The Stupidest Tourist: A Canadian in Mogadishu

[Jeff]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Meet+Mo...306/story.html

"Now my trip around the globe is almost finished. There will be only small islands that are left for me to visit," he said, flinching slightly at the crackle of machine-gun fire from a nearby street.

The traveller said he would have been keen to meet the tourism minister to raise the issue of tourist guides and guidebooks for Somalia, which he found to be in very short supply when he planned his trip in the region.

"But to my surprise, Somalia has no such minister on the cabinet list," said Bown, adding that he would post information on the Internet for globetrotters wishing to emulate him.

On the one hand this is sort of funny, and we can make jokes about this guy probably being a Newfie (or worse, a New Brunswickian. Or worse, from Calgary).

On the other hand, its fucking tragic. Here's a country with millions of people trapped in a hell of shit, starvation and violence, and this guy is flitting in and out for a lark. Utterly totally clueless.

One other article with a scenic urban panorama included.