An irresistible opportunity for a swim

Initial newspaper reports say that at least 6 people have been confirmed dead so far. Unfortunately, the number is expected to rise. Obviously, the cost of the damage is quite substantial. Famous restaurants such as Xaraf and Ming Sing have been closed for repairs. I was told that some International organizations including UNDP and Handicap International have relocated from their offices. I am not able to confirm the report since it is almost impossible to get through on telephone. The floods affected other parts of Somaliland, including the port town of Berbera. Electricity is still out and so we have to use a generator.

The army and police worked all night long to assist in the evacuation of people from the riverbanks. Everyone is apprehensive and expects more flooding especially since we are in the rainy season. Many families are already busy sand banking their habitats. Problem is, we are expecting floods that pounce without warning. Maybe that is why the word on everyone’s lips is ‘Tsunami’.

An anxious crowd at the only other major bridge that crosses the river. The absence of water is quite deceiving, right?

Before you go to sleep tonight, say a prayer for the inhabitants of Somaliland – especially those who suffered losses last night. Also if you may, join me in counting our blessings.

My God, I want to do what you want.
Your teachings are in my heart.
Psalm 40:8

Want to know God’s will for your life? Then answer this question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? The outer limits?

Heed the fire within!

Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing! Are you stirred to manage? Then manage! Do you ache for the ill? Then treat them! Do you hurt for the lost? Then teach them!

As a young man I felt the call to preach. Unsure if I was correct in my reading of God’s will for me, I sought the counsel of a minister I admired. His counsel still rings true. “Don’t preach,” he said, “unless you have to.”

As I pondered his words I found my answer: “I have to. If I don’t, the fire will consume me.”

What is the fire that consumes you?

- Grace For The Moment: Inspirational Thoughts For Each Day Of The Year by Max Lucado

Addis Ababa to Hargeisa: Approximately 850 km

I arrived in Hargeisa yesterday evening after departing from Addis the previous day with a stop for the night at Dire Dawa. Unlike on the trip to Addis, I did not travel with my friend Joachim since he had left for Nairobi a few days before.

I was at Autobus Terra, the main country bus station in Addis Ababa on Friday at 5.30 am for the start of my journey. By then, it was already getting light in Addis and the early birds, mostly traders, were already out to catch the legendary worm. I could tell since the Merkato area where Autobus Terra is located was already abuzz with activity. Merkato in Ethiopia is reputed to be the biggest open-air market in Africa.

Bus attendants securing luggage on the buses in readiness for departure

As we drove through the city, I could see many old guards reluctantly withdrawing themselves from their narrow tin coops after a successful night of duty. In the poorer parts of town, men were squatting outside their tiny shacks taking their daily ‘passport shower’ from a jug of cold water. ‘Passport shower’ is a term coined from the practice of splashing cold water on the face in the morning, often to avoid taking a bath especially during the cold season. Soon, we left a groggy Addis Ababa behind with its early morning cloud of wood smoke from thousands of kitchens actively churning out breakfast for the inhabitants of the city.

It was obvious that the bus to Dire Dawa was in very good condition; meaning that the 510 km journey was going to be comfortable. I was not disappointed; especially since the gentleman on the window nearest to where I sat would occasionally crack open his window for some fresh air, albeit strong resistance from fellow passengers. The protests were occasioned by a phobia for draught in Ethiopian buses.

The first day saw us through the towns of Debre Zeit and Nazareth, before finally arriving at Dire Dawa after a picturesque 9 hours of travel. The bus took us through lush agricultural land in the Eastern part of Ethiopia. It was obviously ploughing time judging from the numerous cattle teams etching straight lines on the ground using traditional wooden ploughs.

Some sections of the road meander through mountainous landscapes that make you catch your breath almost throughout – either in terror as the bus negotiates the blind corners, or in awe at the magnificent views.

Roadside water body

Delicately balanced rock

An impending storm at dusk

We arrived in Dire Dawa in the early evening. I was happy to take some rest after a hefty meal of Enjara and tibs. While in Ethiopia, you definitely have to have a taste of enjara. Enjara; a huge sour tasting, spongy, pan cake that is made from a grain known as tef is the inevitable dish for an complete Ethiopian meal. Tibs (fried mutton) is a common accompaniment to enjara. Enjara is one of those foods with the ‘either you like it or you don’t’ tastes. I like it.

I was up early the following morning and headed for the bus terminus to catch the next bus. This day’s 350 km trip would take me through the towns of Harar, Jijiga, Wajaale and finally to Hargeisa. Wajaale is the border town between Ethiopia and Somaliland. The smooth asphalt road from Addis Ababa ends in Harar and its place taken by a rough road that takes you for about 200 km to the border. This is where the rocky hills and dry plains that the bus snakes through until reaching Hargeisa start.

Where the second day fell short in beauty and comfort, it made up in drama inside a bus that was rather crowded and old compared to the one I had taken the previous day. I had strategically placed myself at the back seat next to the window so that I could take some photos on the way. I soon realized that the passengers who sat on that seat take the brunt of the bumpy ride – no wonder everyone was reluctant to sit there!

A stubborn bull reluctant to move from the road. Notice the passengers riding on the roof

Crossing an old bridge

At one point, the bus hit a bump, and threw all the passengers into the air. I remember a cloud of dust raining all over my face after I hit my head on the plastic ceiling, cracking it. Of all the passengers on the back seat, I was the lucky one. You see, the plastic ceiling had already suffered the same fate before and as a result, it was reinforced with a steel bar; save for the corner above my head. That means that the others hit the top of their head on the welded metal bar. Everyone in the bus complained loudly in a bid to be heard above the loud, stringy Amharic music playing shrilly over the faulty speakers. As most of us massaged our smarting scalps, the driver continued driving at the same speed. I guess he had seen it all before and guessed correctly that no one was injured.

The crack on the plastic ceiling made by my head after the bus hit the hole.

Having rained recently, some sections of the road were quite muddy. In such areas, our driver’s experience was useful in keeping us going. Apparently, he was in a hurry to make the trip to Wajaale and back to Jijiga before the threatening rain poured. As a result, he was promptly forgiven for the head-bumping incident.

Some vehicles get stuck while others keep going

Our bus finally arrived at the border town of Wajaale in the afternoon. After a smooth pass through immigrations, I was in Hargeisa two hours later.

Arrival in a very muddy bus

Though you might be seated in an office today, I am sure that you are at some point along your own journey. Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.

Yesterday, I accompanied a friend to Debre Zeit, a town that is located 50 km from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. To get to Debre Zeit, you can catch one of Ethiopia’s colorful upcountry buses from their terminus in Addis Ababa. We chanced an old pink and white bus whose slow pace enabled us to enjoy the transition from city to industrial to rural scenery as we traveled further from Addis.

The bus terminus in Debre Zeit

One of the inconveniences you might have to bear with while traveling by bus in Ethiopia is the airless interior; all the windows are usually shut tight during the whole ride. Apparently, there is a popular belief here that draught causes illness.

Our final destination in Debre Zeit was 5 km from the main road. One of the means of travel available is by horse carriage or ghari as it is known in Amharic, the local language. The buggy usually transports up to 4 grown ups for short distances within Debre Zeit. The ride is quite enjoyable once you get used to the occasional cloud of dust blown your way by passing vehicles while traveling on a dirt road.

View from the ghari

For transportation of goods in Debre Zeit and other parts of Ethiopia, donkeys are a popular choice.

Donkeys grazing as their owners wait for clients whose goods need to be transported

Transferring the burden

Debre Zeit is surrounded by attractive and lovely crater lakes, ideal for bird watching and boat rides, making it a popular weekend get away for the inhabitants of the city of Addis Ababa.

The serene crater lake in the background

This picture reminds me of…

…this!

It is Samuel Butler (1835 – 1902) who said: Any fool can tell the truth, but it requires a man of some sense to know how to lie well.

You cannot fail to notice a sense of smart dressing that adorns the inhabitants of Addis Ababa, just as you will most certainly encounter shoeshine boys and girls while in the city. These youngsters move around with their mobile workstations policing feet. For a few cents, they will clean your shoes while you wait at the bus stop or even as you sit at an open-air café sipping your cappuccino. All you need to do is put your foot on top of a low wooden platform and listen out for a sharp rap of wood against wood. This sound of the shoe brush being knocked against the wooden platform is an indication that you should remover your foot from the perch. The youngster will knock on wood twice during the shoe cleaning process; once when you are required to remove the first of your pair of shoes from the wooden platform and replace it with the second shoe for cleaning, and the second knock comes when the job is finished. Then, you will pay for services rendered and the boy or girl will pick the shoe cleaning paraphernalia and move on to hunt for the next customer.

These boys and girls come from poor families and as a result, they have to work to supplement any other sources of the family income. Some of the kids shine shoes during their free time from school while others do this as a full time job. Fortunately or unfortunately, most of the city is paved with little consideration for the pedestrian and as a result, the kids are able to scrounge for coins from the many smart people in Addis.

A shoeshine boy at work in Addis Ababa

You might hold a job where you are certain that your employer looks down on you, and always have this feeling at the back of your mind that the world is zooming past. Might be you feel like you get paid in coins and cannot afford to dress yourself like everyone around you. That you are able to smile despite all that, is a beautiful thing.

Hargeisa – Wajaale

Yesterday, we set off from Hargeisa to Wajaale, the border town between Somaliland and Ethiopia. My friends and I were doing this for the second time in two days in an attempt to travel to Addis Ababa by road. As you might be aware, we were not able to travel in Ethiopia on the first attempt (see previous story).

We started off at 6.00 am, a time during which the khat delivery vehicles are madly rushing from Ethiopia towards Hargeisa with their supplies. In Somaliland, one of the first things you learn is that the khat delivery vehicles have absolute right of way – treat the vehicle as if it were part of a presidential motorcade and you will be fine. Usually, the khat vehicles drive at incredible speeds, with unnecessarily high revs and announce themselves well in advance by blaring their musical horn whenever they approach any bottleneck.

Give way: An approaching khat delivery vehicle

We arrived at Wajaale at around 8.30 am and spent an hour and a half going through immigration procedures. A missing official on the Ethiopian side caused some of the delay. He must have been sleeping because he arrived looking groggy, irritable and a bit foul breathed.

This pack of dogs was happy to reenact the missing Ethiopian official scene: In the foreground one dog is being woken up in order to serve the dogs waiting on the queue!

At one point, I was briefly detained at the Ethiopian border police station for questioning after one policeman found me taking the photo below. After the police verified that my passport was in order and that I had good intentions in my photography, they were quick to assure me that they are not like the Kenyan police – they serve with justice.

This elderly couple at Wajaale seems to be lamenting the absence of justice in society: As they sit on the muddy ground, others sit sheltered in houses, and yet, the scale looks balanced

Wajaale – Dire Dawa

The 95 km trip from Wajaale to Jijiga in Ethiopia took about 2 hours through the bush following ruts created at random by other vehicles. The slow, bumpy trip in the overcrowded bus was uneventful save for a moment of pandemonium when the bus hit a hole in the ground and most of the luggage from the overhead rack rained on the passengers. I think the jolt must have given the passengers riding on the roof a hell of a scare since they quickly got into the bus through the windows.

We passed areas that had abundant ‘sheep plantations’ as my friend Joachim descriptively referred to the flocks littering the countryside. All the sheep seemed to be of a breed that has a black head and white body. Joachim seemed to know a few facts about sheep rearing, which he liberally dispensed. For a long time to come, I am not likely to forget his advice on how I can start my own ‘sheep plantation’ around Jijiga. He said that I only needed one sheep with a white body and black head and photocopy it in order to reproduce the rest of the flock. “In case you run out of ink, you could always produce a purely white sheep.” he ended insightfully and promptly went to sleep.

Joachim counting sheep

As you approach Jijiga, the dirt road gradually improves to become a tarmac road that leads you into town.

Jijiga is a small town with a predominantly Somali speaking Muslim population. We did not spend much time in Jijiga since we were determine to reach the town of Dire Dawa before it was too late in the day.

Jijiga – Dire Dawa

The 145 km trip from Jijiga to Dire Dawa takes you through a mountainous countryside that becomes quite rocky in a few places. Some areas have a spectacular view of the valley as you descend down the mountainside. There was heavy rain during most of the trip.

We finally arrived in Dire Dawa at around 9.30 pm. On enquiring, we were informed that the next bus to Addis Ababa would depart at 2.00 am.

Dire Dawa town is in the Harar region of Ethiopia. It is a commercial and industrial center located on the Addis Ababa – Djibouti railroad. It was founded in 1902 when the railroad from Djibouti reached the area. Its growth has resulted largely from trade brought by the railroad.

Dire Dawa is quite clean and tidy with elaborate well-lit streets. With a few hours to kill we decided to check out the night scene. We were informed by a self-appointed local guide that ‘Bangallo’ is the hottest club in town. He was right – the single overhead fan suspended way up on the club’s ceiling was not helping much. We quickly escaped from there and gladly savored the fresh air as we walked to a nearby club called ‘Biten’, which proved to be more crowded and much less cooler. We chose to stay there for the rest of the time.

Dire Dawa – Addis Ababa

At 2.00 am, we caught the small bus to Addis and departed on the final 515 km of our journey. I slept most of the way and only got up during the numerous stops for customs, security, and traffic police checks. These stops proved useful for stretching the legs since the bus’s leg room designer was a bit stingy.

After 8 hours in the bus, we finally arrived in Addis today in the mid morning.

Arriving at the residence we will be putting up in Addis Ababa

I have been looking forward to today since one week ago when my friend Joachim told me that he was taking his company’s sales promotion campaign to Ethiopia by road. It has been a long time since I took a road trip and a longer one since I was last in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Apart from getting reunited with friends I made in my 3-year stay in Addis a few years ago, I would get a chance to pass through the towns of Jijiga and Dire Dawa in the Eastern part of Ethiopia. So, I eagerly asked Joachim to let me tag along and he agreed.

With such high expectations, I did not think much of my friend Auxilia’s warning yesterday. Throughout the afternoon, she persistently told me that for a reason she felt but could not explain, I should not take the trip to Addis today. I remember ending our conversation by jokingly telling her that this would be a good chance for us to determine if she had any clairvoyance in her.

When I had lunch with Yvette today, the erstwhile sunny day suddenly became dark. On looking outside, we saw that clouds of dust were obstructing the light from the sun. This was the first time for me to experience a sand storm. Yvette explained that it is not uncommon for the phenomenon to occur here in Somaliland. Earlier, she had expressed concern about my taking the hundreds of kilometers road trip after I told her that I had woken up with a slight fever that morning. After gazing at the sand storm thoughtfully, she told me to reconsider taking the trip. By now, I was getting edgy from all these warnings and so, I asked her why she thought I should not take the trip. She told me that the sand storm was trying to tell me something and that I should listen. Just about then, my ride came around and I never got the chance to listen to what the sand storm had to say to me.

Leaving Hargeisa in high spirits with Joachim and his team.

We left Hargeisa for the two-day trip to Addis Ababa right on schedule at about 2.00 pm. The first part of the journey would take us to the town of Wajaale at the Somaliland/Ethiopia boarder. The 115 km stretch ordinarily takes about one and a half hours. However, we ran into a severe sand storm just before Wajaale and had to slow down to a crawl with intermittent stops whenever poor visibility made it impossible to drive.

During one of those stops, we got out of the van and everyone seemed to mysteriously lose his sense of direction. Don’t ask me how it happened but for a while, no one could see the van through the wall of dust and none of us seemed to remember which direction it was in!

A moment of confusion while searching for the invisible van in the sand storm .

Anyway, we pushed on through the clouds of dust until we came to the outskirts of Wajaale town and were just about to breathe a collective sigh of relief when without warning, the sky opened and it began to pour with rain.

In our determination, we got out of the van and went through immigration exit procedures in Somaliland, walked across the no man’s land and completed the immigration entry procedures in Ethiopia. The rain was still falling incessantly and by now everyone was soaked through and through.

A wet Joachim wades through the flooded no man’s land.

That is when we were reliably informed that we could not proceed in the downpour since the road was quite muddy on the Ethiopian side. Already, the van kept getting stuck in the mud and we had to push it constantly to continue moving. The best recourse for us was to head back to Hargeisa. And so, we had to go through immigrations to exit from Ethiopia and enter into Somaliland.

It was almost an insult to discover that the rain had only fallen within the Wajaale town. Half way to Hargeisa, we realized that we had some empty cigarette cartons that we could use to make a bon fire with which to warm ourselves.

Wet, tired, hungry, muddy, and discouraged.

We finally got to Hargeisa looking wet and muddy and rather out of place in a town that has not seen a drop of rain for a while. You can imagine how sheepish I felt this evening when I walked into Yvette’s house to find her with Auxilia at the dinner table.