AAAHHHHssmara! Eritrea

Relief at getting here in one piece and landing safely in Africa after four months on the road has invigorated us both. We are eating well and sleeping comfortably in a former spaghetti millionaire's villa turned pension in the capital.

Telltale signs that you have arrived in Africa include young boys walking their pets in the centre of the town on a chain leash.It just so happens that the pet drinking from a can of soda with its two hands wrapped around the tin is a Columbus monkey.

We wake up in the morning to the sound of song birds and look out of our shuttered windows at the tall palm trees,jacaranda,hibiscus and boungainvillea that surround us.

My view is momentarily interrupted by the sound of a United Nations trucks that parade around the town with tall, flexible aerials and a nonchalance that befits any occupying force.With the presence of so many NGO's, it is hard to ignore their impact upon this tiny newly formed country.

The NGO's fear corruption in local government so they have taken the responsibility for administering the proceeds from Western governments directly to the people who most need it. USAid, VSO,UNMCEE,UNDP,UNHCR,World Food Programme...they are all present but do they really help or are they making the situation a lot worse by their presence and the people's dependence on their donations.

Although the UN occupies three floors of the five star Intercontinental hotel enjoying all the fruits of an expat life, they are in plain sight of the refugee camps only a matter of minutes away on ther main road to the airport.

For the bulk of ther people though,it doesn't seem to have affected cafe society one bit as the era of 'la dolce vita' continues on the main promenade of Harnet Ave.It is lined with palm trees and the tranquil nature of the people here only adds to the feeling of being on the movie set of some bygone era.

People take their evening stroll or 'passiegata' along ther main street and greet friends warmly with handshakes and hugs.Pasticcerias churn our macciatos, cappucinos and espressos at an alarming rate. Eateries compromise more of Italian based dishes such as saltimbocca, antipasta, maccroni and tagliatelle while the local food of tbisi or zigni is much harder to find.

Great opera houses and art deco theaters mark the legacy of the Italian conquest in the 1930's and the pastel coloured buildings with floor to ceiling windows and balconies only add to the effect.

It's incredible to see such a beatiful place and yet, so many wish to leave to begin leave afresh elsewhere......there's more to this story than meets the eye.

The Streets of Old Sana'a

For the last week we have been relaxing in our penthouse flat high above the streets of Old Sana'a. For only $16 a night we're spoiling ourselves...but I think that this is one of the places to do it.

When we first arrived outside the old Bab Al Yaman gates after the bus journey from Sayun and started walking into the old city with our backpacks and no clear map of where we were heading, I just had to stop...not because I needed a rest...but to soak it all in. The buildings are a sight! Their warm brown color and white designs reminded me of little gingerbread houses all painted up with frosting.

We are always awoken at 5am with the surround sound of the call to prayer. Being on the 5th floor and between 3 different mosques can have that effect. Between the call to prayer at 5am and then again at 7am and the "tap, tap, tap..." as friends call around to each others homes and use the metal knockers there hasn't been a morning when we are not out of bed and down on the street by 7:30.

There isn't McDonalds here (although I have searched desperately!) but you can get a tasty McEgg and potato on a bun from the guy with the wheelbarrow at the corner.

We spend the mornings posting letters, writing emails, and getting visas but the afternoons are the most enjoyable part of the day. After a few stops in the market for chicken on a spit, freshly baked buns, and a few onions and tomatoes, we head to our room in the sky to listen to the children playing and spend our time reading about Africa (Yes, we are really going there!) and napping in the afternoon sun.

Children are the most fun to watch in Old Sana'a. It is as if the labyrinth of tiny passages is their playground. They have invented all kinds of games to pass the time. They all take care of each other...babies can be seen being carried around by other children barely tall enough to hold them without having their little feet touch the ground. Marc can always find some friends to play soccer with or challenge to a game of marbles or coin toss to the curb.

Deposit all Weapons at the Front Desk

One of the more curious hotel lobby rules posted behind the clerk....that pretty much sums up Yemen for us....18 million people, 54 million guns....guns can be purchased for 23,000 Yemeni Rial, that's about $125..they are everywhere...men walk around n traditional costume of skirts(futas), headscarf (mashadda) and daggers(Khjanars)...oh, not forgetting their AK47 assault rifle slung over their shoulders...but it's only part of the costume or is it? Upon further inquiries, we found that there are still a lot of "no-go areas" due to tribal conflict...

Between 1995 and 2000, over 150 Westerners were held hostage as bargaining tools against the government...only 6 were killed in the crossfire of one shoot out which makes a very good statistic..we found the border patrols lethargic and that was more due to the rippling heat at 10am than their ability to do the job....we were stopped 9 times over a 10 hour journey to Say'un but we should feel no concern...there is a definite "manana" attitude everywhere...young boys and men crowd around you not knowing what to do..this could also be as a result of chewing qat(catha edulis)...it's a local narcotic that supresses hunger and is stuffed in the cheeks for 4 hours and chewed until an altered state of mind is achieved...it's highly addictive and everyone from the bus driver to the waiter masticate this crop that is more widely grown here than anything else...food is an afterthought so it's been a bit difficult finding a restuarant anywhere...Yemen is a world away form the other Arab antions in thought and in mind and in spirit...we can't wait for the rest...bring it on!!!