Closing the circle in Sana'a

Destined for a 15hr stop-over in Yemen on the way back home brought a number of nervous thoughts to our minds: both the US and UK foreign office websites had posted warnings for tourists to keep out of the country unless absolutely necessary. As it turns out, the second time at Sana’a International was as comfy as a stroll in the park, and from what we could gather from a few hours with a local guide in the streets of Sana’a’s old town – a Unesco World Heritage Site – the city, and indeed many corners of the barren country itself, deserves another visit. Not a whiff of the hassle with aggressive touts, none of the stinking litter, damp heat or mosquitos. Instead, a new, interesting culture to explore: men running about in traditional robes carrying daggers tucked in their belts, Mercs and SUVs swooshing away to and fro the desert landscape extending into the plains under the surrounding mountains, architecture stemming from centuries back, similar to that of saraceninc old towns on the Iberian peninsula. Also here the signs of change in the air, and interesting times ahead.