Catwoman n Captain other side of the planet

Sunset in Aden

So we are here, and finally connected. Kyle and I have been in Yemen for a month now, and we are loving it in so many ways.



For an overview: Kyle and I were in Sana'a for a couple of days where we slowly accustomed ourselves to the crowded streets, gingerbread houses, and passersby with mouthfulls of qat. It was beautiful and majestic in its own way. You could immediatly see the progress and the presenceo of the government - new buildings, street beautification, hospitals galore.

Sana'a old town

At the same time we were surrounded by the fantasy of our first arabian nights- with spice sellers, bargain buyers, and women's eyes peering out behind the veil. Beautiful stained glass windows in the shape of the half moon lined the walls of every home. I don't know if this is to keep wandering eyes out, or to let radiant light in, or both. We would wake up to blues, red, and yellows dancing accross our faces.

glass maker/ window from our bedroom in Sana'a

Surreal. Sana'a is in the mountiains, 7200 feet above sea level, cold at night, warm during the day - cool at night. A few days later ,we flew to Adne. We arrived within an hour. We were greeted and chauffered to our apartment, in the busy neighboorhood of Al Ma'ala. I guess it is a happening part of town; internet cafes, restuarants, bridal boutiques, and ceremony halls. We are on the top floor of a new apartment building tucked away behind the old soviet style skyrises which line both sides of the main street. The entrance is a grand archway, with a guard who sits behind a desk and smies at us with a mouth full of green qat leaves that line his teeth and gums as he smiles when we walk by. We ascent 5 flights of uneven stairs, all the way to the top. We are in a large apartment with three bedrooms. Kyle and I chose the rooms with a balcony that overlooks the Arabian Sea; fishing boats, oil riggers, and cargo ships line this old port. It is heavenly to sit out in the evening and look at the stars as there is not too much light to pollute the sky. It is hot here - but it is winter time, so the temperatures are bearable during the night, and there is typically a cool breeze which dries the remaining sweat from the day as I sit outside. Volcanic rock forms mountains all around us, they sit all around the coast as if God was making a mud pie, and left drips of earth everywhere, even statuesque pires that sit in the middle of the sea.

Like I said, Aden is Hot, and especially under all these clothes. This morning as I was putting on my basically black unitard, getting ready for work, Kyle said, "hey catwoman." He often comments on how swealtering it must be under all these clothes. See I don't wear the black dress that all Yemeni women wear - but I wear a black suit - just to keep my arms and legs covered, and then I wear my clothes on top, I try my best to hide my shape and cover my head. This helps with the looks that Kyle may receive from walking with a potentially immodest woman. When we walk throug the streets Kyle greets everyone - this is my favorite to watch men resting in the street turn a skeptical glare into a smile and salute... as if he were some important captain.

So there you have us thus far - although it can be hard to be away from home, we love it here.