Jib Jab Type Invitations

Yemen - Oman - Dubai: from April 15 to 24

We quit the Yemen abandoning the idea of going to Bir Ali beach paradise of Yemen, scheduled to catch up for not having seen Socotra (more room air). An Austrian we had advised to go to Salalah small town in southern Oman, very nice and much nicer than Dubai. It was already dreaming of grilled fish on a ledge animated and accompanied by a glass of white wine, so we rush towards Oman.
First bus from 8 am until the small town Al Gahaydah trapped between desert and sea, then we followed by a taxi to the border post without knowing how to reach Salalah.
Our luck has smiled once more, after changing the Yemeni monaie to pay our visa has a deplorable rate by a traveler passing under the gaze just a bother to customs, we have two old Embedded in their car that Salalah we reached at nightfall. The road was unexpectedly high wooded mountains plunging into the sea, beautiful white sand beach, an air of southern France.
The city of Salalah is full and parking of cars, malls and pizzia hut. The best restaurant offers fish cubes, lemon juice have lost the taste for those of Yemen. The city turns its back to the sea, the ledge is pretty sad. Everything costs 10 times the price of Yemen and does nothing neither the charm nor the taste. And as regards the wine, there is no interest at Hilton.

A day on a beautiful beach (luckily the beaches are beautiful) then we queue to Dubai and Laura arrived from Hong Kong, 20 hours by bus and here we are in the craziest city in the Middle East!

Both Salalah had no interest as Dubai is a city under construction, a real modern city. Skyscrapers are popping up everywhere, the city extends to the sea on artificial peninsulas shaped fins are constructed channels payasage decorate the flat desert of Dubai.
Everything is big, the biggest malls in the world, the tallest tower in the world. They even built a ski slope. Nothing seems to scare these promoters, anything seems possible here as long as it is excessive.

I often regret, may be wrong, the lack of imagination in planning even if the towers are generally very nice and everything awesome. It seems to me they built a city made for cars and homes conditioned, the mordernite already seems to be elsewhere.

Money is everywhere, the car park is probably the most impressive of the world, Ferrari, lomborqguini, hummer, porsche for women, jaguar, rolls, ... The hotels are crowded, specially which the most expensive.

So, you wonder where does all that money: dabord the oil, tourism, speculation maintained by excellent communication but also the money that seems to be a source of financing the most important.

Then the whole world is attracted by his money and that folly, the Europeans, the Lebanese americians and occupy the best seats and the Iranians often just merchants, Indians, Tibetans, Nepalese, Filipino, Mauritians, the Afghan ... Then the girls, Russian, Turkmen, Chinese (Undercutting it seems) and all other more discrete. The Arabs have almost disappeared in proportion but impressively controlled this city world.

Because there is only one life, Laura, Lionel and I have plunged headlong into this game for nearly 10 days: convertible, restaurants and hip bars, nightclubs, luxury hotels, spa , cocktails ... till you drop. But I admit, it was not to displease me.




I quit the Grosvenor House, a magnificent palace, spends an evening with simple, warm and Emmanuelle Benoit in their pleasant home that felt good. The next day I made my cab and took a boat across the Strait of Hormuz with Iran and Afghans returning home to rest after several months of hard work and badly paid. No hate this place, they are not part of the festival. I am happy to be with them on this boat that goes to Iran.

I finished the second part of my trip, I leave the Persian Gulf and am going to join the Silk Road.

What Can I Use To Masterbat Withe With

Yemen: Hadramaut and the dimension

To save time we ended up taking a flight between Sanaa and Sey oun. The overview of Yemen is very beautiful, the mountains are transformed into cultivated arid plateaus split by canyons. Then suddenly a huge valley filled with palm trees and green crops opens between these rocks ocher s. This is the valley of Hadramawt, probably the place of Yemen that I preferred. People are less obsequious than in the north and seem to have more humor.
The faces change, they have almost the air of India. They are dressed in loincloths of cotton, not wearing a dagger, it makes them laugh when asked the question.
fruits are even better than the rest of Yemen, lime juice and a wonderfully delicious chicken grills.

There is a feeling of being in a very civilized place even if the wealth of the past is long gone. Indeed, the architecture is amazing in the middle of the desert far from everything. From the 13th century, Arab traders in charge of market spices with Asia came to a lot of Tarim and its region, when they returned rich, they have built the palace-like those of Marajah India is striking. Unfortunately, they were built of mud and most have melted or melt again.

Other cities also have their own architecture and Shiban is probably the most famous and most impressive with its towers over 10 storeys in Pisa.
light, beauty landscapes, architectural treasures, the cleanliness of its streets (as opposed to north these are real or bins) and the civility of its inhabitants make it an exceptional place.

We took the road to Al Mukhalah on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Al Mukhalah is a fishing port, some beautiful facades adorn the cornice but overall the city is not beautiful, for it is against one of the most pleasant and the people very friendly.
We spent only one night to organize our crossing the border into Oman, but we could appreciate its streets filled restaurants or pieces of tuna burn in furnaces. They are delicious and served by a multitude of servers effective and funny.
Last night in Yemen, the next two countries will again immerse myself in the modern world!