The Republic Soo Gal

[Murax]

Did You ever go to Mandeera? If so how hard is the journey from Nairobi to Mandeera, and what are the travel options?

[The`Republic]

When I was told I couldn't get into Gedo, there was no point thinking going as far as Mandera. There are two options from Nairobi through Mandeera by bus as was my choice to get a feel of the landscape and by plane as one of my brothers recently did. He took a short flight from Nairobi's smaller Wilson Airport to Mandera and then a taxi through to Beled-Xaawo.

I went by road so I can explain it. There are a number of Somali operated busing companies going from Nairobi all the way to Mandera (all these buses go through Garisa, the refugee camps, Wajeer, and up on to Mandera). My experience was the buses are professional and efficient from Nairobi to Garisa and hell from onwards. For example when leaving Nairobi, the people in the bus have to fit the capacity, there are no people allowed to stand, it is quiet, orderly, and the roads are good. Garissa is where hell starts (where the Somali majority land starts) so once you pass Garissa every tom and jane is allowed to board, your seat is no longer guaranteed as a person who first bought it, it is raucous, wild. Shit from a typical African movie except these are Somalis who are even more loud. Some people will try to sit on your arm rest, have their stuff resting on your leg room, its just not a pleasant experience. Leading up to Garissa is when you see Kenyan military checkpoints who become more pronounced as you go up and the roads suck once you pass Garissa. A positive thing might be they might have finished the highway they were building when I was visiting so maybe there is better access beyond to the Somali border now.

[Monk-of-Mogadishu]

Why are we playing this charade with Voltage? Every time he gets a new nick we treat him like he's a completely different and new person. It's like Drew Barrymore from 50 first dates, except Voltage is not suffering from illnesses that I'm aware of.

Is this shit really necessary?

[Murax]

When I was told I couldn't get into Gedo, there was no point thinking going as far as Mandera. There are two options from Nairobi through Mandeera by bus as was my choice to get a feel of the landscape and by plane as one of my brothers recently did. He took a short flight from Nairobi's smaller Wilson Airport to Mandera and then a taxi through to Beled-Xaawo.

I went by road so I can explain it. There are a number of Somali operated busing companies going from Nairobi all the way to Mandera (all these buses go through Garisa, the refugee camps, Wajeer, and up on to Mandera). My experience was the buses are professional and efficient from Nairobi to Garisa and hell from onwards. For example when leaving Nairobi, the people in the bus have to fit the capacity, there are no people allowed to stand, it is quiet, orderly, and the roads are good. Garissa is where hell starts (where the Somali majority land starts) so once you pass Garissa every tom and jane is allowed to board, your seat is no longer guaranteed as a person who first bought it, it is raucous, wild. Shit from a typical African movie except these are Somalis who are even more loud. Some people will try to sit on your arm rest, have their stuff resting on your leg room, its just not a pleasant experience. Leading up to Garissa is when you see Kenyan military checkpoints who become more pronounced as you go up and the roads suck once you pass Garissa. A positive thing might be they might have finished the highway they were building when I was visiting so maybe there is better access beyond to the Somali border now.

Thanks for the info. The plane thing is what I'd do. Leave all the hard travelling conditions once inside Somalia


Messed up Kenya has such little regard for the NFD to have such a stark difference in roads.

[gemini07]

Why are we playing this charade with Voltage? Every time he gets a new nick we treat him like he's a completely different and new person. It's like Drew Barrymore from 50 first dates, except Voltage is not suffering from illnesses that I'm aware of.

Is this shit really necessary?

[The`Republic]

Murax when are you going to Africa?

MOM, how have you been Chief?