Blogs from Yemen, Middle East - page 6

Getting out of the city this morning to visit some of the villages to the north of the city, cant find anyone to share the cost so going alone, the the driverat the hotel says $16 USD for the day. It wasnt an overly long trip to the first destination, the countryside along the way is barren and rocky except ofcourse for all the qat fields. Havent seen a dog since I have been here but there are heaps running around feral out here, who knows what they eat. The first place we visited was Thilla which turned out to be probably the best preserved of the villages, it is built into the mountain side and is a really pretty town with a stone stairway that leads up the cliff face to a fortress on top. ... read more

A police station in Zabid. Around 10am. The steady stream of people asking me where I'm from and why I'm here finally culminated in me sitting next to The Man Himself, patiently explaining myself. It's February, but I have a respectable tan from the past week or so spent in the lowlands here by the Red Sea, mostly outdoors and in the backs of pickup trucks. It's hot and humid, and I could use a hot shower. I'm 'going native', wearing a turban on my head (they're remarkably useful) and a sarung/skirt for pants. Compounded with a healthy beard, it normally earns me big points with people I meet, but this time it has bought me a free night's accommodation in a Zabid jail. A number of Al-Qaida boys have escaped from prison, digging a 70m ... read more

Pretty uneventful day today, later on after work I will be at the Wadi Club for a good time BBQ, again celebrating the retirement of the same man as a few days ago (remember?? goat?). I will be avoiding the beer this time. One major event happened today however, and I officially un-retired from the pro tennis circuit. Today at lunch, I played tennis with 3 engineers here and one of them kindly offered to lend me his raquet. Game on. I didn't have proper shorts or shoes or other attire, but made due with what I had. I thought I was gonna have a tough time with the weather, as around 11:30am, the temperature around here gets to be about 33 °C, but it was breezy and nice. Sometimes I wish I was a guy ... read more

I'm going to take the time to write this again after the first one didn't work out.... Sorry about the infrequency of the 1st few blog entries, as they have had me running around ragged since I got here on Tuesday evening!! I have arrived here in Yemen, and am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the facilities here. My trailer has hot running water, satellite TV, a mini-fridge and a nicely made bed all for me just steps away from the Mess Hall where we all eat 3 square meals a day. The CPF also has tennis courts, squash courts, hockey rink and a basketball court! Can you believe it? Here's the catch... my days start at 6am. I will never complain about having to wake up for a 7:30am anymore. After waking up at ... read more

As the Himalaya approached Aden I remember thinking that this was by far the most desolate looking place that I'd ever laid eyes on. This view appears to have been shared by P&O's pamphlet on the port, the introduction to which is "First sighting of Aden from the sea is uninviting, when the hot sun, reflected from the yellow volcanic rock, gives the whole coast a parched and unwelcoming appearance." Mum and Dad must have decided that it looked a bit safer than Port Said, because we happily went ashore, and then walked along what I remember as a single row of small shops on the waterfront. There were camels and goats everywhere, but virtually no trees or other greenery. I don't remember there being overly many people around either, despite the pamphlet's assertion that its ... read more