Neato Sailors travel through Yemen

Article

Not too long ago, I wrote an article about a very interesting person I met while studying Arabic here in Yemen. Well, the stories just keep coming.

Last week I received a call from Sam. He explained that we have a mutual friend in Aden who recommended that we meet. That was it. So despite my busy schedule, I decided to meet him for some tea.

It’s interesting meeting someone with whom you have no prior knowledge. We started out with some general bits of information…but it didn’t take long to discover I was sitting someone with a very fascinating life, with many stories to tell.

Sam is originally from England, though he has always been a world traveler by sea. Inspired by his father, a seaman, Sam learned how to sail. Eventually he would build a sailboat with his wife, a Kurdish woman from Turkey, and sail around the world.

This week he returned to Sana’a to eventually make his way to Aden where his boat has been waiting from a previous journey. He would be leaving to sail back to Turkey, and oh, by the way, would I like to join him?

Would I like to join him?!

Sailing is probably one of my favorite things to do. I love a lot of things, but there is something other–worldly about flying through the water at rapid speeds with only the sound of the wind in the sails and your vessel cutting a line through the water. It is the closest experience to flying I can imagine.

Months ago I had visited Aden and met some sailors at a marina who inspired me to volunteer on a yacht someday. My plan was to travel from Aden to Turkey and somehow find my way home.

And this was exactly the journey Sam was inviting me take take with him. Tragically, I will be in the US when he leaves! (January) I did my best to try to persuade him to wait for me, but for some reason he thinks returning to see his wife is more important than waiting around in Yemen for me. :)

I had the honor of hosting Sam for a short time, and the time has been very meaningful for the both of us. We have discussed some deep topics and felt free to share our opinions. Sam is a great storyteller and can keep you riveted with his tales far and wide. Listening to just his adventures as a boy in New Zealand is enough to inspire a film of his wanderings.

Sam even helped me learn how to play a new song on the guitar that I had been trying to learn. Is there anything this guy can’t do?

I can’t imagine what life would be like without embarking on this adventure in Yemen. My conversations with Sam are just one more reminder of the fascinating folks you’ll meet as you travel through Yemen.