Here are some interesting photos from Yemen.And here are the least interesting photos ever taken in......
If you don't live in a place where staples, such as booze, are taxed 100%, you have no idea how important airport Duty Free shops are. As an American, we had never stepped in one before moving overseas and could never understand the appeal. These days, however, we design elborate strategies to maximize our limited access to such rich sources of relatively cheap booze.Instead of focusing on all the things we could not buy at the Jeddah duty free (uh, duh), we prefer to marvel at at all the amazing products we could purchase. It was sort of an airport version of a Tsum (sans vodka) or a JC Penneys, without all the cool clothes. Just like at those two outlets, rewards await shoppers who approach with an open mind.Here are some of the products that tempted us:
An array of your favorite...
We've been told that Jeddah, an ancient port city and gateway to the holy city of Mecca, sits on the Red Sea. We wouldn't know. We haven't seen it and probably won't.
In fact, we believe we might be staying in the only hotel in the city that's not on the sea. It was chosen based on its proximity to the office and the lack of other options during Umrah (sort of a practice Haj), rather than the aesthetic demands of its guests. Thick windows keep sand, heat and atmosphere out and nuclear-powered airconditioning in.Some highlights:
It has a pool and a gym. Because we have a vagina, we can't use it.
It has some restaurants, but we haven't been in them because they are closed for Ramadan.
Turn down service includes a tasty chocolate and unspeakably awful "Moussy" brand nonalcoholic malt...
Memo to Pakistan:As you may know, you were originally included -- along with Yemen and Saudi Arabia -- on Carpetblogger's current tour of suck. However, recent events have called your position on that itinerary into question. It is your bad luck that Carpetblogger's quota for suicide attacks was already filled in Sana'a. Maalesef.Thanks to Carpetblogger, most Yemenis are confident that, despite Wednesday's deadly suicide attack on the U.S. Embassy, tourists will feel safe visiting Sana'a. So powerful is our endorsement that the government newspaper ran our photo, full color, full page, on its front page.
Carpetblogger says: "Tourists are safe in Yemen"We would go back to Yemen in a nanosecond, even if there were suicide bombs once a week. However, if Carpetblogger offers her "Tourists...