Road trip to Riyadh

According to our master travel plan, it was time to visit Riyadh (the capital of Saudi Arabia).  We wanted to go there soon while it still sounded exciting and worth the effort.  We knew that this was not going to be one of our more glamorous trips, but we felt it was going to be very valuable growth experience to go for many reasons such as 1) can we be daring enough to travel on unknown roads in the middle of the desert 2) are we brave enough to go to the heart of CONSERVATIVE Islam during Ramadan and live to tell about it, 3) will we be able to adjust to the unknown surprises that await? etc. 

I think we were all feeling a bit of stress, but no one wanted to admit it to others so we put on a brave face and jumped into the car. 

Long story short, the 4 hour drive to Riyadh was fairly uneventful other than the; VERY primitive rest stops,

cars travel around 125mph (no kidding),

and a few camels resting alongside the freeway under palms trees.

The GPS has been a Godsend because it has given us the confidence to go and see many things, however there are still a few nuances we are still adjusting to.  For example it will say "keep to the left" what it means is to exit to the left.  It took us a couple of missed exits to figure this out, but by the end we were getting around like natives.

Our first impression of Riyadh as we drove into the city was pure amazement.  This relatively young city has to have one of the most diverse architectural landscapes of any city I've been to so far.  It's an architect's dream between friendly building codes and available money for brick and mortar masterpieces. 

 

Once we arrived to our hotel, we took a quick nap, ate some snacks (remember we can't eat in public yet until sundown) and then headed out to see the Mazmack palace.  This is a very important site in the Saudi history because a revolutionary battle for the city took place here.  I'll spare you the details here (please google it), but it was an impressive place. 

The added bonus was that a very large souq (outdoor street shopping) was close by so Emri found her some cool sandals and Kris bought a brass vase (looks like an erne).

About that time, we decided we were hungry so we found a Johnny Rockets and feasted on hamburgers and lemonades.  There were curtains around our stall, they take the family seating area very seriously here.  There is absolutely no mixed seating in restaurants, if you are a solo woman or with your husband/family you are asked to eat in a covered booth.

We then headed back to our hotel which was within walking distance of the Kingdom Tower.  This was very fortuitous because the less we needed to drive the better (crazy drivers everywhere).  We went to the tower paid 6 dollars each to ride the 2 elevators (99 floors) to the sky walk on top. 

The view is absolutely amazing and gave a good perspective of the city where 5 million people live. 

After the ride down, there is a 3 level mall with all the high end stores.  Level 2 is interesting because it is for women only, they call it Ladies Kingdom".  On this floor females don't have to wear their head dress (scarves, masks, etc) and not have the eyes of the men on them.

Day 2

Our plan was to see the national museum in the morning and then check out the Old Dariya ruins.  Unfortunately with Holiday Eid Iftar (to celebrate the end of Ramadan) going on the times were different so we weren't able to get in. 

After a route recalculation we went to Dariya.  This was the original Saudi capital that was eventually destroyed by the Ottoman empire (please Google it).  There were some cool old structures as well as side streets that made some great pictures.

All this sightseeing made us tired and hungry, so after a nap we found the nearest Applebys (notice the curtains again) and pretended we were in America. 

(closed for Prayer!)

We caught our second wind and decided to find another souq.  Unfortunately due to the heavy holiday traffic and a bit of fatigue we weren't able to find it so we back to the hotel.

An important learning for us concerning hotels is that when they say a room has 2 double beds, it's not the same arrangement as in the states. Here it means 2 single size beds specifically designed for married couples who don't want to share the same bed. This meant that we had to be creative as far as bed assignments, but we managed and everyone got there beauty sleep.

Day 3

Ramadan officially ended today, which meant we could eat breakfast in public.  With that positive news we thought we would visit the museum and then have brunch before we headed back home.  But alas, the museum again had different hours from what we were told the day before and so we couldn't get in (maybe next time).

With little else to do, we got some food for the road and made the 4 hour drive back.  I think we all felt a sense of relief as we pulled into the camp, but also proud of ourselves that we made the trip.  We definitely faced some fears and worked through them.  We are gaining confidence and more comfort being in a foreign land, but careful not to let our guard down.

All our love.

From Castles to Krispie Kreams

Ever since we tried to find the Tarut Castle a few weeks ago (and failed), I became more determined to circle back and accomplish the mission - and today we did thanks to our GPS.  I love this little box, it's amazing the confidence and excitement it creates to go and explore, especially now that we have learned how to find and enter coordinates.

At high noon we took off in search for the castle and before we knew it we had arrived.  It afforded some cool views, but unfortunately is is confined behind a chain linked fence so it prohibited our up close inspection.  As we were heading back, a 20 something Saudi in a nice car said that he could let us in to kick around.  I was skeptical at first because there was a sign that clearly said to stay out, but he said that he had a key (and permission) to get in, so we decided to follow him.  As you can see we got some cool pics and if you want to learn more about it just google "Tarut Castle".

Tarut is an island and it has some pretty amazing views of harbours, mosques and very upscale homes.  We sorta got lost on purpose to explore what the island has to offer.  There was a cornice with a park like setting that I'm sure in the cooler months would be full with families enjoying the day. 

On the way out we stopped at a gas station to fill up and as we were paying the attendant (which by the way everything here is full service) he handed us two small boxes of tissues. Not sure why, but I guess it is seen as a corporate gesture of appreciation. - unusual but nice.

From there we went and explored the city of Dammam, it is big and commercial.  Lots of stores and wide streets to explore.  We'll have to go back and spend more time actually going into the shops as everyone here  says they have a favorite place to buy everything from prom dresses to sofas.

After driving back into Khobar and picking up some paint and doughnuts, we went to the Dhahran camp to visit some families that have children Emri and Jayci's age.  They were the Randals (the dad was from Rupert) and the Johnstons.  We had pizza, dahl, krispie kreams and home made ice cream.  Not bad for being in the middle of Saudi Arabia.   

I am on vacation now for the next few weeks and we have a couple of options for activities to keep us busy.  Along with some excursions, we will be doing some home fix up projects to help it feel more like home, we will keep you posted...

Bahrain 2 - the sequel

If you've been following along from the beginning, you'll remember that my second month here I went with Peter to Bahrain to visit some important places - their mosque and the museum.  Well yesterday, the whole family and I (plus Jennifer) went back there again. 

It was a great adventure and well worth the trip.  At the grand mosque we were assigned a great guide, and to top it off all the women had the unique experience of wearing abayas (see pics) during the tour.  We learned some fascinating things about the mosque as well as Islam.  We were treated to a "back stage" rehearsal and translation of their call to prayer.  It certainly left a positive impression of the Muslim in all of our minds.

 

Afterwards we went to the museum and learned more about the history of the region as well as the specifics of the ancients Bahrainians. 

 After these two stops, the ladies had 2 things on their mind; 1-Lunch and 2 - Shopping.  We decided to eat lunch at the mall, but because it is Ramadan, nothing opens up until after sunset set.  Luckily, Carrefour (a supermarket chain) inside the mall remained open so we picked up some essentials and then set out to find an inconspicuous place to eat - the far corner of the underground parking lot (see pic). 

Then the shopping marathon began (just shoot me now), but I survived just fine.  We even fit in a movie (Larry Crown), Krishna was bummed because there wasn't any popcorn yet.

These are some cool pics Emri took of down town buildings.  I really like the one with propellers.

All in all a fun and fulfilling day!

Some catching up

Sorry for the time off, but days seem to go pretty fast especially as we settle into our nondescript routines.  I guess the highlight over the last week was our trip to Dharan to visit the King Azid Cultural exhibit.  To get there we needed to catch a bus from camp and then coordinate a taxi drive to the exhibit.  One thing that has been a pleasant surprise is the friendliness of the employees throughout Aramco.  For instance, as we were trying to figure out how to hail a cab, a friendly passer by stopped and offered us a ride in his cruiser van.  The ex-pats truly do lookout for one another and it has made the transition much easier.

Once we arrived, we made our way to the food tent where Alex was waiting for us.  It was a true pot purri of food choices, from traditional Saudi treats (dates and figs) to subway 5 dollar foot longs.  After tanking up on some food, we then went to the National Geographic display and viewed some truly amazing photos. 

After that we entered a large tent that showcased artisansand their wares from the 13 Saudi provinces.  We saw amazing handiwork, live falcons, terra cotta pottery and a host of other authentic products.  However, the most memorable event was when Faleh invited us in to a corner room and explained to us the provincial custom of neighborliness.  He shared with great pride the tradition that his home town has of inviting family and friends to a special room and all the activities that played out in it.  He showed us a local board game, shared stories of his home land and then for his big finish called over his special friend to sing a song of friendship to us.  For me it was truly a magical moment that made the whole trip there worth it.  (see pics)

We have just entered the month of Ramadan and are just now starting to understand the significance and adjustments that comes with this holy month.  We will be sharing more stories, learnings and experiences as the month goes on, but for a high level over view this month means that basically the country shuts down for half a day, the Muslims fast from sun up to sun down to increase spirituality and gain a greater connection and appreciation for what Allah has given them.

Well enough for now.  We are safe and enjoying this adventure and send you our best.

 

Happy birthday to me

I've had a few birthdays in my time, but none have been sweeter nor more special than his one.  It's partially the reason for my recent absence from the blog.  The celebration started the night that the family arrived at the Dammam airport.  I along with David and Reddi (our house boy) orchestrated a welcoming committee at the international pick up point (see pics) and made a paparazzi type scene.  It truly was a great time and boy were they a sight for sore (lonely) eyes.

Our cargo truck (arranged by Reddi) was a bit small and trying to fit their 23 bags of luggage in the back of a Toyota compact truck was like trying to fit 50lbs of potatoes in a 25 lb bag.  But Reddi and the driver wove some Indian magic with the ball of twine they brought and we made it home without much incident aside from some tired bodies.

I now know what it must have felt like for the early century coast lined towns when a cargo ship docked at their commissary.  I kid you not, I once again felt the magic of Christmas as we unpacked the plethora of gifts and items brought from half way around the world.  And what made it sweeter was the fact that it was my famil/y who had made the special delivery.

Since then it has been a whirl wind of adventure for all.  We ventured to our Neighboring town of Rahima and then got really brave and visited Dhahran.  Friday's have been spent with the branch to renew our connection with the almighty and develop meaningful relationships with others.

Alex just came back from her first full day of interning with SAco and she was really excited about her role.  She participated in some high level meetings and offered her input at strategic times.

We are closing in on the month of Ramadan and look forward to experiencing this sacred month first hand.  It means even more change on top of what we are already trying to adjust to, but I thinks it's just another amazing experience for us to see.

Well it's now time for some cake and a couple of quick calls then off to counting camels to drift off to sleep

Staying distracted

As the days and hours shorten until the arrival of my family, I've found I need to keep myself occupied to prevent self-imposed hysteria.  So my strategies lately have included a new wrinkle to my exercise routine - swimming.  I've never been known to stand out as a swimmer, in fact a calendar instead of a stop watch would be more useful when timing me, however I find that I really love it.  It gives me a needed respite from the unearthly heat and humidity as well as some great alone time. More by circumstances than choice an impromptu men's association has been formed.  Membership requires that you are currently a bachelor and/or without family.  There are quite a few of us now from church and work that fit into this category. A typical gathering includes dinner at the golf club (killer chicken burritos), bowling, a run to Rhahima for needed groceries, and finally a major jam session without instruments. Well knowing that my time is short with the boys club, I decided to make hay at the alley.  So my team (posmo = Peter and me) took on team Neg-stag (David and Randy).  After finding my favorite ball "goldie" and lacing up my brand new bowling shoes I proceeded to enter the zone / flow.  All the stars aligned and the spirits of past bowling greats shined down on me as I proceeded to roll a 176 followed up with a 154.  The ironic thing is that my new found bowling prowess was all the doing of my competitor David - he taught me the now famous left handed spin shot. After words, we went to get some bread and dahl at our favorite place, and you can see that I actually got to retrieve the bread from the jaws of the oven with special Afgani skewers (see pic).  It was a pretty fun night that helped all of us forget how lonesome we are. As I write this the time remaining for their touchdown is 82 hours and 26 mins - but hey, who's counting???

Round two in the barber's chair

It's been three weeks since I sat in the barber's chair and my hair was growing out a little bit funky.  The sides of my head were taking on the look of a cheap clown wig so I figured it was time to take action. 

8:30 am sharp I walked in to the barber shop and the friendly Pakistani with the hair trigger finger went to work on me.  As he was sculpting another follicle master piece I glanced at his menu of services and came across something called "Threading". 

Unfortunately I made the cardinal sin of asking him what threading is - because around here what you say and what they hear are two different things.  Before I knew it, Rufi had strung him self up with 3 lengths of bright read 30 weight stren and proceeded to inflict the most painful assault on my ears since Barry Manilow's copa cabana fiasco in the early 80's. 

The idea is that through gyrations and manipulations of the strings (which are placed on the fleshy regions of the ear) all those harmless, docile and fussy strands of hair are RIPPED away unmercifully.
All I could think about was what happened to the current laws prohibiting advanced interrogation techniques???

As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I was reminded of my early years as my dad bulldogged me into Brad's barber shop kicking and screaming the whole way.  At least back then I got a sucker, all I got today was an $8 fee and two ears that felt like they been slapped by the neighborhood bully.

They rest of my Thursday went fine. I bought/built a work station for the front room, went shopping and bought some more Dahl, round bread, Lebanese takeout, grapes from the produce shop and imported spaghetti for dinner tonight.

Only 10 more days before the gang shows up - they can't get here soon enough.  Looks like Makena and Alex will be on the same plane too.

Church is sparse, now mainly just MP showing up due to many wives and kids leaving for summer vacation. 

All is well here, thanks for checking in and I wish you the best!