Aden Revisited

Club member Pauline Anwyl-Jones returned to Aden in November 2007 and found places that were new and places that she remembered ...

"We left Gatwick on Yemeni Airlines bound for Sana'a, via Cairo. In Sana'a we caught a connecting flight to Aden.

Aden has changed little since I was last there in 1996 on a British Legion pilgrimage. The exteriors of the old barrack blocks/married quarters in the Khormaksar and Steamer Point areas are in a very dilapidated state, but are being lived in by locals. 

We made a visit to Christ Church, Steamer Point, which has had some work done after having been bombed. It now holds a small medical centre which is able to do minor operations such as cataracts, and there is a mother and baby unit. There is also accommodation for about eight people there – at a very reasonable cost.

Aden University 2007

There has been a lot of building along the causeway between Aden and Little Aden, including a shopping mall. Many of the old camps are now being used by the Yemen Army, but, again, these appeared to be in a bad state of repair. We were unable to gain access to any of them. We were able to go up Barrack Hill, but were not allowed into the hospital.

One morning we set off early for Taiz, which had been in the former North Yemen and so inaccessible to us in previous years. There was interesting countryside along the way and we made periodic photograph stops. The locals were very eager for us to take shots of them. Taiz is a vast city with a lovely panoramic view.

We took a boat trip (unfortunately not a dhow!) around the harbour at Aden, which also gave us a lovely view.

Most of the shops and restaurants in Tawahi are now closed, although the Aziz Bookshop survives. (Aziz died two years ago and the shop is now being run by his son). The statue of Queen Victoria, sitting graciously on her throne, stays unharmed in the gardens.

We had all been eager to visit Dhala and the Radfan, but the local security forces, as well as higher powers in Sana'a, would not allow us to go. They told us there were local disturbances Up Country. Also the President was in Aden at the same time which heightened the security situation. This was very disappointing for us all.

Just to make us feel at home, one morning we woke up to some heavy rain! It only lasted for about a quarter of an hour and then the sun shone for the rest of the day.

We returned to the U.K. via an overnight stop in Sana'a where we were able to see something of the Yemeni capital and its beautiful old palaces and Old Town.

Our party of eighteen enjoyed the trip, despite some of the disappointments. We found the Yemenis very welcoming and appreciative of our visit."