For much of October and early November 2004, our ship floated off the coast of Somalia. While we never set foot in Somalia, we could see the city of Mogadishu in the distance through the clear desert air. In fact, I was off the coast of Mogadishu during my birthday. Probably the last place I would have thought I'd be!
What's remarkable, though probably in a bad way, is that there are no boats on the water here. No fishing boats, no merchant vessels, nothing. Even the Iraqis had boats, so the Somalis must really have it rough. Reading online at the BBC, apparently the local warlords fight bitter battles over control of the port, so even though it is usable, no one wants to go there.
Apparently, though, the lack of commercial fishing has done wonders for the wildlife here. Everyday, I spot schools of fish, dolphins, and sea turtles alongside the ship. So at least for the environment, it's a good thing.
The air is also exceptionally clean. Cloudless and clear, it looks like a whole new sky, especially at night when the stars are out. Watching a meteor shower under these cloudless skies one night, I saw over 60 meteors streak across the sky before I lost count. It was amazing! An unforgettable experience.
