All posts tagged: camel

10 Cool Things About Living in Hargeisa

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Sometimes you keep your head down for a bit too long, buried deep in your laptop, your creative work, your chores, and you forget to look up and press your face against the world. The humdrum becomes drudgery, the drudgery becomes dead weight, your whole environment becomes a nuisance. It’s (way, way too) easy to lose sight of the charm that’s just next to you, of opportunities for humor and grace. Herewith, in attempt to recapture that charm, and reclaim my gratitude about life overseas, are some of the things I appreciate most about living in Hargeisa.

on a trip to the camel market

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I’ve seen a few camels from a distance since arriving to this place, and I’ve had my fair share of camel delicacies (spiced hump!). Yet, the mystery remained–what strange creatures! For an opportunity to get up close and (very) personal with these bizarrely majestic (or majestically bizarre) animals, we headed to the Hargeisa camel market of a Friday. It was a light day at the market, as a holiday had been declared; camel trade just wasn’t what it usually is. Nevertheless, there were gracious and comedic regulars all too ready to help us get to know the stock for sale. For future reference: a camel sounds precisely like a dinosaur. Or, like a dinosaur ought to sound. We hemmed and hawed and snapped photos, but decided not to purchase on that particular day; perhaps we’ll be back when we’re ready to reconsider. For now, much appreciation to the market folk who allowed us to sniff, pet, and ogle, and especially those who helped us get out of the way just in time. Other finds at the …

what’s to eat: camel

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We had a long list of errands to run in Hargeisa, including to the National Bank, the tailor, the office supply store, and the market. To make it through a draining morning, we needed a breakfast fit for kings…er, hardy nomads. We made our way to Boodaale, the sort of down-a-back-alley joint that is full of regulars, locals, and others who know their way around a camel. Before entering through the plastic curtain, I was advised to tuck in a bit, that is to say, tuck my fringe well into my headscarf, to avoid any offending impressions. We climbed our way up to the second floor, and seated ourselves at a rustic wooden table. soon enough, a waiter came with a wide metal bowl and two mugs: camel soup. bits of white, chewy camel hump bobbed in a clear, oily broth. The soup was incredibly rich, the kind of breakfast to get you through to lunch without pause. But that wasn’t all! The main course came soon enough: a platter of camel liver and camel hump with slices …