Not exactly a tourist trap,... and other Yemen Tourist Trap Tips

Not exactly a tourist trap, but Al-Mokha is certainly a let down. It is the original coffee port, although there is precious little evidence of it nowadays, and what little does remain is difficult to photograph because of the military presence (might have something to do with the Eritrean refugees in the area). The remains of a minaret bizarrely sticking out of the sand is about all that is left of the once-prosperous port, but on my visit that was soon shrouded in a cloud of sand. The colourful fishing boats on the beach would have made a great photo, if I hadn't have been apprehended by soldiers as soon as I set foot on the beach. It hadn't been a good day anyway...leaving Al-Khowkha by motorbike taxi to Hays, waiting three hours in midday heat by the roadside for a bus heading to the junction for Al-Mokha (Mafraq al-Mokha). At the junction, there was a garage of sorts, and a cafe full of 'dodgy types' trying to sell me alcohol smuggled in from Eritrea. They all told me that no buses go to Al-Mokha from there, and wanted to take me by 'taxi' for an extortionate sum, but I stuck it out, and eventually some more potential passengers arrived. They were from Djibouti, and travelled this route regularly...there definately was a bus! After three hours, there was quite a crowd of us waiting for the bus (me the trendsetter, as ever!!), and eventually along came the most beaten-up clapped-out old truck you ever did see. It was already full to the brim, but room was found for us all on the back...three of us had to stand, hanging on to the rail at the back, which was fairly uncomfortable, to say the least, especially with chickens pecking my fingers and the constant risk of losing my grip! After all that, Mokha was one hell of a let-down. The sand-storm rolled in, making anything difficult, so just 10 minutes after arriving, I caught the next taxi out of there!

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