Oops...

Today flew by in a whirlwind of non-productivity. I don’t think that’s actually a word, but nonetheless, the concept should be clear. This means that I actually have some catching up to do. As you can see, I’m getting right on it.

Umm…yeah.

So, while you can’t see much on women here besides their abayas (the long black robe), you occasionally catch a glimpse of their shoes. I’ve noticed among many women a preference for huge, chunky platform heels that would make any drag queen proud. I do wonder at the contrast of a highly conservative culture where the footwear preference for women tends to favor the “hooker shoes” genre. But I suppose that’s the advantage of the abaya – you can wear anything you want underneath it.

I know I’ve commented on the road that leads up to the hotel before. But I don’t think that really does it justice. I took some pictures as we were driving by the other day, heading up the twisty-turny S-shaped road that winds up the mountain. These are taken looking up from the lower level of the road at the soil eroding away from underneath the upper level. Keep in mind that they have improved the situation (sort of…) by piling lots more soil into the hole that had formed underneath the road, causing the overhang you see there to be much more pronounced. Notice, if you will, the intricate lattice of crushed concrete and twisted rebar. To say that this feat of engineering doesn’t inspire confidence is an understatement. I just hope that I am out of here once and for all before the rainy season hits, because the entire road is going to slide down the mountain when that happens. They’re going to have to put in a ski lift or something.

Heh. A ski lift in Yemen. Because that’s something you expect to see.