Afternoon at the Museum

Some might call Aden boring. However, using such a definitive, blanket statement is not only unfair, but untrue. I would prefer to say Aden is largely deficient is significant venues or activities traditionally perceived as entertaining. If only visiting the city for a day or two, there's more than enough to fill the time. However, living here, most of your free time is spent planning trips out of the city. But, as they say, if life gives you lemons, take a big bite into them even though all the muscles in your face will instinctively convulse.

So, in an effort to just simply get out of the house, i opted to check

out the Military Museum in the Crater. Sadly, even with Yemen's brilliant history and culture, it simply isn't a place known for a high caliber of museums. Aden, and it's military museum, are no different. The museum is house in a very eye-catching building. I have tried to find out what it was originally used for, but nobody seems to know. Bored "guards" sit in the lobby screaming out, "welcome" to any foreign looking passers-by. It's about the only English they know. But as with the rest of Yemen, they do their best to bridge the communication barriers, signalling the cost with hand gestures, pointing in the direction for the start of the display all the while flashing as much of a smile as they can muster in what would otherwise be a simple transaction.

Frankly speaking, the museum is not a highlight of the country,

or even of Aden for that matter. But it is a way to kill some time. Displays are concentrated into main 4 halls on 2 floors. While some displays are equally label in both English and Arabic, the majority do not have any English at all. There aren't any pieces of significance, nor any quirky little something-or-others you sometimes manage to stumble upon randomly in other places. But the good news is it is air-conditioned, and pictures seems to be allowed, which is more than you can say for most other museums. The whole thing will cost 200 YR for the honour of strolling around. There didn't seem to be any opening hours posted in clear sight. I was there at noon on Thursday (almost like the Sheryl Crow song), shockingly there were even a couple of locals wandering around the displays as well. The museum is located in the Crater, near the municipal market, pretty much next to the main library on one of the main roads. its impossible to miss.