A Walk Into History

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Man is the atmosphere of the Souk worth the noise? Not when you have to be up at 4am. I even dragged myself out of bed before the Muezzin after a restless night of constantly interupted sleep.

My flight for Yemen leaves at 6.55am so I am showered, eaten, packed an in a cab by 5, the streets were quiet and the trip quick. Check in took forever, but then it was through customs and off for the long long walk to the departure gate. They have an Irish pub in the airport so I am going to have to pop in the next time through for a Guinness. The plane was late in taking off and only about half full, I had a great seat with a shit load of leg room and thought all my birthdays had come at once until two howling kids and a woman in full hejab plonked down beside me thank god they went to sleep.

One of the flight attendants took pity on me she was Russian, and stopped to talk to me every now and then, I think she thought I was crazy when I told her I bought snap watches, so if lost them it didnt matter (Vy vould you by a vatch to lose it) LOL.

The flight took a few hours, the food was good and the flight with out incident. The airport was also an airforce base so fighter planes and choppers were scattered everywhere. The arrivals terminal was a bit like Port Lincoln's, it took about 45 minutes to get my visa and get a cab and then I was heading for the old city.

I must admit it, I initially didnt know what I had gotten myself into the place looked like it had been bombed, Ulan Bataar looked better. After the scariest cab ride ever and that is saying something, I reached the old city and it was incredible, the towerhouses were like nothing I have seen before made of brink and up to eight stories high. They were incredibly well preserved and I can understand why the old city was declared a World heritage site in the eighties.

I am staying in a hotel called the Arabia Felix and it looks like somthing out of the Lord of the Rings I have my own hobit hole, I shit you not.

As usual I am out the door and into the city on arrival and I honestly cant believe this place, a part from the great architecture, every man and a lot of the boys are packing great big bloody daggers and quite a few AK 47 Assault rifles.

I thought I would go to the Museums and get them out of the way first but the National Museum was closed till Saturday, dont ask me why, so I went to the Military Museum which was a strange experience they, had bullet ridden cadillacs, every kind of gun you can think off, and a suprising collection of intiquities. I got in free because I didnt have the right change so some guy with a big knife (Jabyla) paid for me.

Then it was off into the Old City proper and the Souk Al-Milh (Salt Market) I had to get me a big knife cost be $20 they even refitted the belt for me. Then it was back to the hotel where a French couple talked to me, suprise, suprise, suprise and we took of the country side to visit Wadi Dhahr.

Wadi Dhar is famous for the rock palace Dar al-Hajar which really was incredible perched on its eerie, the well inside goes down 300 metres, I wont try and describe the place you can wait till I post the photographs (if I ever can) then it was a quick tour around the village.

I have been offered a drug called quat (pronounced gat) about a dozen times already, apparently its a stimulant, I take it chew a bit then spit it out when no one is looking to be friendly, the whole country is addicted to the stuff, at least the male half I think this contributes to poverty of the people. The country side is littered with plantations and towers full of men with guns to protect it.

Yemeni's, no matter how fearsome they look are incredible friendly people and this country is an easy place to like. I went to bed after sitting in the garden and having a my first beers (non-alcoholic) since leaving home.

Thankyou for those who have posted comments and messages I truly appreciate it.

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Photos

Dar al Hajar
And Again

Sana a
Sana old town from a wadi bridge

Hobit hole
This where I have lived the last 5 days

Tower house
Some are eight stories high

Dar al Hajar
The Rock Palace

Comments

[Nige]

All the best
Hi Buddy, just checked out your blog. Just returned from Tassie, dare say a little diff to where you are. Have fun on your trip, don't cut yourself with your big knife, Nige

[Mark Meyer]

Beer
Non-Alcoholic Beer?! - must have tasted like yak urine. Don't forget to some pics of camels as my dad is a camel freak.