11e. Restauranteur with Iskushuban dates
9j.
3g. Abdiwali counts the cash - 3.2 million Somali Shillings to $1US
3f. Jane takes care of the tea breaks
1d. Issa and oldest daughter, Bishaaro
3h. Girl who boiled our water for tea
2f. Zdenek
9f. Galeforce winds made flag waving and even standing up difficult
9c. The group included two Puntland ministers, the mayor of Hafun and a local elder, soldiers, Zdenek, Jane and me
9b. Walking over the carpet of sharp limestone and flat thorn bushes. Just 2.5 km to the finish
9a. Heading up the mountain of Ras Hafun, wind constantly blowing me off the road
8f. A pause in Hafun before the final push
5h. Waiting to find out directions
4d. Typical terrain, barren stony plateau
2b. Discussion over dinner at the president's residence, Garowe
2a. Meeting the President, Dr. Abdirahaman Mohamud (Farole)
1a. Meeting up with Issa and entourage after passing through no man's land
2c. Wishing us well and good luck
5d. Mother and daughter in Marer
5c. Abdiwali in discussion, Marer
4c. Aisha - a friendly character in Cabaar
3c. The president's guards. We are waiting for the support vehicle
10a.
10h.
1f. Sunset over Garowe
8h. Old Hafun town completely destroyed by the 2004 tsunami
10e.
9d. One incredible Australian-Somali achievement
9h. Inscription on at the lighthouse, built by the Italians in the 1920s
11b. Italian fort at Iskushuban
6c. Foar road building community, trying to build the road to Hafun with their own hands and no funding from the government - yet.
7b. Sand blasting across the new road. Bleak conditions for cycling
1c. Visiting a school with Deputy Minister of the Interior, Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Ali Yusuf Ali
3b. Sand storm on the way to Qardho
4b. First tea break in the village of Cabaar, 67km from Qardho
4f. Typical bone-rattling track
5e. Family living room, Marer
5f. Traditional milk container - a doobi
7a. Setting off on the final day - 70km to go
7c. First vehicle to become bogged on reaching the sand
7e. Issa decides I should carry a 9mm pistol to signal for help or ward off hyenas
7f. The commander shows me how to use it
7h. Waiting for the vehicles
8c. Soldiers in need of some exercise during a break
8d. With Yassin Mussa Boqor, security advisor for the president of Somalia, grandson of the last king of the region
8j. Jane and Yassin fixing the Australian flag
1e. Anne-Marie, Bilan and Jane. Getting exercise is difficult when protected by high security
1b. Garowe, administrative capital of Puntland
2e. Jane and Omer at the President's house
5i. Typical riding conditions
6b. Foar residents honouring our presence
8g. Ruins of the salt works, built in 1927
8g.. The old loading jetty destroyed by the 2004 tsunami
8i. Hafun jetty
9h (2)
9l. Mohammed (our security guard) Issa and the Commander
10d.
11a. Spectacular journey back to Bosaso (12 hour drive)
11c. Oasis at Iskushuban
11d. Iskushuban petrol station
12a. View from the State House, Bosaso - visiting the Dputy President
5b. Women in the village of Marer where the goats were slaughtered and prepared for the soldiers
2d. Somalia and Puntland flags
10f.
8e. Approaching Hafun
3e. Leaning in to the gale force winds. Staying on the road was a real challenge
4g. 190km done on the first day, ending up lost in the middle of nowhere
6a. Discussing the route in Foar camp for the final day. No one seemed to have much idea about distances
4a. Our new security guards turning off on to the rough road between Qardho and Hafun. The beginning of the end
3a. The president loaned 11 of his special forces to accompany us to Qardho
8a. Cycling on the tidal flat while vehicles stick to the dunes. The rim of the rear split and so I had to take the load off to nurse it to the finish
3i. Saying farewell to the president's guards in Qardho. They were sent to fight Al Shabab directly after being with us. Three of these soldiers were killed in battle
10g.
