Aden Mall!

I go to the stores and see aisles of products…some familiar, most not. Some with funny names, and most all with Arabic script. I make it a literacy game to read more and more in Arabic, but the absence of short vowels leaves me mispronouncing words. You’ll be delighted to know that in Aden there is a mall and the Yemeni answer to the Wal-Mart: LuLu. Quite a thrill, I must say, to peruse through that store and see what surprises you come across. See the pictures!

top left: Lamb Brains,

top right:
colorful edible fish

left: fashion

right: name brand

The plane had plenty of room and the flight was a short 35-40 minutes. I truly enjoyed seeing the terrain from up above. Around and after Sanaa, mountains and valleys abound, some reminiscent of Grand Canyon vistas. Upon closer inspection, I found verdant lines that followed the contours of the formations. Those are the carefully managed terrace plots of qat and coffee that Yemenis have been cultivating for centuries. Qat, aside from being a favorite way for Scrabble-lovers to use up the letter “q”, produces a leaf that many in Yemen chew as part of their cultural traditions. Qat is actually banned in many countries due to an active ingredient that causes narcotic effects. Coffee, historically, has been important for trade. In centuries past, many Arabica beans cultivated here were sent to Paris and London and worldwide. The term Mocha comes from the port city where much coffee was shipped abroad, al-Mukha.
The mountains continued and I did not grow tired of gawking at them, spotting villages that would be worthy of a visit in the near future.

The dramatic terrain then gave way to sand and we begin our descent upon Aden. Aden is along the coast. The region is referred to as the Tihama, and Aden is considered to be one of the hottest places on the planet. Fortunately, right now during fall/winter, the heat is very mild. No worries though, as I recall the heat in the Sahara. I’d rather deal with extreme heat than extreme cold.

Note: the pictures here are from Telegraph Bay in Aden. It's a place where local Yemeni's go to relax on the weekend: they swim, play soccer, walk along the beach, and some chew qat and take in the majestic views.

10/29/2006 8:15am..

Good thing Whitney, the other ELF (English Language Fellow) from Tennesee, woke me up or I would have slept all day long. All marveled at the fact that I made it without escort and that I was walking around participating in the scheduled activities which included HIV health screening, administrative paperwork at Amideast Sanaa, and orientation at the US Embassy.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Sanaa made it all the more surreal with the dreamy feel of jetlag. Street life was thriving as we careened to and fro in the pleasant cool temperatures typical of the capital city that lies nestled among mountainous terrain. Lady luck smiled again, at least half a smile, when I received a message from the airport that one of my bags had been found. By getting the backpack I had to check in at Heathrow, I recuperated some important documents and my cell phone, which may not be compatible with the networks here. The other 3 bags are believed to still be enjoying Heathrow. Meanwhile, I’m still wearing the same clothes I left home in. I now have an urgent reason to buy the local male garb which I was planning to do at some point anyways. There are different names and patterns for the fabric that is folded around the legs, much like a kilt, but instead of having pleats, it is rather folded in a certain style that I think indicates tribal or regional ties.

Traffic seems frenetic compared to US roads. This may be attributed to fewer traffic lights and more pedestrians that cross wherever and whenever possible. Incredibly enough, I didn’t see one fender-bender, and I’ll wager that the rate of serious accidents in Sanaa is equal to or less than what one sees in Austin, for example. This is merely my impression.

Old Sanaa may well be over 3000 years old, and the elaborate details one sees on walls and windows do in fact transport one to a forgotten architectural splendor worthy of 1001 Arabian Nights. Remnants of ramparts hearken back to the time when the frankincense and myrrh trade came through here. The Bab-al-Yemen is impressive as you can see. Your intrepid narrator plans to meander in wonder through those old streets and absorb that unique ambiance.