So, i have arrived back in the UK for a couple of weeks after a solid 3 month stint tending to business in Yemen. I have left behind a country whose tourism people are visiting a tourism expo in Madrid off the back of the killing of 2 Belgian tourists and their Yemeni guides in Hadramout a week earlier. Not good timing for them, but perfect timing for whoever planned it. Anyway, more on that in a future post.
Arriving back in the UK i am confused and bamboozled by what …

Many readers of this blog are ‘mepreneurs’ who love to travel. You are self employed, self funded and you have a number of projects on the go that give you the liquidity you need to keep travelling or stay holed up in some foreign land. Others amongst you are lucky enough to have your overseas stay paid by your company.There is an additional way to keep funding your travels and your projects using what many call ’automated’ or ’passive’ income, usually involving internet based revenue streams that, if successful, regularly …

Thankfully it seems that at the time of writing, Gillian Gibbons will shortly be on a plane home from Sudan having received a presidential pardon for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Mohammad. The British Foreign Office and two muslim peers, Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi (members of the House of Lords) did sterling work in securing her release.
As i sit here in Yemen, an islamic country, and 10,000s of other businessmen and adventurers are similarly in places where culture and religion intertwine, one has to reflect on …

Following on from Brian Barron’s earlier piece, he has broadcasted from Aden on the 40th anniversary of the ending of British Colonial rule in South Yemen. Brian Barron’s commentary on Aden is factual and to the point. From one perspective, Aden is indeed a pretty sorry sight these days. From another, that of the curious tourist, Aden is a fascinating myriad of post colonial architecture, faded grandeur and a cocktail of islamic and non-islamic culture.

Just to let you know that i had an abortive trip to Shibam Kowkaban on Friday 23rd November. Reason – not enough paperwork about my work in Yemen or a tourist permit from the tourist police. Usually this checkpoint just needs a passport but not at the moment.
My advice…when travelling by road using taxi or bus, you need to have the right permits.