Day 11 - Hargeisa (34km bike ride and 7km on foot)

My cycling friends slept in so I wasn’t picked up from my hotel until 6:40am (rather than the pre-arranged 6am). It was another great ride again and this time we headed east and completed a loop incorporating Naaso Hablood, which actually had a strong police presence when we passed, the guys told me it was due to some land disputes and some of the locals had been fighting. We were told by the police not to linger! Once again, we had a lead car with a couple of guys on video duties! Mid way through the ride I was presented with a book - The Rebirth of Somaliland which I was quite moved by.

Cycling Somaliland

Cycling Somaliland

Cycling Somaliland

Cycling Somaliland

Naaso Hablood

Cycling Somaliland

Cycling Somaliland

Our Cycle Route on Strava

A few videos from the ride:

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7317788476831829281?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7317921097423375649?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7317951426422951201?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319475115312303393?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319485977553145121?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319511395194719520?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319526196826377505?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319596994522025248?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319598730275999008?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319600927399218464?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319742862281821472?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319839036212858144?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

https://www.tiktok.com/@dulqarnayn.show/video/7319864346950094112?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7312511252491322912

Back at my hotel I chilled for a little while before heading out for a bite to eat at Laas Geel Cafe for a nice lemon and garlic chicken meal, finished off with a slice of carrot cake which was nothing like the carrot caked I am used to back home! I later ended up walking past the Dhoolayre Hotel, were I met the very friendly owner and sat with him for a while where we had a good chat. He shared some of his khat with me, (the bundle cost him $25 he told me and I could see the quality and freshness of it compared to the khat I’d had in Berbera a few days earlier). He's mate was chewing miraa which is apparently stronger than khat and grown in Kenya.

Before heading back to my hotel, I visited the Purple Coffee Corner for a couple of strong coffees, and then visiting a chemist to purchase a nasal inhaler as I’d been suffering quite badly with all the dusty roads, what with the amount of walking I do. The very friendly guy in the chemist charged me a straight 10 dollars!

I popped out for my evening meal and visited Laas Geel again and had another cracking meal. I paid in shillings rather than dollars as flying home in the morning and I needed to get rid of them!