"With no public transport seeming to go to Jibla from Ibb I walked the 5 miles. Once off the busy main road a mile out of Ibb it was a pleasant walk along a dirt track, shadowed for much of the way by large trees. As I got closer I could see the town's tall mediaeval stone buildings clinging to the hillside, crowned by the attractively ornamented minarets of its two main mosques. It was an inviting sight.
Prior to making this trip I had read a number of books on Yemen all extolling the attractions of this historical old town. I was not disappointed. A former capital during the rule of Queen Arwa 1064 to 1138, it seemed as if the town had changed little since. Laden donkeys waited outside in the narrow streets while their masters chatted and bargained. The scene was almost timeless.
After a fdull day spent sketching, painting and sightseeing I returned to Ibb, being able to hitch a lift for much of the way in a truck." - MH