Every since learning of this book I have been looking forward to read it simply because it involved traveling in Yemen, a country that has a long and interesting history and is a place that is not accessible to much of the world's citizens currently. Having had the opportunity to visit Sana'a, Yemen for a week in 2009, and knowing that it was a rare and unique experience that I will not have again for a long time, I have become interested in what the country is like outside of Sana'a. Reading the news lately, it really seems like it is the "wild west" out there. I can only imagine what it is truly like.Eric Hansen's book reveals so much of the culture of life in Yemen in the late 20th century, and I am truly grateful to him for this gift of wisdom. Plus, what an adventure. He went through many wonderful travel dreams that many of us have thought of, but in reality they are probably just as dangerous or even more so than what happened to Hansen during his first trip to Yemen. I still focus on his description of the beauty of living in solitude after the shipwreck with his companions and, for a certain time, being free from the constraints and expectations of the outside world. How many of us have not dreamed of spending some time on a deserted island?What also resonated with me was the basis of his return to Yemen ten years after the shipwreck. Ever since reading "Into the Wild", I learned of the possible utility of burying valuables and coming back for them later. This was beneficial and successful for McCandless, but for Hansen it turned in to a adventure that by necessity gained him access to the colorful spectrum of Yemeni culture that could only be experienced by a "Westerner" years ago, and even then it was fraught with difficulty.This was the second book I have read by Hansen and I am truly impressed and fulfilled by the way he creates the narrative. This book is a beautiful and brilliantly unique journey and it was amazing to experience it through his eyes, ears and spirit.