Route Map through YEMEN. Covered approx. 3,000km on the motorcycles.

March 17, 2006. Rub'al-Khali - Empty Quarter

500kms of desert riding.

From Shahan/Al-Mazunah to Tarim. No-mans Land.

March 18, 2006. Camping with the Military in the desert.

Typical Gas Station. Leaded Fuel Only.

Local Yemeni.

First view of Wadi Hadramawt.

A huge canyon opens up.

Riding along the rim.

New pavement.

Incredible views all along the Wadi Masila.

Wadi Hadramawt stretches 200kms in length.

First civilization - Qabr Nabi

Mud houses.

These ruins are still home to some locals.

A different way of constructing houses.

Every rain fall takes away some more of history.

Due to the mud construction the houses blend in with the surroundings.

Entrance to Shibam.

First walk through the ancient city.

Live is still simple in Yemen.

Yemen is famous for its decorative doors.

Toilet.

Storage Room.

Huge wooden carved doors.

Kitchen.

Dinning Room.

View from on of the mud high rises...

...into the streets of Shibam.

This door was built in ...

...1336.

Life in Shibam has not changed...

Shibam is a World Heritage Site...

Souq at the main entrance.

Looking through the main gate unto the new town of Shibam.

Skyscrapers made out of mud.

We walked up this mountain to get a better view of the ancient city at sunset.

Shibam is also called the Manhattan of the Desert.

March 19, 2006. Making yummi bread.

Market/souq in Sayun (Seiyun)

Eating a weird looking...

Orange.

Oranges seem to be a bit disformed.

Local 125cc motorcycles loaded with qat.

Sultan's Palace in Sayun.

Al-Haddad Mosque. View from the Sultan's Palace.

Sayun souq.

Views of Sayun and surrounding landscape.

Creating mud bricks to build houses.

Mud brick labours.

Stacking of dried mud bricks.

Yards of mud brick storage.

Straw, which is incorporated into the mud bricks.

A side visit to the local town.

Cruising through main street.

Temperature soaring to 47.7 Deg Celsius.

A view of Shibam.

Walking up the adjacent mountain to the ancient city.

New portion of Shibam.

An appreciation of the size of this 4th century town.

Mike and the walled city.

Scrambling up the mountain.

Tougher in a Dishdasha.

High above ...

...Sultan's Palace, built in about AD 1220.

Better view of the Sultan's Palace and Al-Jama'ia Mosque.

Mud Skyscrapers as high us seven or eight storeys.

Incredible view as the sun sets.

Walking along the mountain.

Ruby with the walled city in the back ground.

Mike blends in with the local attire.

Our return walk down the mountain....

...as the sun sets.

Stopping at the local store for some Pepsi Diet.

More desert riding.....

Where the hell are we????

From Sayun to Ma'rib. Another 400 kms of nothingness.

Ma'rib - Mahram Bilqis

Also called the Bilqis Temple or Awwam Temple.

...built before 800 BC

Dedicated to the sun god.

Escavation still in process.

We were not allowed access to the actual work site.

Some of the artifacts discovered.

Arsh Bilqis

Also called the Bilqis Palace or Bilqis Throne.

Posing with our new found friends...

...our military escorts.

Bases of the columns.

Famous five and a half columns.

Palace was linked to the Queen of Sheba.

Carvings exposed.

Temple was built in 2000 BC.

Marble benches.

Sacrafical Altar.

Notched Base of Column.

Archaeologists believe that the temple was dedicated to the moon.

Some marble carvings at the site.

We purchased some ancient artifacts from the Arsh Bilqis site.

The eerie silhouette of Old Ma'rib.

Dating back to the 1st millennium BC.

Ruby hanging out with the local school girls.

The old town of Ma'rib was bombed in 1962 civil war.

We tour the remains of what is left.

A glimpse of the construction of a mud house.

Broken pillars are scattered around.

Climbing out of the desert into the mountains surrounding the city of San'a.

A local biker and friends stop to chat with us.

Scenery as we approach San'a.

Climbing to an elevation of 2300m.

San'a. Staying at the Felix Tourist Hotel.

First view from the roof top of our hotel...

...looking east into the walled city of San'a.

Watching another amazing sun set.

San'a skyline at sun set.

Spice souq in old San'a at night.

Our hotel room on the 3rd floor. Amazing decorated windows.

View of the Sailah Wadi and the Felix Tourist Hotel.

Camel used to grind grains in old San'a.

Architecture of San'a.

Beautiful old houses.

Life in the center of San'a.

Metal Souq.

Souk al-Milh

Preparing Jambia and Belt for Mike.

Customize fit for Mike.

Food Court.

Spice Souq.

At the entrance of Bab al-Yaman.

Locals selling bread.

Only standing gate of the walled city.

Yemini's love to get their picture taken.

Even Ladies.

Ruby chatting with local women.

Long overdue oil change...

...infront of a local garage.

Local kids giving a helping hand.

San'a at sun rise...

...and blue sky.