Open Thread

I should also note that an American can get two American passports, both valid at the same time. One is valid for ten years and one for two years – you just have to apply and write a letter stating you need to travel to Israel (or, say, Syria) and your other passport has stamps from forbidden country X, etc. I have two passports for this precise reason.

Sam, I used to live in the UAE – glad you got to see some of the Peninsula, especially Yemen, which I agree is another world entirely! But it’s a great one (especially with good qat).

Sam, your passport info is only partially correct. Only Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, and Yemen (among Arab countries – among non-Arab countries, only Iran) ban travelers with Israeli stamps. None of them, except Iran, really qualify as “Islamic Republics”. In Yemen you just arrive and they give you a visa and stamp your passport, no questions asked. The same in most other countries in the region: Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey. Only Syria and Algeria require you to get a visa in advance, but you can travel on your own. Iran, Libya, and Saudi Arabia require you to travel with licensed tour groups. This is not difficult if you can find a tour group going. From experience, I’ll note that Iran is very easy and affordable. I wish more Americans traveled to the region, it would contribute a lot to mutual understanding, cultural exchange, etc. etc. etc., and it’s far easier than most people think!

I realize I’m a bit late on this, but I don’t have regular internet access at work. I spent three weeks in Yemen in the summer of 2007 (yes, in those mud brick houses in Sanaa) studying Arabic. I’m a white American with midwestern ancestry, and no, I didn’t ever feel unsafe. Yemenis are quite friendly and while the country is ruled by Islamic law, that hardly means you shouldn’t go there. In fact if getting high is your thing, you can chew qat all day long (and go up to the mountains and rent AK47s for the day – quite the combination!).

Sam!!! I so totally hear you on that! I had that *moment* yesterday.

My mom and dad stopped by and mom gave me a huge loaf of potato bread that she’d just baked earlier that day. I cut off a big thick piece (still a little warm) buttered it and put on some apricot jam.

I almost cried. I was THAT happy.

“When did I ever flip out???”

BRG, don’t read too much into that…I was teasing you! : )