Yemen...yeah mon...Yemen

  Sanaa, Yemen
Saturday, November 8, 2008

Today I was going to Yemen.  Yes, Yemen.  The same place where the USS Cole was bombed in 2000, the same place where the US Embassy was bombed this past September, the same place where pirates are operating nearby in the Gulf of Aden, the same place where two Belgian tourists and a group of Japanese tourists were kidnapped.  Yes, this is the Yemen I wanted to visit.  Why?  When I told people (both you and others) that I planned to visit Yemen on vacation everyone was quizzical if not skeptical or concerned.  Even to many Arabs, Yemen is the black sheep of the Middle East often cited as being backwards, too traditional, or trapped in the Middle Ages.  But Yemen's time-capsuled culture recalls the allure that Orientalists had for the Middle East during the 18th century. This same allure is noted by Tom Downey of The New York Times when he describes Yemen as "authentic" and an "Arab oasis for the intrepid."
 
There is a Yemeni joke that finds Adam and the Archangel Gabriel returning to earth for a visit.  As the pair fly over the various nations of the world, Babriel acts as a tour guide.  The angel points out France, Italy, Greece, etc.  The wole time, Adam looks terribly confused, and finally confesses:  " I don't recognize anything"  At last, as the two soar over southern Arabia, Adam's face lights up.  "Ah, there is Yemen.  Nothing has changed there!"
 
Yemen definitely has the feel of old Arabia, especially in comparison to its more oil-rich neighbors.  The fact that it's the only country on the Arabian Peninsula without a McDonald's helps with the image, but more than anything it's the culture, the traditional dress, the ancient architecture and the hospitality of the Yemeni people.
 

Qatar A320

But first, I had to get there from Doha.  I was flying Qatar Airways, one of only five holders of Skytrax's Five-Star airline rating.  I wanted to get to the Doha airport a little earlier than normal so that I could avail myself of Qatar Airways' Premium Terminal for first and business class passengers.  Qatar Airways competes fiercely with Emirates and Etihad in the region, so it makes great effort in distinguishing itself.  The Qatar Airways Premium Terminal is a five-star experience that sets the airline apart from its Emiriti competitors.  The service begins from the moment you are greeted by hotel-style porters at curbside in front of the airline's Premium Terminal at Doha airport.
 
 The Premium Terminal is completely separate from the main terminal and is divided into separate areas for First and Business passengers.  Rather than being an intimate lounge like Lufthansa in Frankfurt, this facility is over the top.  The building is large, bigger than some cities' main terminal buildings.  There are hotel-type porters to assist with baggage.  In addition to dedicated check-in and immigration facilities, the terminal boasts a full size business center  and a full size duty free shop.  I bought Brian the newest Harry Potter book here in 2007.

Premium Terminal

But the second floor is where the posh is.  Huge separate lounge areas greet first class and business class passengers complete with a sit down restaurant; will that be a la carte or buffet?   Ample seating for just reading and waiting.  For those First Class passengers with the time, there is a spa which provides Jacuzzi, steam or full massage services ranging  from facials to a full body massages.  I didn't indulge in a massage today but I did have one last year when I was here.  The quality is on par with any spa, anywhere.  
 

First Class bus

Even boarding is exclusive.  When it was time to board, Qatar had special First Class coaches waiting to bring passengers to the aircraft as there are no jet bridges here.  Economy passengers board from the rear, and only first class passengers are allowed to board from the front.  The curtain between the two cabins is securely shut throughout the boarding.  I was flying on a Qatari A320 today.  All 12 seats in First were occupied.  I sat next to an American going to Sana'a for six weeks for work for a oil company.

Our routing

Our flight routing was circuitous over the Arabian peninsula.  Rather than fly due south to Sana'a, we departed north from Doha flying over Bahrain after about 20 minutes.  Then, we turned southwest over Dammam and Riyadh in Saudia Arabia before heading back towards the southeast to Sana'a.
 
Arrival at the Sana'a airport was basic, fitting for this destination, but efficient.  Again, Qatar had a dedicated bus meet us; nothing fancy about this airport or bus, but it at least it was just for the 12 of us.  The airport is basic; typical for a third-world airport.

Sana'a International

Electronic signboards hang with no power; they probably stopped working years ago.  Walls and windows have faded posters from airlines serving the airport that haven't been changed in years.  Floors and walls were all a bit dingy.  All of this just added to the charm and character of the place.  (Yes, Carma, it was old.)  This is the type of airport that serves one flight at a time.  We were 30 minutes early, so even immigration was surprised by our arrival.  But they didn't make us wait.  They came out quickly once we entered the arrivals hall.  I was second in line and through in no time.  Since I had no baggage, I was out the door immediately.  
 

Sadam

One hiccup:  no driver was there to meet me from the hotel.  Because we were so early and because I was so quick, I caught the hotel driver off guard.  Given all the concerns that so many of you expressed about me going to Yemen (you know who you are), at this point I had become apprehensive.  I called the hotel several times.  I was clearly frustrated, because now everybody else was starting to trickle out.  I didn't want to be alone.  Since we were the only flight, I soon would have been.  But he finally showed up, and we were quickly in the middle of old Sana'a.  
 

Sana'a

The Yemenis claim that Sana'a, their capital, is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, spanning 2,500 years.  Syrians would probably disagree.   In 1986 UNESCO deemed Sana'a a World Heritage Site recognizing its preservation of over 6,000 homes and 103 mosques all built before the 11th century. 

Medieval city

Antiquity and modernity go hand in hand in this city.  In the old souq, internet booths next door to donkey feeding grounds are not an odd sight. Strict segregation in public spaces and women covered entirely in black reflect the society's conservative decorum.

Just friends

And possibly due to the separation of the sexes, men, like in other Middle Eastern cultures, hold hands and are not shy to show physical affection.
 
My stay was at the most charming (and cheapest) hotels of my trip:  the Burj al Salam.  I made my decision to stay here based on other travelers' reviews on TripAdvisor.com and by reviewing the hotel's own website.  The hotel's location can't be beat.  It is located right in the center of the old city.  What you see today, as the majestic structure of Burj Al Salam is what was once a Yemeni tower house ("burj" means "tower" in Arabic), silently witnessing the passage of time.  The hotel has only been open for a couple of years.

Burj al Salam

It took the Italian owners ten long years of hard work and stringent measures to renovate the old house. The renovation was carried out under the strict supervision of UNESCO in order to respect and maintain the original architecture style.  While still maintaining the aesthetics of ancient architecture style, the Burj al Salam seamlessly combines the necessary comforts and refined hospitality of a modern day hotel.  I watched Dr Phil and Oprah on satellite TV and was able to update my blog with the wireless connection.
 
This is a hotel provides a romantic, turn-of-the-20th century travel experience where guests mingle in the lounge in the mornings and the evenings.  Most of the hotel's intrepid guests are German, Italian and French.    Chatting with other guests was fascinating.  Many were travelling in Yemen for weeks.  After arriving and meeting some of the other guests any apprehension that I may have had about being in Yemen dissolved.  One of the guests was a woman from Minnesota who had been staying at the hotel for five weeks while learning Arabic.
 

Terrace view

My room was on the seventh floor with expansive panoramic views of the city.  For even better views, all I had to do was go up one flight to the eighth floor roof top terrace.  So I did.  By the time I arrived, sunset was an hour or so away.  So I went up to the 8th floor roof terrace to enjoy a coffee...yes, me, a coffee.  Coffee is supposedly from Yemen.  Europeans discovered it in the 16th century sailing to India.  One of Yemen's major ports is Al-Mokha...from where the term mocha coffee originates.  The cream though was yellow and curdled immediately when added to the hot coffee.  The heat of the coffee would take care of anything wrong with the cream, right?
 

Sunset over Sana'a

As I sat on the roof the sun began drifting towards the horizon in a perfectly clear, blue sky.  The atmosphere was enhanced by the cacophony of sound that echoed on the roof.  A gentle breeze rustled the olive trees in rooftop planters, sounds of children playing and laughing welled up from the streets below and then the call to evening prayer enveloped everything.  At first I thought the children must be playing in a park of schoolyard nearby.  I later found out that there are no such places;  the children just play in the streets.  Given their narrowness and lack of traffic, this isn't as dangerous as you might imagine.  I couldn't imagine a more peaceful setting for sunset.  (How fitting.  The other part of the hotel's name "salam" means "peace".  Burj al Salam = Tower of Peace.) 

Before going to bed I watched some Yemeni TV.  What was on?  Dr. Phil and Oprah.  Do you think they promote a positive or negative image of America to foreigners?  Maybe Oprah should take that topic on as one of her shows.  Thank goodness they don't get Jerry Springer.

Just outside my window

The only concern I had in this evening was what would happen when the first morning call to prayer commences before dawn tomorrow as there are so many minarets just outside of my window?