Blogs from Saudi Arabia, Middle East - page 19

I made it! Dateline: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Yesterday, the borders were actually very easy to pass through without any hassles. The drive from the country of Bahrain to the Aramco place in Saudi Arabia took about an hour, including getting finger-printed at the border (that's a one time thing), so I got here at about 11 pm (local time) and went to sleep at about midnight. It's very weird seeing people dress in Arab clothing. The women are dressed in a mix of western clothes for westerners and partial or full covering for Middle Eastern women (including the full black dress with the eye slits). There are many men wearing the white robes. I keep thinking I'm on a movie set! Almost everything is in English and Arabic, so I can read almost all of the ... read more

Salam u aleikum heißt übersetzt „Frieden sei mit dir“ Mecca Die Pilgerfahrt nach Mecca sollte ein jeder Muslim einmal im Leben machen. Es war der große Lebenstraum meiner Mutter die Pilgerfahrt in diesem Jahr zu machen und ich habe mich entschieden sie dabei zu begleiten. Für mich war es eine ganz neue Welt und ein Abenteuer in vielerlei Hinsicht. In diesem Jahr waren 4 Millionen Menschen in Mecca - 4 Millionen Menschen aus mehr als 100 Nationen. Viele dieser Pilger haben ihr Leben lang gespart um diese Reise machen zu können. Für andere hat das ganze Dorf gespart, damit einer von ihnen diese Reise machen kann. Die Reise geht los Der Flug geht von Frankfurt nach Amman und wir verbringen einige Zeit bei der Familie, bevor unsere Fahrt am Morgen des 3. Tages mit dem ... read more

You know, warm, forthy camel milk straight from the source ain't so bad. I bet it would even go well with coffee. A Saudi Starbucks original! Starting in Houston, our group had been teased with the prospect of a visit to Shaybah, a major oil drilling development in the Rub' al-Khali (or Empty Quarter), an area of dramatic, towering red sand dunes. A desert's desert. But, alas, a tease was all it was. But, thankfully, our Aramco guide, sensing our disappointment, organized a venture into the desert just outside of Dhahran where we got to meet a camel herder. While perhaps not as spectacular, this visit was the first time on the trip that I felt: yes, I am in Saudi. It was also the moment I began to see just what a muddle of tradition ... read more

The lobster, I swear, was staring me down (despite its missing head), daring me to take one more bite, just one more. But so was the stuffed crab, the oysters, the prawns the size of my head, the calamari, the various forms of fish…the whole crowd of seafood sitting in front of me. But how could I eat anymore? The entire day, our first full one in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, had been defined by exuberant hospitality, which invariably meant being plied with more food and drink than possibly could be consumed. Fragrant, cardamom-laced green coffee; stuffed dates; sweets of endless variety; a buffet lunch that included some roasted gazelle-like creature; now a mind-bogglingly huge four course meal at a seafood restaurant perched next to the causeway to Bahrain. I had consumed enough calories to ... read more

Here in Abha.... and getting reading to set off for Najran tomorrow morning. Had a great day exploring old mud-brick villages and taking cable car rides down the edge of the escarpment. The city here is typically unattractive... but the sights in the area are great. All seem to be having a fun time... tough most have just sussed out that the tour is coming to an end soon. Just a few nights left. Staying here at the 5star Abha Palace has been great... and a nice upgrade. But, the location is a bit away from the center and the prices are high!!! Including this internet!! So... I am gonna try to send some pics.... and they will give you a better idea of what we have seen and what we have been doing. ok....have been ... read more