After coming back from dinner we strained up six high flights to the mafrajah. Mafrajah being a balcony like area with a birds eye view of old Sana'a. Out breath out of strength, the view took away the last remnants of both! How can I describe going back in time. Soft orange glow of the street lights added to its mystery, I have only visited this place before in a dream I had many years ago.
Many blocks of varying heights with a multitude of windows filled the landscape, Huda called it a fairytale picture book in 3D.
I can go on for as long as we stood there and stared, but u still had to be there.
Tiredness from the trip and stairs saw us sleep like in a dream of a thousand years, that and the crisp coolness of the adorable room helped us stay longer in our cosy beds. Today we shall walk inshAllah.
We head twds the souk, old Sana'a and bab al yemeN, we walk into a live rendition of the yemeni part of global village, many scents, aromas and pungent odours invade the senses, it is an overcast day with dust and a cold breeze... The bookshops and the bead & silver sellers beckon - we walk thru the carpenters sector where all sorts of doors and windows are carved and each with a story to tell. Further on we meet our french friend who stays at the same hotel, Corrine directs us to the spice market, the heady smell of grains spelt, spice and flour spin their aromatic threads around us. What is really interesting is that women pass us and bless us... The men do too but that's expected. I saw an old beggar women whom we followed into a shop, the colours of her garbs were many different shades of pink brown & orange, that with a golden tulle mesh skirt and her scarf, she was beautiful in her poverty, as ugly as it is. Her blessings and prayers followed us around the souk & to our room.
We turned right & saw a fantastic alleyway full of materials shops... The one facing us had many different pieces with intricate embroidery, we sat at the shop chatting with Muthahhar & Ahmed. We spoke of Qat, daughters of officials, the origins of Arabs, the short attire of Adenites and again besides hamdani being best, the long Qat stalks from dar al hajjar are supreme! Apparently it is a skill to be able to 'store' Qat or give it a home in your cheeks ...(He gave me some to try, thatks a whole different story-i felt I was a cow or sheep) Some guys do both cheeks making them look like popeye but the avoid doing that in public as it may give them the evil eye!
We were tired, the air dry, and we hadn't anything to eat or drink for hours, we decided to head back for a cup of tea and some bread. On our way we saw gallery 1, it was lovely, Mohammed is a student of French at Sana'a Uni, a handsome face typical of mst yemeni men, a fine nose delicate features and hazel eyes, occassionally dulled by the effect of Qat, so we pick a couple of things to bargain for, as we sat there in walks a little boy of around 7, quiet, and solitary, when asked his name he only responded 3allawi. That was all he said for the rest of the time we were together. Then Fahad came in! He is 10 or 11, he asked in proper English "where r u from?" So I asked, where r u from and he replied "Eb"
We wanted to buy bread so Mohd said we must try the kodom, a whole wheat chewy do not unlike the egyptian bread served with foole.
It was hot right out of its furnace, we bid farewell to 3allawi first then after the hot dough we saluted Fahad.
Walking back we took a wrong turn which turned right! And saw three of the cutest fluffiest kittens scurrying into a crevice in the wall, even their kittens r shy!
As we reach our hotel we decide to discover the terrace of Daoud tourist hotel. The terrace of which we spent many moments in time observing it goings and comings through the broken wire mesh of our 1m squared window. We order 2 teas from dark skinned Adenite Sameer, who due to his city lifestyle in Aden seemed, in robust alpha male Sana'a, quite effeminate.
We came back to 'our place' as that's how it feels, the people in the neighbourhood, the hotel staff, even the streetwalkers, the all seem very familiar. We wash up, pray and head out with hermit-like abdul aziz to al fakhir for dinner.... We r starved! Well sort of.
Happy sat in abdulaziz's car we see the live bustling streets of Sana'a dance it's serpentine twirl of the Janbiya as we're carried thru them, cars intertwine with trucks and micro buses laden with San3anis of all different attires.
Abdulaziz spots a wedding celebration in a vacant lot formerly used by palestinian refugees. This lot looks similar to the ones in beirut and perhaps even cairo.
And they danced, rather meandered and twirled and shook their daggers (janbiyas) and wove thru, and twirled.. It was magnetic, the continuos drumbeats on metal and hide rising to a quick beat and then relaxing into a constant, and the daggers shake. They were in a world all of their own... What is so absolutely mesmerizing is when the groom joined and as a salutation they all joined and the line grew longer, boys as young as 6 or 7 to men in just as many decades.
They, in this male dominated world would remind each other to step out of the way so I could film and photograph. They, the same men would never stare at two black abaya clad arab women in a car watching their rituals, not here at the celebration nor anywhere did we feel uncomfortable due to overt staring or ogling as it did not happen.
Their quiet, dignified respect for us commanded the same be reciprocated.
Our stomachs served as a reminder of their emptiness and craving of the yet again delicious Yemeni fares, we dove into samak mekhbaza (fish in a clay oven - tannour) the unbelievable fa7ssa, oh and we had the most delicious clear vegetable soup in lamb broth from their sister Lebanese restaurant al waleema. Madame muna, talal and all the gr8 boys were delighted with us! Yesterday Radhwan spoilt us, this evening murshed amd bassam pampered us and murshed told us the name of the singer of "golli ya gazallee" as being hussein mo7eb.
Satiated stuffed and smiling we carried the 7aneed and the other fish for abdulaziz to share with us. He couldn't eat b4 as he was 'keeping' Qat. Boy does Qat rule most of their daily lives if not all! I mean it tastes like grass, u gotta chew and store in your cheeks, do not swallow, you need to keep drinking water as it may affect your kidneys, and must only have it after a meal. Abdulaziz had his in his mouth for at least 4 hours! The few leaves that I had barely made any impression on me whether by taste, feel or the non-existent pimple-like portrusion in my cheek. It's overrated I think but perhaps I didn't do it the right way, I mean the stuff rules a nation! As a citizen of yemen, in most countries outside of yemen u go to your embassy or consulate and they wiil give you your ration. It must do something!
We chatted till late at the reception with khaled who has taken care of us like sisters as have all the others from abdulwahed to ahmed. We spoke of life God, agathe, spirituality, God and our next trip in the morning to dar al 7ajar.
It was a chilly night especially as our room is qiblee and so we wore socks, doubled the blankets and put on our cardigans to bed.
Many blocks of varying heights with a multitude of windows filled the landscape, Huda called it a fairytale picture book in 3D.
I can go on for as long as we stood there and stared, but u still had to be there.
Tiredness from the trip and stairs saw us sleep like in a dream of a thousand years, that and the crisp coolness of the adorable room helped us stay longer in our cosy beds. Today we shall walk inshAllah.
We head twds the souk, old Sana'a and bab al yemeN, we walk into a live rendition of the yemeni part of global village, many scents, aromas and pungent odours invade the senses, it is an overcast day with dust and a cold breeze... The bookshops and the bead & silver sellers beckon - we walk thru the carpenters sector where all sorts of doors and windows are carved and each with a story to tell. Further on we meet our french friend who stays at the same hotel, Corrine directs us to the spice market, the heady smell of grains spelt, spice and flour spin their aromatic threads around us. What is really interesting is that women pass us and bless us... The men do too but that's expected. I saw an old beggar women whom we followed into a shop, the colours of her garbs were many different shades of pink brown & orange, that with a golden tulle mesh skirt and her scarf, she was beautiful in her poverty, as ugly as it is. Her blessings and prayers followed us around the souk & to our room.
We turned right & saw a fantastic alleyway full of materials shops... The one facing us had many different pieces with intricate embroidery, we sat at the shop chatting with Muthahhar & Ahmed. We spoke of Qat, daughters of officials, the origins of Arabs, the short attire of Adenites and again besides hamdani being best, the long Qat stalks from dar al hajjar are supreme! Apparently it is a skill to be able to 'store' Qat or give it a home in your cheeks ...(He gave me some to try, thatks a whole different story-i felt I was a cow or sheep) Some guys do both cheeks making them look like popeye but the avoid doing that in public as it may give them the evil eye!
We were tired, the air dry, and we hadn't anything to eat or drink for hours, we decided to head back for a cup of tea and some bread. On our way we saw gallery 1, it was lovely, Mohammed is a student of French at Sana'a Uni, a handsome face typical of mst yemeni men, a fine nose delicate features and hazel eyes, occassionally dulled by the effect of Qat, so we pick a couple of things to bargain for, as we sat there in walks a little boy of around 7, quiet, and solitary, when asked his name he only responded 3allawi. That was all he said for the rest of the time we were together. Then Fahad came in! He is 10 or 11, he asked in proper English "where r u from?" So I asked, where r u from and he replied "Eb"
We wanted to buy bread so Mohd said we must try the kodom, a whole wheat chewy do not unlike the egyptian bread served with foole.
It was hot right out of its furnace, we bid farewell to 3allawi first then after the hot dough we saluted Fahad.
Walking back we took a wrong turn which turned right! And saw three of the cutest fluffiest kittens scurrying into a crevice in the wall, even their kittens r shy!
As we reach our hotel we decide to discover the terrace of Daoud tourist hotel. The terrace of which we spent many moments in time observing it goings and comings through the broken wire mesh of our 1m squared window. We order 2 teas from dark skinned Adenite Sameer, who due to his city lifestyle in Aden seemed, in robust alpha male Sana'a, quite effeminate.
We came back to 'our place' as that's how it feels, the people in the neighbourhood, the hotel staff, even the streetwalkers, the all seem very familiar. We wash up, pray and head out with hermit-like abdul aziz to al fakhir for dinner.... We r starved! Well sort of.
Happy sat in abdulaziz's car we see the live bustling streets of Sana'a dance it's serpentine twirl of the Janbiya as we're carried thru them, cars intertwine with trucks and micro buses laden with San3anis of all different attires.
Abdulaziz spots a wedding celebration in a vacant lot formerly used by palestinian refugees. This lot looks similar to the ones in beirut and perhaps even cairo.
And they danced, rather meandered and twirled and shook their daggers (janbiyas) and wove thru, and twirled.. It was magnetic, the continuos drumbeats on metal and hide rising to a quick beat and then relaxing into a constant, and the daggers shake. They were in a world all of their own... What is so absolutely mesmerizing is when the groom joined and as a salutation they all joined and the line grew longer, boys as young as 6 or 7 to men in just as many decades.
They, in this male dominated world would remind each other to step out of the way so I could film and photograph. They, the same men would never stare at two black abaya clad arab women in a car watching their rituals, not here at the celebration nor anywhere did we feel uncomfortable due to overt staring or ogling as it did not happen.
Their quiet, dignified respect for us commanded the same be reciprocated.
Our stomachs served as a reminder of their emptiness and craving of the yet again delicious Yemeni fares, we dove into samak mekhbaza (fish in a clay oven - tannour) the unbelievable fa7ssa, oh and we had the most delicious clear vegetable soup in lamb broth from their sister Lebanese restaurant al waleema. Madame muna, talal and all the gr8 boys were delighted with us! Yesterday Radhwan spoilt us, this evening murshed amd bassam pampered us and murshed told us the name of the singer of "golli ya gazallee" as being hussein mo7eb.
Satiated stuffed and smiling we carried the 7aneed and the other fish for abdulaziz to share with us. He couldn't eat b4 as he was 'keeping' Qat. Boy does Qat rule most of their daily lives if not all! I mean it tastes like grass, u gotta chew and store in your cheeks, do not swallow, you need to keep drinking water as it may affect your kidneys, and must only have it after a meal. Abdulaziz had his in his mouth for at least 4 hours! The few leaves that I had barely made any impression on me whether by taste, feel or the non-existent pimple-like portrusion in my cheek. It's overrated I think but perhaps I didn't do it the right way, I mean the stuff rules a nation! As a citizen of yemen, in most countries outside of yemen u go to your embassy or consulate and they wiil give you your ration. It must do something!
We chatted till late at the reception with khaled who has taken care of us like sisters as have all the others from abdulwahed to ahmed. We spoke of life God, agathe, spirituality, God and our next trip in the morning to dar al 7ajar.
It was a chilly night especially as our room is qiblee and so we wore socks, doubled the blankets and put on our cardigans to bed.
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