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Saturday 2007-04-07 - Marib, Yemen
A sad parting
Our room in the “fortified” hotel in Marib is very stuffy: the single window cannot be opened, there is no fan, and the airco is broken. Last night I laid down under just a sheet, but still had trouble falling asleep. Seemingly just after I’ve finally dozed off, I’m woken up by an unexpected sound: knocking — on our door? It’s bad news: Carla’s aged mother has passed away; she’ll have to break off the trip and go home.
Everything is arranged very quickly: a permit for the trip back to Sana’a, in a private taxi; there she can go to our old hotel and fly on to the Netherlands the next day. We’re both dazed for our own different reasons, but still manage to catch some sleep. Our group has to leave at 4:30 in the morning, but Carla gets up at 4:00 as well and informs the group. Now, with pain in my heart, I watch her standing there, at the exit of the little annexe of the hotel where we stayed. She waves us goodbye when we drive away, and we all feel strange and sad to leave her behind like this, all alone, waiting for her taxi which won’t arrive until 8:00. We’ll be far into the desert by then…
