I fell in the mood of "reading" unexpectedly and stayed in Aden 4 nights, spent most of the time in a room of a hotel reading and watching movies on TV.
Meanwhile I tried to get information about a boat to Djibouti, though not so eagerly. I found only one containership. The company didn't allow any passengers on it. According to them, there was no passenger boat nor cargo boat between Aden and Djibouti. They mentioned about the risk of pirates in the first place and recommended me to go by plane.
I met four other people who spoke English and knew about boats from Aden. Two of them warned about the pirates the same. Other two said there would be no problem, but not with certain information of particular shipping company. I gave up looking for more.
I liked the atmosphere of Aden. People were relaxed and friendly. The town near the port was dark at night with dim yellow lights. There were many beggers or people who lay on the streets. But I didn't feel much danger. I was surprised to see so many net-cafes along the main street.
I heard there was a cruise boat between Mukalla and Aden. I wish I'd known that.
22 Mar 2009, Aden, Yemen, 16631km
