Zakatan, Yemen.

From my visit to Zakatan, Yemen, last week.

SimSim in Old Sana’a

A camel rests after pulling a large mortar and pestle like contraption that grinds sesame seeds into sesame oil (simsim) in Old Sana’a, Yemen. The camel spends it’s day walking around and around in a circle, with one or both eyes covered, pulling the pestle that grinds the sesame into oil.

I was happy to see this camel let unhitched from the machine, because the other oil making camels I have seen look so sad, like they have not moved from their circles for years. This was one of the more loved Sanai camels, the owner giving his camel a kiss before I left.

Arabia Felix- Poor in Money, But Rich in Culture

Salam Aliekum All, I have made it to Sana’a, Yemen, the country any American newspaper would preface by citing it is the ancestral homeland of Osama Bin Laden. Arabia Felix has not failed to deliver. It is quite a gem and what I feel is one of the last fronts of the true Middle East. As I heard the director of the school I am studying at say, “it is a country poor in money, but rich in culture”. And that is quite true, Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East, facing the imminent disappearance of oil, waning water supplies much of it going to the growth of the infamous ghat, and a lack of industry equating to a lack of jobs. Adding on the instability between North and South, and Al-Qaeda the country is not facing its best of days. But it’s culture, heritage, tradition and religion is like a sweet honey, each drop delightful.

So, I’ve only been here for a few days, but I have managed to take some pictures. So, enjoy.

On a street near the College at which I am studying.

In Souq al-Milh at a Jambiya booth.

Some graffiti in the Old City of Sana’a, a UNESCO Heritage Site.

A souq in the Old City during a blackout, which I hear have become increasingly more regular.
Another in the Old City during a blackout at night.

A man sells the infamous gat on a street the Old City.

Starting Tomorrow It’s Souqs and Sheiks

Hello All, I just wanted to let you know that Thursday I will be leaving for Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, to study Arabic at the Yemen Language Center. And of course!, I will be indulging you all with plenty of stories and photos from my travels. So keep posted for the glory that is to come meaning pictures of souqs, sheiks and I’m sure maybe even some cute kids and stray cats.

For now, I leave you with some good ole Bike Polo love from Athens, Ga. My friend Amy invited me to come watch the other night. It’s pretty sweet, and intense. They gather a couple of times a week and play on the courts next to the UGA freshmen dorms.