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
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.
