Large parts of the city are build against the bare volcanic hills. We are happy to have a good guide and driver and we make a tour to the impressive water reservoirs. After a heavy rainfall of five hours they are now filled up for one third. The waterworks have been build probably during the Ottoman era (before 1800). Near the fish market the fleet of fishing boats has just entered and there is a choice of everything. In 'Arab town' it is always busy and crowded. Most of the transport of the merchandise is still done by cart and camel. On several of the public buildings we see a portrait of the president, de flag of Yemen is red-white-black.
3 March 2010
Aden in Yemen
For the last leg in the Gulf of Aden we have a good wind and hardly any traffic. On February 26th we anchor in front of Aden town just in time to hear from the several mosques the call for the Friday prayers. Aden is not really a clean city and that also applies for the harbour where ocean going ships unload containers and refuel with diesel. The south of Yemen has been a colony of England (Aden has its own 'Big Ben'), the north has been occupied by the Turks. Since the independence of the Republic and the going together of north and south Yemen in 1991, both area's don't get on very well. This has resulted in riots in 1994 and that threat is still there.
