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.
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.
posted by Portfolio at 11:03 PM
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