And it really was. Filled with locals having a day out, it was a pleasure to see normal Somalis having a good time. Many were heading to the water fully clothed as swimwear is generally frowned upon.
Our group of travellers were a novelty, of course. Teenage boys were eager to chant with him as he sought the best angles to include the crowded beach. Mogadishu also sports a busy fish market and a bay with the dilapidated former lighthouse which are obligatory stops for the crazy visitors.
Now things are more relaxed as the fear is not so much of a shooting or a kidnap attempt but rather a bombing. Eager young Somalis are there and there are women present too. It would appear that this society is more egalitarian that one may first think. The highlight of our easy day is a drive to the dunes that are a little out of town. This is a newly popular place where locals come in the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset, have a picnic and maybe ride a camel or two.
There are also buggies you can rent and run around the dunes. Puntland is a semi-autonomous state that spans the northeastern part of Somalia and in the north borders Somaliland. It is a breakaway state that claims total independence albeit unrecognized. Puntland is part of Somalia but has considerable autonomy and its own flag.
Sadly, it appears that tourism has been cancelled by the president just a few days before our arrival. What is not clear to us is who exactly are the 20 people who are coming with us on the trip. But there are way more people than that including a corpulent young lady who we are told is a famous Somali influencer.
