Yemen – A Leap Back in Time, by Don Whitebread

[Steven Draper]

I enjoyed this essay / post / images.

16 years ago - almost to the day - I spent a few days in Yemen and visited some of the places shown in the images, plus a few others that were not. We had the benefit of a guide who wizzed us around in Mercedes taxi's and other than when the taxi drive became very anxious when I pointed my camera in the direction of a Hind D helicopter Gunship that was patrolling a check point we had to pass through (A few weeks later the country entered a civil war) -- I felt very safe, unlike several other countries I've been too.

I was shooting film on an old Nikon F301 and feel inspired to dig out the negs and make a couple of scans.

Many Thanks

[Peter McLennan]

An excellent article in all respects.  Thanks, Peter!

[JohnBrew]

Well done and informative. Thank you for sharing this remote part of the world.

[johnbeardy]

Yes, I particularly enjoyed this article and Don's site too.

[michaelg]

Great stuff. I was there in 2007 and Sana'a remains one of my favourite capitals - very photogenic and amazing architecture. The Yemenis were extremely welcoming and there was no pressure to buy from the shop-keepers. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to do much travel beyond day-trips from Sana'a - these shots really make me want to go back!

This is a favourite from my trip - all the kids had toy guns for Eid ...

http://bp0.blogger.com/__6-sMUKQHBg/SCQcUPN-ouI/AAAAAAAAAi8/DeSIn9c6ms8/s400/mgreenphotos_014.jpg

[wolfnowl]

Thanks for the article, Don - looks like a beautiful place to visit!

Mike.

[Philmar]

Great article.

Yemen...what a place!! I was there a couple years ago. i was fortunate to be there in between periods of unrest. A few months before and after my arrival there were attacks on tourists outside of the capital.
It is a fascinating country to visit. The male-dominated public spaces, the veiled women, the prevalence of machine guns outside the capital, ceremonial daggers, the daily slowdown due to the men chewing the mild narcotic qat all afternoon. The men are dressed in sport jacket blazers.
The capital is a fairyland of gingerbread house style architecture. There are incredible landscapes in rugged mountains, sandy deserted beaches. It is unlike any other place I've been.

I consider myself blessed to have been able to spend time in this unique country with it's wonderfully friendly people. It's a great place for a photo-walk/vacation.