Yemen

Of all the places I've visited, this is the one country where I've actually had to watch where I ventured. The souqs of Sa'da were highly recommended by the lonely planet, but when I asked about how best to get there, the locals gave me an awkward stare. Apparently the day before I asked, 14 policemen were killed by anti-government militia. It didn't make the front page.

Old town Sana'a is simply gorgeous. For lack of a better word, its buildings are quite...cartoony, but in no way fake or touristy. It's as if a town had been brought to life from a picture hand-drawn with crayons by a 5-year old. There was more of the Arabian hospitality I've been spoiled with over my time here - When I asked around for directions, I was offered information on which shared taxi to take to get to my destination...and well as the money required to cover the fare. It was a subtle reminder of how far away I was from home.

Spent two days in Kawkaban, an amazing village perched on a clifftop overseeing much of the Yemeni desert. One of those days was spent on an 8-hour hike along the Kawkaban plateau and down into the qat fields of Wadi Gazwan. Yahya, the owner of the hotel I stayed at, housed, fed and entertained me, advised me on local treks, packed a lunch for my trekking, and even woke me up to watch sunrise together. He's the kind of person who goes the extra mile to make sure you're happy, and all he wants in exchange is the pleasure of your company...and a whopping HKD80/day. My visit even coincided with a traditional Yemeni wedding, where I was taught how to dance with their traditional daggers and fire an AK-74 (which kids and old men alike carried around the way we carry cell phones)! The journey to and from Kawkaban included, it was by far the most genuine Arabian experience I've ever had. Good stuff.

What wasn't so good was my developing a fever on my way back, which forced me to cancel my trip to Aden (where the USS Cole was bombed). Packed it away with a solid 8-hour nap and just spent that extra day in Sana'a zipping/shopping around the souq. Still worrying about the other stuff (sunburn, sore throat etc.) now. Befriended and toured for a whole day with two Swedes I met at my Sana'a hotel. One of them mentioned upon parting ways that he'd love to have me 'take care' of his 22-year old half-French daughter the day she studies abroad in Hong Kong.

Did you say '22-year old half-French?' Okay.

Lived in Yemeni cottage-converted hotels, ate in local restaurants, rode in shared taxis, tried to keep (expensive) qat-chewing to a minimum. Total expenditure for my 8-day trip: ~HKD800.

:)

Comments

[Brian]

maybe you'll get to study a broad. ooh sorry that's terrible. anyway half french is halfway to perfection if she's a she and not a he.