A long ride behind big guns

On the eastern side of Sana'a, early in the morning, vehicles began to gather for the convoy at a check-point. Due to political disputes in the region many years ago, the government has temporarily recommended that foreign tourists receive an armed escort through isolated spans of highway between Sana'a and Marib. Although there is little danger or need for the escort, we were obliged to accept the offer. Since the journey is several hours in length we were traveling in a convoy with other vehicles that were in front and back by trucks with soldiers. Some of the European tourists found this annoying and even frightening. But they had our safety and interest at heart. We figured it was better to be safe than sorry. When we arrived, Nasser [pictured top left] showed them the appropriate paperwork and we took our place in line along the shoulder of the road. Ahmed [top right] entertained us with historical facts about Marib and the Sabaeans. Waiting for a few more cars to arrive, we climbed out of the Toyota to look around. Sky scrambled up onto the roof of the truck to have a look-see over rolling fields of endless rock and sand that we were about to traverse. She was soon surrounded by curious children. Surviving in the Land Cruiser Rule #1 on road trips: even if you don't have to go; try. Rule #1 does not apply in Yemen unless you are in a metropolitan hotel with European style plumbing. I cannot begin to describe some of the bathrooms I found on this trip. Gary actually ranked the hotels by their bathrooms and plumbing! While traveling long distances we had to stop in small towns along the way. The toilets in these remote locations, if there was one, was likely to be little more than a hole in the ground. But, toilet paper? What toilet paper? Hint: bring a pocket-sized pack of tissue with you.

If the nearest bathroom is not to your liking, the next best option is to find an isolated spot on the road. Driving between towns, large boulders and shoulder-high shrubbery provide cover for these dainty moments. Along with little packets of tissues, water and snacks are worth gathering before heading out. There are precious few shops out there on the road. If you do find a little market, there's no telling what they will have in stock. Our driver, Abdul, was reminded of this up in the mountain region when he ran out of cigarettes. "Pall Mall?" he asked shop keepers as we drove past. "Mahfish!" the answer came back, " None!" "Uh,buh-buh-buh-buh," Abdul would huff, driving on to the next little  market. Cigarettes burn quickly in a speeding car with the windows down. For each drag you take, the wind takes three. Sitting in the center of the truck is optimum seating for improving your odds. Or, you could simply roll up the window. Move 'em out! A convoy is a simple thing. Civilians gather at a check point to be escorted by armed guards through a given region to another check point on the other side. A red-white-and-black flag or painted oil drum marks the checkpoint. Sometimes there is a small building, like a toll booth, standing isolated in the center of the road. Each is staffed by up to six members of the military. The line of cars to be escorted from point A to point B is flanked by pick-up trucks full of young men in military gear. Two armed guards are positioned in each civilian vehicle: one to look out the front and one to guard the back. Once all the cars had arrived we headed out. It's about a hundred miles between Sana'a and Marib, but, it's a four hour drive. The ride afforded us a variety of landscapes to admire. From the flats, we soon traveled up-hill until we found ourselves winding along steep, craggy mountain sides. We peered out of the car window down into rocky canyons. We looked out through the windshield at the desert on the horizon as it grew closer and closer. The desert took a while to reach. Finally, the cliffs fell away and we were moving across the sand on a fine ribbon of asphalt. A welcome oasis along the way was a stop for tea. On the cement patio we took shelter from the blaring sun and checked out the other tourists. They were mostly German with a peppering of French: couples in their 50's and back packing twenty-somethings. The cry to move on was taken up along the line of cars, and we were off. Next stop: Marib. ViewZone speaks with Yemen's Sada'a Governor Yahya Ali Al-Amri about tourism, refuse and guards. [click]

Clickable Map of Yemen
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