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!!!