Understandably, vacationeers often gravitate towards holidays that offer something a little different than their usual life. City folks tend to head off to quieter locales, while country folk are drawn in by the bright lights of the big city. People from cold places want somewhere warm, individuals from developing locations strive to visit clean and new buildings. Whenever i ask my co-workers in Yemen where i should visit, 1 often overlooked place frequently makes the top 5 list. In a country with, at times, unforgiving heat, stifling city pollution and the brown-shades of seemingly dead, desertified terrain, locals here are all about the "green city" of Ibb.
Located pretty much between Yemen's 2 largest cities of San'a and Aden,
in the country's west, Ibb is blessed with a forgiving altitude around 1,500m. While this height may seem inconsequential to alpinists, it translates into a very noticeable difference in temperature in the region. Plus Ibb has some of the highest rainfall in the area. Put these together and it equals one of the best agricultural regions in the country. The lush green mountain sides and the fresh air are almost a thing of fable for those in heat scorched Aden. However, when i visited (mid-November) the area wasn't all that green. The city of Ibb itself is nothing to write home about. The vast majority of the town is just a city (100,000+ people). There is little of interest for the majority of travellers. The market area is expansive, but there are far better markets in the country in San'a or Ta'izz. One area of interest would be the old town around the Grand Mosque. The narrow winding alleyways may not compare to San'a Old City, but it's likely the highlight of Ibb. Every face peering out of a door way or sitting in a cafe belongs in National Geographic. Plus the relief from the noisy street traffic is reason enough to come up here.
in the country's west, Ibb is blessed with a forgiving altitude around 1,500m. While this height may seem inconsequential to alpinists, it translates into a very noticeable difference in temperature in the region. Plus Ibb has some of the highest rainfall in the area. Put these together and it equals one of the best agricultural regions in the country. The lush green mountain sides and the fresh air are almost a thing of fable for those in heat scorched Aden. However, when i visited (mid-November) the area wasn't all that green. The city of Ibb itself is nothing to write home about. The vast majority of the town is just a city (100,000+ people). There is little of interest for the majority of travellers. The market area is expansive, but there are far better markets in the country in San'a or Ta'izz. One area of interest would be the old town around the Grand Mosque. The narrow winding alleyways may not compare to San'a Old City, but it's likely the highlight of Ibb. Every face peering out of a door way or sitting in a cafe belongs in National Geographic. Plus the relief from the noisy street traffic is reason enough to come up here.
Far more picturesque and quaint is the nearby village of Jibla. Like many
Yemeni villages, Jibla clings to the side of a hill for dear life, cascading down the slope like a concrete waterfall. The village has taken advantage of the agreeable temperatures and rainfall to become a major centre of Qat cultivation (the mildly narcotic plant most Yemenis chew). But beyond this, the place has a number of pretty mosques and forts to visit. The crumbling Dar as-Sultana Palace stands on top of the hill, surveying over all. The As-Sunna mosque has some wonderful outer stone work and the Queen Awra Mosque (complete with silver tomb)has locals waiting outside to bring you in for a look (for a fee, of course). But for me, the joy of the villages was merely wandering around the labyrinth of alleyways. The people were spectacularly lovely, i even had a couple men chase me down to give me a handful of Qat. Jibla is definitely worth the side excursion from Ibb.
Yemeni villages, Jibla clings to the side of a hill for dear life, cascading down the slope like a concrete waterfall. The village has taken advantage of the agreeable temperatures and rainfall to become a major centre of Qat cultivation (the mildly narcotic plant most Yemenis chew). But beyond this, the place has a number of pretty mosques and forts to visit. The crumbling Dar as-Sultana Palace stands on top of the hill, surveying over all. The As-Sunna mosque has some wonderful outer stone work and the Queen Awra Mosque (complete with silver tomb)has locals waiting outside to bring you in for a look (for a fee, of course). But for me, the joy of the villages was merely wandering around the labyrinth of alleyways. The people were spectacularly lovely, i even had a couple men chase me down to give me a handful of Qat. Jibla is definitely worth the side excursion from Ibb.
Getting to Ibb is super easy. Essentially all buses between Aden (YR 1,500) and San'a go through the town, making it an ideal location to break up the long trip. Shared taxis (Peugeots) do the same trips with greater frequency and speed, but much less comfort. Getting to Ibb is easy, getting out can be tougher. It's impossible to find any sort of schedule and the bus offices are scattered around. This makes Peugeot the better option for onward travel.
Jibla can be reached by public transport. But may involve a couple connection to get to/from the terminus in Ibb. otherwise a taxi there and back plus a hour+ waiting time should cost no more than YR3,000. Contrary to the LP's very antiquated reporting, there are several simple hotels in Jibla.
The truth is, neither Ibb nor Jibla are the sort of places that will ever make the highlight list of Yemen. But the duo make for an interesting enough break of the nearly 10 hour bus journey from the capital, San'a, and the southern city of Aden.
0 comments:
Post a Comment