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Yemen - Ismaili
So basically we were on the main road between Hodeida and Sana'a, and we were going to meet farmers in the Haimi growing area. But we were flagged down and a turnout along the way by farmers from the Ismaili growing region (one of the most rugged regions, and known for intense coffee). They insisted we come with them to visit their coffee farms, have a meal, chew qat, and talk. How could we refuse? Well, in Yemen, you don't. So it was an ambush, a kidnapping ... but only in the friendliest of ways. What we were about to see was some of the most rugged terrain, incredbile stone terraces, most vertical roads (narrow too), a challenging hike, a great meal, hospitality, and no chance of getting back to Sana'a! So it turned into a Yemeni sleep-over, traditional style, on the floor. I also found out that, unless Duane was somehow channeling the prophet Muhammed in his sleep, the Sowaids are real sleep talkers. Imagine, I could have left Yemen and never known that.
Wedged!
Wedged!

The first problem with the road wasn't how vertical it was, but how narrow it was. The old...

Heave-Ho!
Heave-Ho!

What it came down to was moving rocks by hand ... not too many but before we discovered the...

All-stone terraces...
All-stone terraces...

Here was something dramatic and new - stone terraces that were not only walls, but tiled with...

Coffee Tree Stadium?
Coffee Tree Stadium?

These types of all stone terraces made the coffee look like it was "potted" by stone, and gace...

Hi-Rise Low-Rise
Hi-Rise Low-Rise

As we climbed the tall houses started to give the appearance of high-rise appartments, the way...

Husn Al-Mukhar, Bani Ismaili, Yemen
Husn Al-Mukhar, Bani Ismaili, Yemen

At the very pinnaccle of Jabal Bani Ismaili, Husn Al-Mukhar, the town that has an an ancient...

Imposing and Sheer Mountains
Imposing and Sheer Mountains

My feeling, of being in an urban environment even though we were so far from it, seems aided by...

Mud Brick, Stone Built
Mud Brick, Stone Built

While most houses are stone, some are earthen, which also blurs the divide between what is "...

Spires and Towers
Spires and Towers

Over and over I was struck by what an amazing and singular place this was. To live like this...

Approaching Bani Atiah town
Approaching Bani Atiah town

We are bound for this town, but must climb and traverse quite a ways to reach it. Yemen

Bani Atiah, Telephoto
Bani Atiah, Telephoto

As we draw closer to our destination we stop to shoot a few images. While many villages have...

Closer View of Coffee Terraces
Closer View of Coffee Terraces

Right along the roadway were some convenient terraces. We got out to have a closer look at these...

Potted Plants
Potted Plants

As I mentioned, the stone cobbles on top of the terrace, all around the coffee trees, made it...

Yemen Mokha Dawairi Cultivar
Yemen Mokha Dawairi Cultivar

The coffee in Ismaili, at least everything I saw, is Dawairi type of Mokha seedstock. That...

Children of Bani Atiah
Children of Bani Atiah

We reach the town and the town reaches us ... I mean, everybody in the entire place has...

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