Cowherds at market

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Yesterday, Fred, Monique and I went to Babile with Youssef, the brother of the owner of our ex-hotel. Mondays is livestock market day in Babile and many camels could be expected.

Sure enough there were camels, bulls, goats and sheep and lots of local herdsmen, mostly Somali or Oromo. We'd have taken more pictures had not someone waving a large stick decided we ought not to take photos. We meet these types all over the place and they have absolutely no authority at all. They just think they are cleverer than the rest and are in need of attantion.

The group of children Fred was teaching to count to five were shoo-ed away by another man with a stick, but they were waiting for us when we eventually left, but first we stopped off with the qat chewers for a cup of Somali tea. Very sweet, with a spicy teaste... more cinnamon than cardamom.