First Day in Yemen, "Arabia Felix"

• Mebiner's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Sana'a

Trip Start Dec 15, 2008 Previous
Entry Trip End Dec 23, 2008 Next
Entry

  Sana'a, Yemen
Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The Jazeera flight from Dubai to Sana'a was right on time, getting us to Yemen at 1:30 pm.  After plocking down $60 I was given a full page visa and I was in my 5th new country of 2008, the 137th of my life.  The guidebooks were written before the visa fees increased, but they were accurate for the taxi fare to the city ($10).  I had some trouble getting Yemeni rials at the airport since 6 of the 7 ATM machines refused my card, and the only machine that took it only dispensed US dollars.  That was pretty strange since dollars are not an official currency here.
 
I decided to stay at the Taj Talha even though Lonely Planet and Bradt both spoke so highly of Arabia Felix Hotel.  It cost $20 for a tiny room with shared bath, but I seemed to be the only person on the floor anyways.  The room itself provided a nice taste of what it would be like to live in a traditional Yemeni tower house, steep steps, thick walls, no surfeit of space.   The room measured only about 10' by 7', with a bare light bulb hanging from the 15' tall ceiling, with one window looking out on the other tower houses of old Sana'a.
 
I wandered around a bit, soaking up my new surroundings, overlooking the trash strewn about the dusty streets, cautiously crossing streets with a defensive pedestrian mentality.  It was fascinating and typically Yemeni to see the men not only in head gear, robes, and sandals, but also with the curved jambiyya (dagger) in each man's waistband, and a huge wad of qat in their cheek, looking like they had a golf ball in there.  Qat is a mild stimulant that is deeply embedded in Yemeni's male culture, like the coca chewed in the Andes of South America.
 
I had gone nearly 24 hours without an actual meal (only a few snacks in Dubai) so I stopped at Palestine Restaurant near Tahrir Square where I ordered some rice, a potato stew, and a bottle of water, all for a grand total of one dollar.  I love Yemen's prices!
 
I went to the Tourist Police station to get a permit to travel outside of Sana'a, and the areas on my plan were considered perfectly safe.  I then made a half-hearted effort to buy a domestic ticket to Socotra or Seyun.  I really didn't have enough time to make a worthwhile trip to either of those places, and with so much to do closer to Sana'a I didn't purchase any tickets.
 
I paid $1.25 for a taxi to the Bab al Yemen, the main gateway through the city walls leading into the old city, and I quickly found myself happily lost on the narrow, twisting streets of the old souq.  I stopped at a jambiyya stall where the young vendor said that one with a rhino horn handle would cost $2000 while those with plastic handles would cost a mere $5.  Now that would be a unique souvenir, but then I'd have to forget about just doing carry-ons for the flights home.  I found a cute Yemeni outfit for Sophia, not quite sure of the fit but anxious to see her try it on.  If only she were here we could dress her up and get some great photos of her.
 
I went to the rooftop terrace of the Taj Talha Hotel where I was staying and took some nice photos looking down at the narrow street below, winding between the old tower houses.   There was a single street lamp, suitably antique-looking, and I was pleased with the photos I got.  There were women entirely covered in black strolling hand-in-hand with their children, men in kaftans and robes, and nary a sound of the modern world.  Occasionally a vehicle would slowly squeeze through, but it was mostly a timeless scene.  There probably weren't many other capital cities in the world with so much tradition as Sana'a.
 
By 7 pm I was sleep-deprived and my head felt heavy, as it was 8 am back home and my body felt like it had gone the whole night without sleep.  I pushed on, wandering down to the bridge over the wadi (riverbed) which was paved in order to provide some additional roadway.  Los Angeles could take a lesson from Sana'a!  I found an internet place where it cost just 30 cents per hour, and I was even able to use my own computer.     
 
I considered skipping dinner since all of the restaurants recommended in the Bradt book were pretty far from my hotel, but I decided to just eat at my hotel despite the entire lack of any other customers.  I ordered a Yemeni kebab which was great, with rice, meat, veggies in a stew, and it only cost $3.
 
I downloaded my photos onto the laptop, and reflected on my very full day.  I had gotten some nice photos in Dubai in spite of the overcast and had gotten to Yemen, one of the countries I had dreamed about visiting ever since a fellow traveler spoke so highly about it back when I was in Pakistan 9 years earlier.  It had been a great day..

Old Sanaa's souk (marketplace)

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Vegetable seller, Sanaa	View of old Sanaa from my hotel rooftop	Tower house in Sanaa at dusk	Three women in old Sanaa, like dark ghosts

Slideshow Print this entry Share

Previous Entry Next Entry