Yemen

Our first view of Arabia - sure doesn't look like Thailand! We had to run a gauntlet of fishing boats on arrival, but we didn't care, we hadn't seen land in 2 weeks and would not be slowed down. What a relief to finally know that we would have an entire night of sleep without the threat of running into another yacht while keeping formation. The dream of fresh vegetables and fruit after a fortnight at sea had most of us planning a market trip as soon as feasible. As in most third-world countries where poverty is premium, the architecture looks much better at a distance than up close and personal. Approaching Mukallah was mesmerizing and exotic.

Our first clue that all was not well was the guard at the seawall carrying an AK-47. But hey, Everyone who is connected to the net understands that Yemen is not a prime vacation spot for Americans. We arrived in the Middle East just as it was exploding.

Our second clue was the gunboat at the entrance, equipped with what looked like a 20mm machine gun (it had a muzzle brake at least). We gave those guys some cigarettes, just to stay on their good side. Yemen is a major Al Qaeda hotbed so we actually liked the heat they were packing. We felt that we had our own little private security force. This made us wonder what 'town' was like. Has anyone seen the film 'Pale Rider' lately? As soon as the anchor was down I thought to myself,' This is a dodgy place." Did not take a lot of I.Q. Further deductions were: Get out of Dodge.

The harbor was very crowded and we had to put out fenders and/or raft up. We were extremely gleeful to have the company of our fellow travelers We stayed on channel with our VHF and traded feelings about our landfall. Some wanted to get fuel and water and other essentials and leave ASAP. Most were faintly curious and wanted to travel 'inland'. That was not to be. Yemen was Yemen.

Here we see the legendary Seabird Convoy for its one group pose. Front row: Anders & Birgit, Margarita (Denmark); Danielle, Chocobo (Canada); Jean-Claude & Denise, Tiku Moye (Switzerland); Monika, Seeamia (Canada). Second row: Roger, Chocobo; Gillian, Kathleen Love (UK); Asia, Asia (Poland); Ginna, Lisa and Brian, Glide (US); Admiral & Capt Hub. Third row: Alex, Asia; Martin, Anima III (Austria); Graeme, Kathleen Love; John, Seeamia; Max, Glide. Roger and John did most of the organizing, with routing ideas supplied by Martin. We feel most fortunate to have met them when we did, or we might have made the papers like some other yachts this year. There but for the grace of God... Besides, we met a whole lot of fantastic people we would never have met if we had gone alone. We will NEVER forget this fabulous group who stuck together and helped one another for over 2500 miles.

Like most Arab cities, Mukallah is prettier and more interesting from a distance.

Here's some of that vaunted "Arab Street" that news reporters are always worried about. Plotting terrorist mayhem or discussing Lindsey Lohan's latest court appearance? Who knows. If you look at the top of the stairs you'll see someone asleep in the doorway.

Women are never seen about drinking coffee or kibitzing in public. So medieval. Is this what you want ladies?

Here we see some fashion plates stylin' down the boulevard. We saw maybe 3 women in Mukallah who did not wear the full veil aka niqab. None were alone and most traveled in packs. I must say though, that when greeted in Arabic they all answered accordingly.

Here we see 2 unveiled women - hookers obviously, plying their trade before the disgusted fruit vendor. Only because they did not have covered faces.

There is no Yemen Civil Liberties Union. You could say this Koran was carved in stone.

More Arab Street. Gosh, if sharia law were imposed worldwide, would Lindsey stay in rehab for a change? Hmmmm.

Busy suburban shoppers. After where we'd been, this place looked like Whole Foods. Note the "date bar" in the upper left. This is a fuzzy shot as it was a hidden hubcam. After we left Mukallah, this place was the gold standard for shopping. Though not veiled and only a scarf, this simple act of do in Rome as the Romans do, made this gringa feel slightly more accepted. But, this was only in my mind. It was really not to be.

A busy mom, on the go. No, those are not brewskies in the cart.

This guy was really nice and very welcoming. All the people we met were very, very nice. The women in the background are Somali beggars. We guess the woman unveiled because she thought it would get her a bigger tip. But, then we saw she had gold teeth, which ruined the desperation factor. Periodically, the authorities here round up bunches of illegal immigrants and ship them back to Somalia. Human Rights Watch could not be bothered, er reached for comment.

While making our second shopping foray we were told a mob was headed in the direction of the store. The admiral wanted to leave immediately, but Capt Hub had just obtained 10,000 rials (about $50) from the ATM and wanted some food for his trouble. It was an ugly situation. Cashiers were trying to get us away and herd us out the door as quickly as possible. In fact, they were running through the isles to find John and get us bundled into the taxi.. They were clearly afraid for our lives as well as I, since having spent time in Pakistan, I was aware of how truly life threatening it could get. Time was of the essence, so he went for the frozen chickens, liberating 7 at a stroke. Thus fortified, we departed the store with all deliberate speed.

The streets were littered with paving stones: students were "demonstrating". We saw gangs of young men carrying sticks and trying to pry open car doors. The admiral wanted to crawl under the seat and demanded Capt Hub do the same. He, however, was far too brave and stupid for such cowardly actions and stayed visible to the hostile crowds. The car door was ours. Not a funny situation. We were obviously very Caucasian and a target of their hate (Capt Hub disagrees). The driver accelerated at top speed while I prayed.

Anyway we got back to the safety of the harbor and planned our departure. Aden was no longer in the cards, just back to the IRTC and escape. We also had just heard the crew of the Quest had been executed by the Somalis, which cast a pall over the convoy. Please join us as we continue our voyage to the Red Sea!

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