The Sunny Side: December 2007

A WEEKEND IN YEMEN

My friend Rodrigo and I decided to go to Yemen for a weekend trip, and we headed off early Friday morning to spend 4 days in this country, only one and a half hours flight from Addis Ababa. I didn't know a lot about if before I left, excpet that it's a very conservative Muslim country, and that a group of Spanish tourists were killed in a terrorist attack there earlier this year. Iexpected to feel a bit uncomfortable, but after a few hours walking around in the old city, I realized I had nothing to fear. People were so friendly, and not bothering us at all. In many places I was the only woman present, but except for attracting a few extra looks from people around, they didn't seem to be bothered by my presence. I bought a burka the first day, and ended up wearing the dress for the rest of the stay. It is actually quite comfortable, and nice to wear.

We spent a lot of time walking around in the old city, with it's beautifully decorated houses, narrow streets and cute little shops (souqs). There were a lot of nice things to buy, and it wasn't very expensive either. The rest of the city, the new Sana'a, wasn't too interesting, so we went on a few day trips to explore some other places in the area. The landscape is fantastic; vast, arid and dry, but so majestic. The towns we visited are just magnificent, as you can see from the pictures. I wish I had more time to see other areas of the country, but that will have to be another time. At the airport on the way back, we discovered that we had forgotten to confirm our tickets, and at one point I thought we'll be stuck for another day or so in Sana'a. But somehow, well, thanks to Rodrigo:), we got seats on business class (for next to nothing!) and ended up having a very comfortable journey back home to Addis. We headed that way, whereas a large group of women in burkas and their men headed for Haj (pilgrimage) to Mekka. Different worlds, different lives. But so nice when they sometimes meet.

The city of Sana'a

The knife (jambiya) is an important part of the outfit of the men in Yemen.

This is what the houses in old Sana'a. Beautiful stonehouses, with these wonderful white decorations, making them look like "pepperkakehus":)

Me, trying on my first burka

Also Barbie is obliged to wear a burka

Yemeni food - lovely!

Food - yummy!:)

The streets in old Sana's

At around 2'o clock in the afternoon, the city slowed down and almost stopped. Shops closed, people disappeared from the streets, and there were no places to eat, which was a bit of a problem. It was time to chew khat. This guy was insisting that Rodrigo try some, and himself he had his mouth full. I was amazed at the amount of khat they were able to stuff into their cheek, and in the evening, when things started working as normal again, all the men would walk around with cheeks as big as apples, with green lips.

An old castle at Wahdi Dhar, 45 minutes drive outside Sana's.

Me, in my burka. Well, only part of it. Too hot for the head scarf......

Beautiful stained glass windows in the castle

We tried to get into the National Museum. It didn't work very well. Rodrigo, arguing with the guards, who insisted that it closed at one o'clock, but that we couldn't get inside, even though it was just 12.30.......

Bait Baws - an old, worn down little village in the outskirts of Sana'a. There used to be an old Jewish settlement there. People were still living in the ruins of the stone houses, and we spent a few hours walking around up there, talking with a bunch of young boys who all volunteered to be our guides. Very friendly, indeed:)