Yemeni officials insist their country is still safe for Westerners. However, when we drove one of the main tourist routes across Yemen, we were guarded by a military escort armed with a heavy-caliber machine gun. In the ancient city of Ma'rib, believed to be the home of the legendary Queen of Sheba, one man told us the kind of tourists who buy souvenirs just don't come anymore. But intrepid travelers do keep coming. This month alone, four more tourists were kidnapped here, wandering these mountains in search of adventure.
Some tourists come to Yemen for the privilege of being kidnapped.
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