Leaving Socotra
My alarm had failed to go off this morning. Lou woke me up around 0500. After a quick splash and breakfast, we all headed to Socotra airport for a quick check-in.
It felt like a sad end to an amazing week of sun, sea, white sand, picnics, camping and star-lit skies at night. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before (including “natural” open-air toilets).
The flight to Riyan (Mukalla) and then Sana’a was uneventful. Just like the previous flight, there was an Indonesian cabin crew member in first class. I spoke to her briefly in Indonesian.
Feeling down back on Mainland Yemen
Back in Sana’a, I returned to my room near the Saila. I found a guy named Fabian in it. It was now his room and I had been shifted to another. I wasn’t happy being accommodated away from the school, old town and friends. It’s something I’ll have to work on. I was starting to feel down. After such a terrific week in Suqutra, it was a real downer to be back in Sanaa even though I love the city. After such an amazing week, I just didn’t know what else I could look forward to.
I took lunch with Fabian in Medan Tahrir and went to the internet cafe afterwards. I had to wait for 20 mins before it opened. Once online, I found that during my week in Socotra, my mailbox had been clogged up by spam. Aargggh!
I spent the evening with Marie, Lou and Kristina. From Marie’s place we went to Taj Talha Hotel’s rooftop. Then we took a simple meal of rashush with fuul, egg and liver (not for me).
After dinner, Kristina gave me my pillow from my last trip. I had given it to Aaron when I left and Aaron had passed it on to her! And it’s now gone a full circle.
My friends at the juice shop. Saddam seems to have been beatified by locals since he was executed.