Things to Do in Mogadishu in July

Be in the water by 6:30 am. The sun climbs above the half-ruined hotels later. The tide is high, the sand still cool, and the only other people are jogging Somali diaspora in Premier League shirts. By 9 am the sand turns too hot for bare feet and the plastic-chair cafés fill up.

July's lower tourist head-count means wholesalers from Hargeisa and Kismayo have time to haggle. You can smell the freshly harvested xawaash (Somali spice mix) and frankincense before you see the sacks. Go between 8-10 am when the alleys are shaded and the chai boys haven't yet run out of ginger coffee.

The river is still deep enough in July for small wooden boats. They pole you past the inland delta where herons feed. Sky turns copper at 6 pm and the call to prayer echoes across the water. You'll pass women washing clothes on the banks and kids diving in, oblivious to the city 3 km (1.9 miles) away.

The 1872 fort's coral-rag walls smell of wet limestone right after a shower. The courtyard is quiet enough to hear the rustle of the only surviving Ajuran manuscript pages. July's brief rains keep temperatures inside the thick walls bearable without fans.

Several rooftop venues along Maka Al-Mukarama host oud-and-saxophone sets on Thursday nights. July's sea breeze carries the sound across the lit-up minaret skyline. Sets start 9 pm when the air finally cools to 26°C (79°F) and run until the 11 pm curfew reminder.