Yemen has been a welcome change from Egypt where sometimes it seemed impossible to find, well, change. During my time in Egypt, almost every monetary exchange turned into a battle of wills, pitting me against the cab driver or shop owner to see who would surrender their small bills in the transaction. While it created opportunities to talk, it also made life a wee bit stressful.
But Yemen. Oh Yemen. Such ills as the total absence of change are not to be found in this exchange paradise. Pay for a 50 Yr (Yemen riyal or less than 25 cents) bus ride with 1000 YR? No problem. The only misgiving I have so far is that 1000 YR is the largest bill in circulation meaning when it comes time to pay the rent, I feel like I stepped into a mobster movie where Uncle Donnie and Cousin Lou carry around the briefcase full of bills.
Turning to plastic, everything in Yemen is given to you in a plastic bag. If you buy eggs, you get two (for reinforcement). These bags cause a huge mess. Rogue plastic bags get hooked on tree branches, litter street curbs or can be seen taking a scenic flight on the breeze. A couple years ago, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, placed a ban on plastic bags in an effort to clean up the city. Its citizens complained but the ban is still in place and Kigali is considered one of the cleanest African capitals. It has also paid dividends for the Rwandan environment.
Somehow, I don't think plastic bag use or the environment is on the top of any Adenese or Yemeni politician's list (or on the list for that matter) but at least on a superficial level, addressing plastic bag use would make the city prettier. I am interested to see if steps will be taken to clean the city in advance of Aden hosting the Gulf 20 Soccer Tournament in November.
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