I Am In Love With Mainland Yemen 🇾🇪: Wow
- Konrad Tillman
- May 28
- 2 min read
Intro
Okay, honestly, there are few places that I go to that after one day of visiting I am truly blown away. I mean, truly blown away. Well, Yemen is one of them.
It Is The Opposite To The Media
Yemen was once a country that was battling a gruesome civil war, filled with multiple factions fighting for control of the country. However, what I hadn't realized was just how much more peaceful the mainland is today (not speaking about Socotra). According to my guide, the North and South have practically seperated and don't cause problems to one another unless the other one provokes.
However, he does mention that the US is still battling the Houthis in the north, which is a shame on so many levels ,which I am not going to get into.
Carrying guns in the South has been outlawed, and only those with a permit are able to obtain guns. So yes, it is not a free-for-all state...
The History Is Surreal
While I probably should, I don't read up into the small history facts about a country before I go. However, my guide was explaining to me how this place once thrived under British Rule (to an extent, not for the Yemenis). The second biggest port in the world was Aden, there were a mix between Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and they even used to make their own beer!
It's a lot to unpack, as the British were also the British during their time here (in bad ways). They have an island called "slave island" where they would take individuals from Africa and place them on this island until they were sent to Europe. Nothing else to say but horrific...
This Country Is Gorgeous
Aside from the little history lesson and the safety on the ground, I had so much fun yesterday. As soon as I touched down, I was greeted by some lovely Yemeni hospitality at immigration and was taken off to the knockoff Marriott in Aden. I mean, when in Yemen am I right?
From there we headed around town, enjoyed some local "shake shack" which was delicious, and headed out on a boat for 30 minutes which cost a whopping 8$. A speedboat for 8$?? This is frankly unheard of!
I can't begin to express what an incredible day it was, and I haven't felt this happy in a long time. Welcome to Aden!
Final Thoughts
Writing this at 6 am without even a coffee in hand, I was so excited to share my first impressions on Aden, Yemen. What is misunderstood in the media (as always) is a country that I have fallen in love with already. Time for day 2!
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