There wasn’t much standing water, if any, within the area we were working. All of the wadis were dry, although there was water beneath the surface to allow for the green foliage pictured here. At that time – 1975 – Somalia was having the worst drought in its history up to then.
Camp life was pretty good. We had an excellent cook. The men who helped us out on the helipads were excellent workers. Our tents were of the best quality, the cots were soft and the water in the shower was always hot. You can’t beat that.
Mogadishu was a beautiful city, and I felt safe there. I walked everywhere I could, experiencing the sites and the sounds and the restaurants throughout the city. I would have taken more pictures there, but I was cautioned against doing by embassy personnel. It was forbidden to take photographs back then.
I always tried to stay at the Hotel Juba when I was in the city. At that time, it was the best place in town. The pool in the back is empty because of the massive drought in 1974-1975, the worst ever in Somalia’s history at that time.
