By Abdisalam Garjeex

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”   HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Since my childhood, my dream was to travel the world and experience different cultures and languages. Fortunately, I was able to travel many parts in the globe. Some of my memorable trips were to China, Bermuda and Norway. Most recently in December of last year, I embarked a 10 day trip from Washington, DC to Hungary, Austria, Czech, Germany and Turkey. Firstly, the main reason behind my decision to travel to these locations is that these countries happen to be situated in Eastern and Central Europe; some of them were satellite states of former Soviet Union, the countries behind the “Iron Curtain”. Secondly, these countries have vibrant histories and cultures that date back during the Roman, byzantine and ottoman Empires; before this trip, the only country in the Eastern bloc I visited was Former Soviet Union; I lived two years in Odessa, Ukraine for my military academy training. In contrast, this time, since I have visited or lived cities like Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, London and others, I was not interested to see the Western part of Europe. I spent sightseeing every historic landmark in these great cities during the day, in the late Evening; I explored the night life, met both with local people and fellow travelers in Cafes and music places and enjoyed local cuisines in Restaurants. The cold-rainy weather and my long travel by bus from Budapest via Vienna, Prague to Berlin didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the trip.

I love traveling and being stateless for the last 24 years, having no peaceful home to return to in my travels, I long for cultures and places that resemble my old Somalia. I know it is nothing but a distant dream to see our Somalia reinvented and revived from its prolonged suffering. So in the meantime, I commit to being a global citizen and a world traveler, who wants to leave a good legacy and instill in his children the appreciation for travel. While I’m in foreign lands, I want to learn lessons of peace-building that can be implemented in Somalia from the communities I visit. I ask myself why we are in war and famine; why we have fallen behind from the rest of human civilization.

I have always had the passion to travel the world and as Somalis say, “Nin aan dhul marin dhaayo ma leh”— it was in my late teenage years in Somalia that I read the stories of Marco Polo’s journey to China (the silk road) and the travels of Ibn Battuta during the 14th century which included a stop in Somalia. I was fascinated by these incredible men and their travels ever since.  Occasionally, I would also follow the blog of an American couple and their 9 year old daughter, who have been wandering around the globe aimlessly since 2006. This American family from California sold their house and belongings and decided to use their money to travel around the world nonstop — they call themselves “nomad travelers,” the last time I checked their website (www.soultravelers3.com), they were in Spain — It only costs them $25,000 per year to survive (all costs included), significantly cheaper than a life in the US. 

Highlights of my tour

Budapest –  is my favorite city. It is known as the “Paris of the Middle Europe” and has monuments reflecting a 1,000 years of history. You will not only see remains of the Romans and later the Ottoman Empire, but you will also see the influence of the Austria-Hungarian Empire in the City’s style. The capital has two sides, Buda and Pest, stretching along the banks of the river Danube, representing two different characters of the city. Suburban Buda and its historic castle district offer medieval streets and houses, museums, caves and Roman ruins. The dynamic Pest side boasts the largest parliament building in Europe, riverside leisure-walks, flea markets, bookstores, antique stores and café houses. Some of the best places to explore include the Parliament, the second largest Parliament building in the world located below River Danube and it is equally lavish inside, but you have to be part of sightseeing group to enter. Another spot is the Chain Bridge, which is the first permanent link between Buda and Pest – it was a fitting recognition to Istvan Szechenyi – known as the ‘Greatest Hungarian’. The design and the construction are done by two English men. Another interesting place to go is Andrassy Avenue. It was named after the former prime minister who had done much to make Budapest a true metropolis. He wanted that Budapest should have an elegant thoroughfare like Paris’s Champs Elysees.

Vienna –  is the capital of Austria and has always played an important role in the different phases of the European history due to its location in the center of Europe. This is certainly also a reason for the many different impressive buildings, monuments and parks which attracted me to visit Vienna. It was many years earlier that I spent a brief stay in Austria, but I don’t think I saw any of the historic places I saw this time. One of the top landmarks is the Viennese Stephansdom – this Cathedral is a symbol for the Austrian reconstruction after the Second World War II. The bell, which is called the Pummerin is the largest bell in Austria. This historic building has a high tower (133m high) and is reachable by an elevator or you can walk the 343 steps. Another important landmark is the Parliament, which was constructed in Greek-Roman style. It is the seat of the Austrian National and Federal Council. In front of the building, there is an eye catcher, the Statue of Pallas Athene. Another favorite place is the Graben Vienna, an exclusive shopping street and pedestrian area with coffee houses in the heart of the inner city. I have also frequented the same coffee houses, attended by the great men like Sigmund Freud, Mozart and Beethoven. One of my friends in Virginia responded to me “I don’t know or care any of these men – they have no relevance in my life” after showing him my delight to visiting those famous cafes.

Prague –  is a historic city that has witnessed a declaration of independence, Nazi control, oppressive communism and capitalist democracy. And that was just the 20th century. One main reason I chose Prague is to see the places where historic events took place such as the time when Charles IV ruled Prague and became the capital of the Bohemian Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire. Other memorable times were in 1968, the Prague Spring, the period of political liberalization lead by Alexander Dubcek, who was elected the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Efforts to reform communism were ultimately thwarted by the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact. And in 1989, The Velvet Revolution it was a non-violent movement that started on the 17th of November. Student and other popular demonstrations against communism result in the collapse of communist rule, and the country’s conversion to a parliamentary democracy. Vaclav Havel was the elected President of Czechoslovakia and 1993, Czechoslovakia splits in two and the Czech Republic is founded. Where else could you find this rich history other than Prague.

Top attractions include One of Prague’s most romantic sights, a stroll on Charles Bridge presents fine views of Prague Castle, the Vltava River and many of Prague’s famous riverside attractions. One late night coming back from the famous “HardRock Café in city center, I walked across the bridge and saw the magnificent panorama of Prague in night time. Charles Bridge connects the Old Town to the Lesser Town (Mala Strana). Main attractions include the Prague Castle, Old Town Square, the Jewish Quarter, the Lennon Wall and Petrin hill.

Berlin –  I have been to most of the major cities in Germany from Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart to Bonn, but Berlin this trip is my first time. Berlin is the hotspot of the twentieth century. From the Third Reich, over the divided city and the cold war to the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany. All in one city. Berlin is really rich of landmarks of the history and the traces of the different chapters are visible. Find the past and get an impression how Berlin starts the 21st century. The city offers the memorials for victims of the Third Reich, like the Holocaust Memorial and for the soldiers of the Red Army. And new steps for the development of the city and the capital of Germany are visible with the parliament’s area and the spectacular Jewish Museum. All complemented with the classical sights of the 18th and 19th century, like the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building.

Istanbul –  2011 was my first travel to Turkey, but this time it was a great opportunity to explore the city in much more depth. Istanbul is a world metropolis with a population over 15 million. What made this city important and historic is its location at 48 north latitude and 28 east longitude – it is the only city in the world that has been established in two continents (one side in Asia and the other in Europe). The Posphorus water way separates the two sides and connects the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea. Because of its location, the city always had a great geopolitical importance. My first day in Istanbul, I realized that I was fortunate to be in a modern European city with highly civilized, urban and friendly people, but on the other hand, when I began visiting the historic sites, it was as if I stepped back to 6500 BC. An interesting fact, the earliest human settlement was found in Anatolia (catalhoyuk). Istanbul started as settlement known as Byzantium after its founder, and would later take on the name of Constantinople, after Emperor Constantine. It wasn’t until the great conquest by the Ottomans that the city would come to be known as Istanbul, turning into the biggest and the most crowded city in Europe at that time. In the late fifties and sixties, Somalis use to name their new born daughters after Istanbul, Paris, or Berlin for the sake of the great history and prestige of these popular cities. As a young boy, it was my dream that one day I’d be able to visit Istanbul and that dream has become a realization, as I have always admired Turkey from afar. The four must see attractions are the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.

In the End, to my friends and the readers of WDN, I honestly recommend for you to consider traveling to different parts of the globe maybe once in your life time even if it’s not your hobby – the knowledge and experience you achieve is tremendous and will remember it for quite long time. In case, you are interested to find more information on these travels, you are more than welcome to contact me.

Best wishes for all for very Happy New Year,

By: Abdisalam Garjeex
Email: amabdulle@hotmail.com
Ashburn, Virginia (USA)