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Feisal Omar / Reuters
Boys play at Lido beach, near the waters of the Indian Ocean, north of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Jan. 6, 2012. Lido beach was a famous attraction before Somalia tumbled into chaos in 1991 with the ousting of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. In the last few years, the beach was a frontline for the Islamist al Shabaab militants, who later withdrew from most parts of Mogadishu around August 2011.
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
MOGADISHU, Somalia – I have just returned from a strangely enchanting city. It is a capital city with a chaotic charm, a coastal city with white beaches nearby and stunning architecture everywhere.
You might be surprised to read that I am referring to Mogadishu, Somalia.
It is quite rightly known for being one of the most dangerous places in the world, synonymous with al Qaida-inspired militants, kidnappings, roadside bombs and hunger.
Even when al-Shabaab fighters withdrew from Mogadishu last summer and the fragile national government claimed control, many of the former battlefields were soon reclaimed by squalid camps for starving refugees.
And pockets of violent resistance remained; two Somalis were killed when a bomb exploded at a refugee camp in the city on Thursday, minutes after a visit by journalists and officials from the United Nations.
But look beyond the fear and bloodshed – difficult as that may be – and you can see another side to this city, a side which is largely unknown. I first saw it as I flew in on one of the few commercial flights operating in and out of the ramshackle airport.
Beneath us, as we approached from neighboring Kenya, were sparkling seas and a stunning coastline, minutes from downtown “Mog.” It is easy to think of the potential for piracy as you look down on the waters, but it is difficult to ignore the natural beauty, too.
Soon after landing we were quickly confronted with the flip-side: a city that has been brought low by conflict and lower still by famine.
The famine in the Horn of Africa is forcing thousands to flee to overcrowded and under supplied camps in Mogadishu, Somali. NBC News' Rohit Kachroo reports from Mogadishu.
Flimsy shelters have been set up by starving people in the shells of destroyed buildings. Refugees take shade from the sun beneath bullet-marked rooftops. I wondered what the city might have been like had it not been for the years of conflict, insecurity and food crises.
We traveled around the city in a convoy with armed guards protecting us – after all, it is still an incredibly dangerous place. We made our way around the busy streets, traveling farther and for longer than would have been possible six months ago.
We left the camps behind us and voyaged into downtown. People did not seem as consumed by danger or warfare as I had expected. They trade, they chat, they jog and they certainly smile. In fact, I was surprised by how positive they seemed given all that they have endured.
A local told me to visit Bakaara Market, the scene of fighting in recent years but a bustling meeting place, too. He said that the liveliest gatherings are elsewhere at night-time music events. “We do everything in the evening here,” he said, though we are told that it is not yet safe enough for us to truly put that claim to the test.
Feisal Omar / Reuters
A man guides Somali women near Lido beach in the waters of the Indian Ocean, north of the capital Mogadishu on Jan. 6, 2012.
Later, a woman tried to sell us some souvenirs – a T-shirt with the slogan “Beautiful Mogadishu.” I was told that tomorrow she would return with picture postcards from the city: a postcard from Mogadishu seems like such a strange idea, but it really shouldn’t.
A visit to Mogadishu was never meant to be “normal,” and it wasn't. But perhaps this could have been an exotic, idyllic place had it not been for the manmade crises that it has endured over the decades.
One day we might all be able to look at this city again and see the “Beautiful Mogadishu” celebrated on my new T-shirt.
Until then, the impact of lawlessness, terrorism, starvation, poverty, hostage-takings and clan violence continues to destroy it.
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So true, Somalia does have the largest coastline in Africa, if it got its priorities in order i bet it would make a wonderful tourist location. not only that, but the weather is amazingly stable too, 70s-90s (Celsius) depending on the current season.
I think you meant 70-90 Fahrenheit ( somewhere around 25-30 C )
Glad to see some fun in Mogadishu, before I turned in here after reading the title; I kept wondering what kinda fun are we talking here? Bomb roullete maybe? Anyway pleasantly surprised to see a nice looking beach and people genuinely having fun, but how the hell do you swim with a Burqa? Somebody needs to tell them you could easily float away into the Indian ocean in one of them things....
moman3917
That must be the reason Somalia has so many PIRATES.
No, until the dangers decline, I think I'll stick with nice, mellow vacations such as hiking in Iran or lolling on the idyllic beaches of North Korea.
Or, mabe stay home and stick bamboo shoots under your fingernails instead. That sounds like more fun than a vacation in Mogadishu.
Yes Come To "Mog" "The Vacation Destination That Keeps Killing Even After Your Back Home"
Yes, an Islamist vacation for all is what's in order. Wake up to either a stoning, caning or hanging. For lunch we get to enjoy fanatics praying and bowing, praying and bowing and then some praying and bowing, wow! Then for dinner we are really excited to present starving & dying children in the streets and for dessert two men fight to the death with machete's whilst a women is being beaten to death for showing her wrists! Before bed you can sharpen your skills with our AK-47 Kill An Infidel training Course! The kids will Love it!
Oh and don't forget the Dead American Soldier's Dragged Through the Streets Tour! Mohammad will make Special Price for you!
if the temps reach 90' Celsius, al-Quaida and al-Shabaab are the least of Somalia's problems.
Interesting that the writer of this article seems to portray the so called "fun" fell from the blue skies in a golden basket.
The fact is that back in Oct 2010 some Somalian goons and cousins to Al Qaeda, a.k.a Al Shebbab, sneaked into Kenyan coast of Mombasa and kidnapped tourists in an apparent "tourist piracy". They dragged the tourists into Somali and one woman who had cancer died in these goons hands. In order to release her body these terrorists demanded cash from her family.
To cut the story short, the Kenyan Armed Forces started a bombing campaign to eradicate these vermins. The Kenyans have since bombed and sent ground troops that have captured areas once controlled by war lords and the likes.
This includes areas at the beaches where the terrorists used to launch their piracy antics. Thanks to the Kenyan Forces that Somalians can now venture into the beaches which were previously out of bounds.
The only difference between Beirut and the Mog is that Beirut USED to be a vacation destination. The Mog never was. They both have beautiful scenery, and both have been torn to pieces by civil war and tribal murders.
I have been to Somalia in my Marine days out on the hunt for pirates and some more hidden missions, However with that in mind I find it very pleasing to see the residents of such a torn and problematic country able to let down their guard and enjoy a little less worrisome adventures and truely get to enjoy a moment of life something every human deserves....I say good for them! "Vacation Destination?"Sorry will have to pass plenty of other beautiful beaches throughout the world and I probably would enjoy a trip back to Iraq befor I would going back to Somalia or even Ethiopia for that matter, come to think of it the entire horn of Africa is really not an ideal location to visit lets put it this way would anyone want to visit an area or vacation an area Marines are still operating in?....Best of luck to the people of Somalia I hope they find many more joy filled days in the near future
I think I'm going to put on a sleeping bad and go swimming.
Are they bathing or waiting for pirate booty?
It's ridiculous stories like this that make the media a laugh brigade these days. Feel good puff pieces like this nauseate me. Journalism in America continues to go in decline. Flash 8's #41.6 says it all.
Lar: Beyrouth still is a destination... very surprising considering the history, bustling nightlife etc... Many places you wouldn't expect are very interesting to visit. However I'll pass on Mogadiscu for now...
I remember Beruit as a nice place until they blew us up.
Don't forget your AK-47 when you take your vacation in sunny MOGADISHU.
I notice the journalist is an Arab or Indian man, not a blonde female westerner. I think I'd prefer to stay down on Nairobi, thank you.
Of course they are having fun. The world keeps sending them food, and there aren't any jobs, so what else is there to do? Sure, hijack a cargo ship, but even that's work.
None of that looks like very much fun at all, sorry.
Let me know when the women don't have to be escorted into the water by a man and wear head-to-to coverings while swimming, and when non-muslims in general can enter the city without fear of being the unwilling star of a beheading video.
So the men can wear their suits but women have to be covered head to toe and swim like that!?
I
This story should have been printed in the LOCAL Mogadishu paper. Who gives a FU-CK whether the Mogadishu people have fun? I’m sure not the MILLIONS of homeless people living in the U.S. Wait; now I get it… the article was published to show the MILLIONS of homeless people in AMERICA that they still can have fun on the streets.
If you don't care about anything but what happens in your town, read your local paper and get off this site.
Just watch Black Hawk Down.
That quote literally went through my head while I was reading the article! :) Maybe if the sharks are small enough, they can catch them for food.
Sounds like Florida!
Love the picture of the smiling woman in the water. Still, it makes me sad to know that that kind of happiness is not the norm over there.
I can't help but notice that even all the men are wearing T-shirts. While that may have something to do with black skin in sunlight (can someone elaborate intelligently on that?), I suspect that they too are subject to the ridiculous notion of "modesty".
If you look at an olde timey (1920s or so) Sears catalog, we aren't that far removed from that same level of modesty ourselves... and we still have quite a ways to go before we're at the European level of *expression*
It has nothing to do with them being Black. Black people go to the beach all the time.
OMG! That is one of the most ignorant, stupid comments I have EVER read on this board!!
@ kat - I would have to agree with you there. Maybe ol' freight train lives where there are no Black people, no beaches, and no pictures of people at beaches. (Canada?)
@zupercram - naw, he's not from Canada - Canadians are just not that effing stupid and if they are, they have sense enough not to make it public! Sadly, that boy is from right here in the US of A. I once had one of my co-workers register surprise at the fact that people of color could tan! Must have been asleep in science class. And by the way, there are millions of black people in Canada!
oops! correction - I meant a million, not millions!
Thefreightrain: Several years ago some friends and I were snorkeling at a beach in the Caribbean (Coki Point Beach on St. Thomas) where we first noticed a few locals swimming in t-shirts. On our way back to the hotel we asked the driver why that was the case and he gave us three explanations. Some, he said, wore t-shirt to prevent getting sting by jellyfish (at the time of our visit there were lots of jelly fish in the water - must have been jelly fish season or something, I don't know). Others, particularly females, wore t-shirts to preserve modesty (they use an over-size t-shirt to cover up their swimsuit). However, he conceded that the number one reason for wearing a t-shirt is to protect the skin from harmful sun rays. The last explanation makes a lot of sense to me because the sun in those tropical areas are very intense.
Then, by your reasoning, Zach, whites should should never go to the beach without a T-shirt! The fact is, that if they wear a T-shirt for protection (and that could be one of the reasons), it has NOTHING to do with their skin being black.
I think Zach was trying to make a delicate response to an obviously ignorant question Kat. And white people, or any other color, really shouldn't be out at the beach without some kind of protection from the harmful rays of the sun, we just have a few options here that may not be as readily available elsewhere. I have a sneaking suspicion that sunscreen is in short supply in Mogadishu.
Instead of enjoying the people having fun swimming, enjoying the fact even though they live in such trying times, with a government so full of corruption and greed, with danger all around them. Life goes on, and people try to make the best of it! Wow, what a bunch of negative people.
The Somali "Russian Roulette Team" had to disband after all its players died during training........it seems that instead of a revolver they were using an auto loader. Great Fun.
why do they all go to the bathroom at once?
These people thought " Black Hawk Down " was the feel good comedy of the year !
OH, NO, that's a propaganda film forced by Al Qaida! They are hopefully awaiting the Americans to come and stuff democracy down their throats, even thought they don't want or need it, and to get their family members killed in a 10 year war! Bastard American Gubmint- Just keep printing fake money and leave people alone.
Don't forget the other fun things they do in Mogadishu! killing infedels, pirating, rape, Necklacing (execution method) and female castration, fun for the whole family!
I am a descendant of a family from Somalia and women are not castrated. They are circumcised via clitorectom surgery by a midwife. Women are not castrated so as to not be infertile. The west has no respect for customs or religion that did not originate in America or Europe. Somali women are not sex objects or not reared to be promiscuous as women in the west are.
Yeah female genital mutilation is really something we should have respect for.
Nasser, I realize it is a "tradition" but so was slavery. The fact is, some traditions need to be stopped, and this is one of them. There are many reasons for the discontinuance of this practice, one of them being it severely reduces or even eliminates the woman's ability to reach orgasm. I've read that this is the main reason why the practice began in the first place -- to keep the women under control. Why these men fear women having sexual pleasure is beyond me. There is no good medical reason for this being done to women -- none at all. Even so, eventually this practice will go the way of slavery and become just a blotch on the history of this beautiful, although troubled, country.
@ Heather there should be no circumcision for anyone. God created us perfectly but fact is that many cultures have customs that are not palatable for westerners. My somali wife is circumcised and initiates sex all the time. Her genitals are not mutilated. You are brainwashed.
Your wife has undergone circumcision and she initiates sex all the time? SHE must be the one who is brainwashed. A woman who has been circumcised will never have any kind of sensation, much less an
orgasm. I don't want to gross anyone out by describing what it is like for a woman who has had THAT kind of procedure done. NUFF SAID!
realy was very happy infirst time saw the pict of the wowan in the water every thing has changed to sad when i saw the report of somalia ,s live it realy let me crying along..but whtever every thing is gonna be allright inchalah
I wonder, what is the pay range for working in the PR Department for a garbage pit?
Looks like a target rich enviroment!
Ha! I was thinking the same thing.
it must be fun swimming with all those articles of clothing on.
Yes, it looks like tons of fun to go swimming covered in a head-to-toe shmata. *rolls eyes*
Nothing finer than playing squid at the beach.
It looks like a beautiful place, and there is a wealth of history there. Hopefuly someday it will be safe enough for tourists to travel there.
Wow, this "story" was at the top of the msnbc page?
All you workaholics in the US just keep your shoulder to the wheel, nose to the grindstone and eye on the ball while these poor primitive technologically deprived natives Frolic in the warm sun and beautiful beaches... *smile*
Yeah, I will thanks.
Then I'll go home to my giant, safe home with indoor plumbing, refrigeration, gas, heat and air conditioning, watch a movie on my flat screen television, go on the internet to read any news that I see fit, then go to sleep in a big comfortable bed, and drive one of my three expensive cars to my job the next day, where I won't be in any danger of being murdered or tortured by terrorists or pirates.
But you're right, those people in Somalia have it way better.
haha quite a list of possessions that you are working yourself into an early grave to leave your family. Being a wage slave can be trying but it's the American dream. I'll think about you when I get up sometime tomorrow..and have coffee with the girls.
Actually, I could retire tomorrow if I really wanted to, and be very well off for the rest of my life.
I work because I have a work ethic. And I'll continue to work because it's what moral people do.
You obviously know nothing about such things. Enjoy your poverty.