Mikael Strandberg Explores Yemen By Camel

If you don't read Mikael Strandberg's blog on a regular basis, you really do need to add it to your list. Not only does he share plenty of insights into the world of exploration and adventure, he also posts some excellent stories on his own expeditions to the far flung corners of the globe. If you're not aware of Mikael's resume, he has traveled by bike from Chile to Alaska and Norway to South Africa. He has also explored over 3000km (1864 miles) of Patagonia by horseback and traveled down the remote Kolyma River in Siberia by canoe and on skis, just to name a few of his many adventures. He also happens to be a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club as well.

Mikael's latest expedition saw him traveling through Yemen on camelback from Zabid on the coast to the capital of Sanaa. The journey is roughly 380km (236 miles) in length, and offered a number of challenges ranging from the physical tot he political. Yemen is a country that he has come to know and love, and while it now struggles with internal conflict, not to mention misrepresentation in the western media, Mikael hoped to go there and with the hope of changing perceptions about the place.

Starting last week, Strandberg began posting a series of articles about his adventures in Yemen to his blog, sharing the details of what it was like to travel through the country by camel. The first of his posts, which can be found here, talks about the genesis of the plan and some of the logistics he had to overcome to get things started. The second post, which went up a few days ago, is focused on his first week in Sanaa, which was a challenge to get to in and of itself. Over the course of the coming days, Mikael promises to share two posts per week on his adventure, with about 13 additional articles to come. If the first two are any indication, they should be excellent to read.