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Published: March 6th 2009
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After spending a little over a week in Yemen, I must admit I was beginning to miss McDonalds. While a lot of the food was quite good in Yemen, types of food and other parts of the West was on my mind from time to time. However, having another 5 days in Yemen, there were still many more chances to see and enjoy more. With this attitude, I rounded up the end of this trip and saw more of the unique parts of this country.
Rounding up our time in the mountains, we stopped by the small town of Al Khutayb. This town is literally a set apart sanctuary. Here there is a unique Muslim sect. This was the first town I had seen in a long time that made sure people did not litter. The clothing was quite different, by this I mean colorful, and I even saw laptops here and there. One part of this sect that is unique is concerning the shrine that was built. This shrine was built to honor one of the long deceased Muslim preachers. This of course is heavily frowned upon by the Muslim religion in having anything that is considered a false
idol before the Muslim God. However, I must note the difference in how this town was organized and maintained between the others. For me, this town seemed to make place for the honoring and valuing of mankind itself through its 'praising' of what one man can do. It is perhaps worth our time to reflect upon the attitude created once man is considered potentially worth praising. Furthermore, how can this attitude then lead to other effects and changes? For the sake of this town, there was a noticeable difference in how the religion was understood, as well as the standard of living. The relationship to these truths is certainly though provoking.
The next major stop was in Zabid. This city is known for being in one of the hottest places on Earth. Luckily, being there in December I was able to miss this attraction. Within Zabid there is an impressive amount of historical buildings and structures. Sadly, a lot of the city is in decay and not being maintained. At this current pace, the city may lose a lot of what makes it unique. Zabid is also known for being one of the main sources for inspiration in stories
such as "1001 Arabian Nights." As some of the pictures try to show, this city does possess an ancient and exotic atmosphere. Being that there is also an English school in the town, many people are happy to talk, and volunteer to be a tour guide (with an expectation of appreciation via cash). I even got the chance here to walk inside and see my first view of a mosque. In the UAE, there is only one mosque non-Muslims can enter. Here in Yemen, this seemed to be different in many mosques.
On the road around Zabid, I stopped in for a quick restroom break. At this hotel, there was a brochure to vote for Obama, as one of the pictures show. I was quite surprised to see Obama's popularity in Yemen before the elections. The discussion I had with the hotel manager about why Obama would make a good president was probably one of the most unexpected conversations of the trip!
From Zabid we cut across to the Red Sea at Al Khawhha. This was another interesting beachside face of Yemen. It was quite pleasant to be able to enjoy the Red Sea itself, and cold water
was refreshing. Staying the night at our lovely hotel was quite interesting. To put it quickly, I would have been better off bringing camping gear. While I won't go into details, lets just say I had a true 'on the beach feeling' the entire night. Getting a chance to be on the coast though and out of the mountains gave a different personality of Yemen for sure.
Next were the towns of Jibla and Ibb. These close by cities gave me my last taste of Yemen before returning to Sana’a, and then back to Dubai. Jibla we quickly drove through, and then Ibb we stayed and spent the afternoon in. Within Ibb we met quite a few nice people. However, I was instructed by the tour guide to not say I was from America, and preferably speak Spanish with Jorge. After seeing children with Saddam Hussein key chains, I began to appreciate the people in Ibb may have more conservative views. Even though I looked quite like an American, I had no problems at all. In fact, we even spent an hour playing foosball with some local kids. They had some great skills!
At the end of this
loop, we arrived in Sana’a. Jorge and I spent another night here taking in the city, and then it was back to the UAE and Dubai. At this time, I feel it important to recommend Yemen to anyone who is interested in seeing and experiencing the more traditional side of the Middle East. Often I was amazed by the hospitality of the people. The scenery was amazing nearly all of the time. The historical value of the area was a pleasure to enjoy. In the end, I found this to be one the most enjoyable trips of the Middle East. It is not nearly as commercialized as Cairo is. While it is sad there are some dangerous elements, I think it is unfair to dismiss the large amount of the population that was open minded and friendly. Being in Yemen helped me to really foster some great memories of the Middle East.
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alelie
non-member comment
hhhmmm
the doorway looks creepy at the same time inviting. mysterious... hold hands? you should have seen some of them here in dubai so sweet, the other guy sleeps on the lap of his guy friend while they still hold hands...huhh...real sweet...