Landscapes in Somaliland are indeed fascinating. They are the among the widest, emptiest and yet among the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. Only some random camels, goats and sheep's, accompanied by herdsmen and -women give life to the corridors of endlessness between towns. Travelling through these vast landscapes gives me the feeling of freedom. Yet, these bizarre places do not only bear beauty, but also some dangers. One of them is water. Although classified as semi arid to arid country, Somaliland can indeed get a lot of water once it starts raining. There is no such kind like drizzling. Once it rains, it feels as if the sky would fall down upon one. So called Wadis, empty river beds, can turn into bursting streams within minutes, and carry away whatever is in its way. During my last travel this "whatever" was a Mini bus which was literally swept away, and another bus which got stuck in the water. Traffic often comes to a total still stand when Wadis are "active", and trucks simply wait on both sides of the river until the water is gone again. This can happen as fast as the it comes - all of a sudden the water is gone again, and left is only the seemingly empty river bed. Yet, it is noteworthy that these rivers, although apparently dry, are actually among the best water reservous one can wish for. Sand is like a sponge, that sucks and keeps water for months. Along the empty wadis, one can therefore find lots of so called shallow wells, eight to ten meter deep wells, yielding water for the farms around the river. Thus river beds, although empty on the surface, are still full of life beneath the surface.
