MIDDLE EAST
First two countries - Kuwait & Bahrain
We arrived in Kuwait City early Thursday 10/16 morning and were in our hotel room by 0200. It took most of the day to acclimate to the time zone. Friday was a free day, and we took a short walk to the north coast line of the Kuwait Bay in the Arabian Gulf just before sunset. It's warm here.
10/18 An interesting note: There are roughly 4 million people in Kuwait; 70% of those are foreign workers! The majority of those workers are from India and Egypt. So we mostly see Indians while we are out and about. We met our fellow traveler Josh from NYC today who'll be with us for the next two weeks. Our guide, 'Sid' Shaheen, is Pakistani/Indian who has lived here 30 years. Sid took us to see the mostly-Islamic collection at the private museum of Tareq Rajab and his wife Jehan. Then we went up 400' at the Kuwait Towers viewing sphere for a 360° view of the city and coastline. The view is disappointing because the sky isn't clear. Sid says it's sand in the air. Our lunch at the Freej Al Swaileh in the souk area was tasty; the light crispy bread was larger than our plate. The hummus was creamy. We enjoyed the Kuwaiti dish machboos, which was two rices, veggies and spices with a tomato sauce served with mutton. Anne's vanilla ice cream with fruit was yummy. We walked through some of the souk and a fish market.
10/19 Wearing hooded robes supplied by the mosque, we toured the very lovely Grand Mosque; it accommodates over 11,000 worshippers. Then we made a quick visit to the Bedouin Women's Craft museum. We had asked about a causeway we see from our hotel room. Sid drove us across the 15 mile causeway which ended at the desert. He says there's great family fun here in the winter; families go across to picnic. It's hard to imagine when we're used to green grass and trees. Since the Kuwait Oil Company museum was closed today, we went to a shopping mall you'd expect to see in the rich Middle East. We enjoyed lunch here. We stopped to see a huge old dhow sailing ship that's now incorporated into a Radisson Blu hotel. We finished the day seeing a home partially demolished by invading Iraqi soldiers in 1990. It's now a memorial site. We say farewell to Sid and wish him the best. I do hope we see blue skies when we arrive (by plane) in Bahrain.
10/20 After a short pleasant flight to Manama, Bahrain, we met our delightful guide Bharti (an Indian Hindu woman married to an Indian Christian man) who has lived here for 30 years. Today is Diwali; and she's here with us instead of her family. Bahrain consists of 33 islands with much mass being reclaimed from the sea. The name Bahrain means The Two Seas (the Arabian Gulf and a sea springing from artesian wells). The flag is white and red, meeting in 5 points which indicate the 5 tenets/pillars of Islam. We learn that of the 1.5 million residents, 50% are foreign workers, primarily from India! The USA has a naval base here. Our lunch offered several dishes for us to try. Everything was very tasty. After visiting the House of Qur'an museum, we saw the Bahrain National Museum and learn about the ancient Dilmun culture. We were in need of a pick-me-up by then, so we got an unusual Chai tea. I'm not a fan of tea, but this was very good. Anne thought it tasted like chocolate. We are very happy with our hotel. We were even happier to have a drink at the bar while chilling out with a Crossword and sudoku puzzle. No alcohol for the next two weeks while in Saudi Arabia.
10/21 Blue skies today! At breakfast, there are many teams of young athletes. We learn the Asian Youth Games will begin here this week. Our first stop is at the Al Fateh Grand Mosque; the Swarovski crystal chandelier is huge. We see remains of the Babar Temple from 3000 B.C. Artisans were carving wood, weaving and throwing pots at the Al Jasra Handicraft Center. At the Al Jasrah house (the birthplace of the king's father), we saw how old homes were constructed. The Saar Archeological site from 2500 B.C. was recently discovered under a lot of sand. Bahrain was surprised to discover the A'ali East Burial Mound field. The Bahrain International Circuit is a 3.4 mile motorsport venue; there's also horse racing. We saw the Bahrain World Trade Center with its three wind mills supplying its power. Before our quick visit to the souk, we walked around the Bahrain fort (which began around 2500 B.C.), known as Qal'at al-Bahrain, which is along the coastline. This was a long site-filled day. We thank Bharti and driver Mr. Singh for sharing Bahrain with us. Tomorrow we have a long drive into Saudi Arabia. We'll cross the 15.5 mile King Fahd causeway with its 5 bridges.
Flag of Kuwait
Maddy and I took a 10 minute walk from the Millenium Central Downtown hotel to see Kuwait Bay.
People were coming to enjoy a beach dinner and watch the sunset.
We saw the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Causeway Bridge with a sail design in the center.
Sunset on Kuwait Bay
We visited the privately owned Tareq Rajab Museum, founded by Tareq Rajab and his wife, Jehan. They travelled all over the Islamic world collecting artifacts they believed could be used in a museum. It was really an amazing collection. Following are photos of some of the varied artifacts.
Kuwait Towers & different views
Visit to the Old Dhow Harbor Fish Market
Panflit fish is supposed to be very good and expensive
Visiting the Souk Waqif in Kuwait
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Visiting the Grand Mosque in Kuwait
Entering it reminded me of Las Vegas!
Special room for King of Kuwait (Sheikh Sabah) to meet with his entourage in the mosque
Visited a women’s center where they learn traditional crafts and house examples of old artifacts
Bride sat on this type of camel saddle for going to her wedding ceremony
We took a ride on the Causeway which spans Kuwait Bay from Kuwait City to Subiya and Bubiyan Islands. Sid, our guide, tells us that families go the the islands (which are deserts with no permanent residences) during their winter months for camping vacations. The Causeway has restaurants, stores and even a drive in theater.
View of Kuwait City from the Causeway
You wouldn’t believe how many HUGE malls they have in Kuwait! We visited the largest one, The Avenues and only walked on part of one floor (there are 4 floors). Various themed areas with high line stores.
We went to the Souk area and had a great lunch.
KThe old dhow sailing ship connected to a Radisson Blu hotel.
Nice resort and beach area - view from the Radissonn Blu
The home attacked by invading Iraqi soldiers in 1990, now a Martyr’s museumI
Flying into Muharraq, Bahrain from Kuwait
Bharti, our guide in Bahrain, took us to lunch in Manama, the capital
Our first stop - Al Fateh Mosque
Qal'at al-Bahrain Fort - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Archaelogical excavations since 1954 have unearthed antiquities from an artificial mound containing seven layers, created by various occupants from 2300 BC up to the 18th century, including Kassites, Greeks, Portuguese, and Persians. It was once the capital of the Dilmin civilization.
View of Bahrain from the fortress
The only Bahrainian I met while in Bahrain. He is a tour guide, most people working in Bahrain are foreigners.
Saudi Arabia - October 22 - November 4, 2025
10/22 We are in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Very pleasant temperature and low humidity; feels great. We 3 left Bahrain this morning with our driver Amir; within an hour we had crossed the scenic causeway, gone through passport control, been finger printed and were in Saudi Arabia. It was almost four more hours to Riyadh. Lots of sand, some trees, lots of truck traffic, then an area of darker, orange sand, some camels with their owners, then the city. Islam is not fond of dogs; we see cats galore. We'll be joined by one additional traveler tomorrow, along with our Subject Matter Expert Miklos Sarkozy and local guide Khaled.
10/23 We were joined by 6'6" Mike from California; he resembles my brother-in-law. Joel. Our SME Miklos is a professor in Budapest. Our guide Khaled is 24 with much info to share. He told us that Saudi realizes the oil will one day dry up; they already have some solar and wind projects. 77% of the total workforce are foreign workers. This morning we explored historic Diriyah (Old Riyadh) including the mudbrick Salwa palace and multiple museums (Arabian Horse museum, too). Lunch consisted of stews, veggies, a hot sauce and camel meat. Anne says it tastes like dry short rib meat. We enjoyed our time at the National Museum and the Al Masmak fortress, which was followed by a short walk in the souq.
10/24 There's light traffic today because it's the start of the weekend; we drive two hours northwest into a hilly area with red sand, a part of the western escarpment. There is scrub brush in most places and trees where there is a water source. There are approximately 32 million date palm trees throughout Saudi. Khaled told us 35% of women work outside the home; women can drive -- his sister is a driving instructor. We stop at Ushaiger, a point on the Hajj pilgrim route, and see the Najdi mudbrick architecture. Lunch is various stews, rice, chicken. We toured an old house museum and tasted/bought a few goodies. Some children greet us in English. We drive another two hours to our hotel.
10/25 Our driver, Nstaj from Sri Lanka, is doing a great job. Today in Buraidah is the Camel Market, one of the world's largest. All colors and sizes of camels are being lifted up with a crane and loaded into the purchaser's vehicle. One of the feisty guys had his huge jaws wide open to take a bite of the owner's rear-end from behind; he got a swift smack and then just looked around with a real attitude. There were great bales of hay and alfalfa for sale. Our next stop was an enjoyable visit with the owner of the the Aloqilat museum house; he was so expressive in his story telling. Of course, we were first welcomed with spiced coffee and dates. There are so many different varieties. Anne likes them now; they're not like the ones we get back home. We met an associate of the owner who was educated in and spent 20 years in the USA. He was glad for an opportunity to speak English. This was a terrific experience for us all. I've forgotten to mention the huge water desalination process here. Saudi is the world's largest producer of the water. It makes a huge difference to all parts of the country. I've also forgotten to mention that we are often 'incensed' when we arrive and leave places. The incense burner is held in front of you, and you wave smoke into your face for about five seconds. We drive further to Tabah in the Salma mountains where we see two impressive craters. This area has many craters, but we're out of time --- the sun has set.
10/26 Neither of us ever realized Saudi has craggy mountains and rocky areas besides sandy desert. Our first stop is the Ha'ill's Qishlah fortress, then the A'arif castle. In Jubbah we see rock art of various animals and even a chariot possibly 11,000 years old. Wonderful. Lunch is at the Al Eydah farm where we are greeted with incense, coffee, and the biggest dish of the biggest variety of dates we've ever seen. The farm owner picked out special ones for each of us to try. One was like eating a caramel. The owner and our guide Khaled welcomed us with a sword dance. Another tasty lunch. We saw a demonstration of the clever method where camels draw water from a well for irrigation, which is now done by pumps. Khaled explained to us that land owners in the past never had proper measurements of their land. They would describe their acreage by saying 'I have 20 date palms', and one 'date palm' measured about 7'. Today, surveyors make accurate readings for land transactions. At a stop, the guys buy a coke made with date sugar. No difference in taste, they say.
10/27 Today we're in Sakaka, the kingdom's most fertile region. We see many olive tree farms. We're in for a treat with a stop at the recently 'discovered' Camel Site. About 2,000 years ago, three outcrops of rock were carved in relief with 20 or more camels. Those animals were held in such high esteem to be honored with these carvings. We saw a dovecote/pigeon tower along the way. We saw an ancient huge well that was recently rediscovered. We climb up to the Qasr Al Za'abal castle. All enjoy lunch at an Indian restaurant where we have yummy samosas, butter chicken, fatush salad, a variety of naan, chicken and shrimp, hummous. Anne and Josh enjoy Syrian ice cream at a nearby shop in a variety of different flavors. The vanilla had a flavor none of us could pinpoint; it was odd. We are surprised to learn that Khaled's fiance is a Japanese gal, a recent concert to Islam. They met at a mosque in Japan (Khaled works there about 6 months a year on tourism promotion). She'll come to Saudi next year, they'll live in Medina. His mother is sad she won't be able to talk to her daughter-in-law. But Khaled told us she is studying Arabic. We'll have a long drive tomorrow.
Our first tour in Riyadh is to the city of Diriyah where the story of Iran began and first capital of Riyadh.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Salwa Palace including its madrasa, Diriyah Museum, Arabian Horse Museum, Military Museum and Daily Living Museum
Najdi plain
Beautiful horse saddle
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Replica of Turfa, bronze painted horse.
Turfa (the real horse) was a coronation gift to King George VI of the United Kingdom in appreciation of the hospitality King Abdulah received on his visit to England in 1937
Horse passports
We ate at this traditional chain Arabic restaurant, Nadj Village
Nice private dining rooms - fortunately we were given a room with chairs to sit.
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Traditional welcome for dinner guests - burning incense
Kalhed, our guide, wafting incense toward himself and then at each of us.
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Our delicious lunch: center bowl is camel meat over two types of rice, a variety of appetizers from cheese filled samosas, pickles, sesame seed sauce, hummus, vegetable stew and more!
The National Museum of Riyadh covers the history of the Arabian Peninsula from prehistoric times to present day
Copy of the Rosetta Stone
Beautiful rock art formed by erosion
Rock from the crater we will visit
Arabic coffee is very light colored with various spices added. Offering a small cup of coffee to visitors along with a variety of dates is the norm. We were treated at various homes and museums.
We visited an auction flea market - interesting items from valuables like old swords, money, tools etc., to lots of junk. One of the Arabic men gave all of us a gift. I received a traditional coffee pot like the one in the above picture, Maddy received green prayer beads. My pot was made in Pakistan and Maddy’s prayer beads in China, lol!
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Flag of Saudi Islamic creed, “There is no deity but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God” |
The door with a hole to the right of the door frame that just missed King Aziz as he fled.
Our comfortable ride thru Saudi Arabia
Leaving Riyhad - some of the different buildings
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Bedouin camp site in the desert with the herd of camels
Another Bedouin camp
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10/29 While in northwestern SA, we learned of a futuristic planned city under construction called NEOM. Of course, thousands of people have been forcibly moved from this area near the Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba. But crown prince Mohammad bin Salman is fully behind the megaproject, and it surprised us to learn the magnitude of the plans hoped to be completed by 2030. SA is pushing for increased tourism with the new 6 country GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) visa. It is and will continue to be a big tourism destination. We visited sites in Javal Al-Lawz (Mount of Almonds) and Midian that may have a connection with Moses' life in the region for 10 years. One site was the well where Moses filled water buckets for Jethro's daughters, leading Jethro to bequeath his daughter Zipporah in marriage to Moses. In Al Bad we see Nabataean rock cut tombs. We make a visit to another hole-in-the-wall, but delightful, museum. Traveling further, in the middle of no where, we inspect another NEOM project: a clean, solar powered modern toilet building with western toilets.
10/30 We woke up today to the terrible news of the unexpected passing of Anne's sister-in-law Darlene Sawicki, wife of Stan, mother and grandmother. May she rest in peace. This morning our luggage and bus left for our next hotel, the Shaden Resort. The resort construction was commissioned by the king; we'll see this special place this evening. We split into two 4x4's and travel through waterless desolate landscape into amazing mountainous Al Disah (valley of palm trees) and Al Ula, at the crossroads of the Silk Road and Incense Route. This area is the largest living museum; it's spectacular. We somehow leave the mountain road, deflate our tires a bit, and we're driving on the valley floor through a very dry area into palm trees, tall grasses, streams. We see camels, Nubian goats with their shepherds and dogs. Our guides provide a nice lunch in the valley. Then we're refilling the tires, on our way to see the 2,000 year old Nabataean sites and SA's first UNESCO world heritage site, Hegra. We do a lot of walking in sand today. We arrive at the resort after dark and only imagine its gorgeous setting.
10/31 In the 4x4's again today, we are in ancient Dadan, an important point in the caravan trade for millennia. We see rock art of different languages and animals, and this may be where Arabic writing originated. We see fine tombs at Jebel Ithlib and Jabal Al Ahmar. Our guides prepared lunch for us in the shadow of the special Madakhil Rock Arch. We're able to spend a couple daylight hours at our very nice resort this afternoon. We have more sites to see tomorrow and a 4-hour drive to Al Medina, Islam's 2nd holiest city. The end of our SA tour is near.
Ushaiqer is a small village north-west of Riyadh. It is one of the oldest towns in the Saudi region of Najd and was a major stopping point for pilgrims coming from Kuwait, Iraq and Iran to perform Hajj or Umrah. Originally known as A'ekel, the name was changed to Ushaiqer because the town is bordered by a small red mountain. The mountain is red in color, but locals said it was blonde simply because red and blonde were used interchangeably in the old days. Ushaiqer means the "Small Blonde".
The historical importance of the village are old mud buildings untouched. The people of Ushaiqer have restored the historical village to preserve its heritage and built a museum which displays various relics and pieces from the village.
Our fellow traveler, Josh from New York who is always joshing around.
Date palm tree wrapped so the dates don’t fall to the ground
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Lots of different colors of desert sand on our travels |
We stopped at a traditional market and bought sesame cookies and a variety of date cookies
Our resort hotel in Al Qassimis (central Saudi Arabia) is set among the palms of a working date plantation
Part of the huge date plantation. There are over 300 different types of dates!
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Camel market in Buraidah on a Saturday - the busiest day for the market |
Anne getting a nuzzle from a camel
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This owner was asking $6,000 for his camel
Saudis have a variety of contests for camels - beauty, eyes, races, etc. Camels become great friends with their owners, live about 50 years and have great memories.
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Baby camel nursing
We visited a date market in Al Qassil
These are fresh dates, my favorite because they are not very sweet
Packaged dates look really nice
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We visited the Aloqilat museum house and really enjoyed it. This is a scene of 2 people stopping in the desert for the night. Both are leaning against their camels. The camel can sense when someone is nearby. When the owner feels the camel move, he calls out to the person to join them for coffee thus offering friendship and thwarting a possible robbery. We met a man who spoke excellent English and studied at U of M in Ann Arbor.
Our next stop - Ha-il Province
Ruins of the oasis city of Fayd in the Ha-il province. It was the caravan route from Baghdad, Iran to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The site includes Kharash Palace, the residential city with wells and underground water channels. Pilgrims stopped here to rest and replenish supplies needed for the rest of the journey.
Wall surrounding the city
Part of the mosque
Next stop - Hutaymah Crater in Tarah in the Salma mountains
It was formed millions of years ago by an underground explosion caused by water coming in contact with molten rock. Layer on top is salt from the water. It was very impressive!
Sunset over the crater
Sunday, October 26 we visited the Qishlah fortress
The castle/fort from the ground, around 70 steps to get to the top
View of a road that takes you to the top of the mountain - view from the castle
At the top of the castle
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Holes in the wall were used for shooting weapons
Al-Qishlah Palace, built in 1941, is a historic palace and war fortress
Traffic circles in many of the Saudi Arabia cities are nice work of arts - here is an incense burner and coffee pots and cups - this one is in Hail province
Sakaka Archaeological District
Zabal Castle is a castle in the north of the city of Sakaka in the Al-Jouf region of northern Saudi Arabia
Cemetary at the bottom of the castle
Ruins of a city next to the castle
Castle in Sakaka
Al Jouf
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11/1 It's estimated that the Arabian peninsula split from the African continent 25 million years ago when the shifting of tectonic plates caused the rift, also forming the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden at the same time. I often stand in awesome places and try to imagine the utter chaos of the movement, the noise, the smells when these shifts were happening. Exciting times! Today we see Elephant Rock and the bowling pin; erosion is a great artist. Then we're at the wonderful Maraya Concert Hall, a 500 seat venue which is the largest mirror-clad building in the world. Seeing the surrounding beauty all around just makes you smile. I'm sure my photographer got some good pics. Our friend Monica often referenced Paul in the Book of Acts shaking the sand from his garments and leaving a city. In a similar (but different) manner, we all shake the sand of Al Ula from our shoes and sandals, board the bus and head 4 hours away for the 2nd holiest Muslim city, Al Medina.
11/2 Our first stop is at the abaya store, where the salespeople are curiously all male. Anne and I are outfitted with the new abayas and wear our own head scarves; we hope we don't trip in all that fabric. Absolutely every woman in Medina's 'haram' area of pilgrims is wearing a type of abaya, so it's expected and we don't want to show disrespect. We see the oldest and continually rebuilt mosque in SA, and we see the prophet's burial site now inside a huge modern mosque complex. Medina is a hub for pilgrimages to Makkah/Mecca, the holiest Muslim city. You see people and hear languages from around the world; it's thrilling, really. Our guide Khaled is one of the few Saudi men among the crowd, and we see many pilgrims look at him with respect. There is no airport in Mecca, so the 1,674,000 pilgrims so far in 2025 have had to drive, bus or take the train. And the train station in Medina, as a main hub, is huge and modern. Many are in white robes; they're performing their Hajj. Many of them and the six of us board the train toward Mecca; we'll exit at Jeddah, the 2nd largest city in SA. Fyi, non Muslims aren't allowed in Mecca. Our comfy train travels at 298 km/hr (184 mph). We're in Jeddah in 1hr 40 minutes. Our bus driver is making the long drive to meet us in Jeddah for our last day. The Jeddah train station, also a pilgrimage hub, is also huge and new. We say thank you and best wishes to our tour guide Khaled.
11/3 Our local guide Isa greets us with coffee and dates and joins us on our bus. We learn that Jeddah and its suburbs have 5 million people. It's a big city, the most liberal with a melting pot of people. We walk for a while on the corniche, and we see Al Rahma, the floating mosque. This is also near the Formula 1 track. Isa points out the site of the partially built Jeddah tower, expected to be completed by 2028, and will be the world's tallest building. We saw the large eclectic Tayebat Museum before our walk through some of Al Bad, the Old Town with Ottoman styling and a large souk. At the hotel we say goodbye to our fellow travelers; 2 return to the US, one continues on another tour, and Miklos returns to Budapest. Two have bought an additional suitcase for all the dates/coffee/stuff they've purchased. Tomorrow Anne and I fly to Qatar. Thank you, Spiekermann Travel, for planning this tour. Farewell, awesome Saudi Arabia.
11/4 We say goodbye to our young bus driver; thanks for your cautious driving. We fly to Qatar and are delighted to find our nice hotel room with a balcony from which we can see the West Bay of the Persian/Arabian Gulf.
11/5 We arrived a full day ahead of the start of our next tour. We take advantage of our free time, and we walk just a couple blocks away to the enchanting Souq Waqif for a massage.
11/6 Our guide Pierre, a Lebanese man, had a real treat for us this morning with a visit to Al Shaqab, a large Arabian horse equestrian facility. Our guide at the facility was a Brazilian woman who is married to one of the facility's veterinarians. We saw so many of these beautiful horses, some being exercised in a long pool of water, others walking in a specific walking pen. There are jacuzzis and showers for them. The place was immaculate; we only smelled hay. Oh, the walls of the stalls are made of marble. And their timothy and alfalfa hay comes from the USA. You would've enjoyed it, Millie. Our next stop was a drive-by at the Women and Children's hospital of the Miracle Journey of Birth. There are 14 bronze sculptures beginning with sperm and egg through child birth. It's pretty graphic for bronze sculpture, and it was not without controversy. But it was commissioned by a top female in the royal family, and now it is accepted. Pierre told us that 86% of workers here are foreign. Qatar, which means 'pigeon house', has oil, but gas is its most important export now. We wander through the comprehensive Qatar National Library located in Education City. We have a long walk through the Shiekh Faisal private Museum with its large variety of items and a really large car section with lots of cars/trucks from the Motor City. On our way back into the city, we are able to see many camels practicing at the camel-racing track; the track is divided into 4, 6 and 8 km sections.
11/7 We drove along the corniche a bit, then through the boat harbor across from the emir's office. Doha was the location of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This new downtown area has many unusual large buildings. Pierre called it the architects' playground. There are really surprising different neighborhoods: Katara Cultural Village, Lusail City, The Pearl Qatar. It's a warm day, but we take several walks today. Gewand Island in The Pearl has a shaded outdoor walking area with air conditioning! The walkway has beautiful displays within the sidewalks; hope my photographer got some pictures. Besides some terrific buildings, Lusail also has an open-air stadium also with a/c. Lots of innovation here, and also a lot of the Emir's money to make it all happen. Pierre enjoyed ordering many tasty lunch dishes for us at a Lebanese restaurant. The old port was revived and receives many large cruise ship visitors. We have seen several 'desert roses' on display here in the Middle East; they're rose-shaped mineral formations (sand grains, gypsum, baryte). We were delighted to visit the desert rose-shaped Qatar National Museum made with 538 discs. One section of the museum is dedicated to the pearl industry which was very important in this area until 1929 when Kokichi Mikimoto, a Japanese noodle maker, perfected oyster stimulation to produce cultured pearls. His breakthrough devastated the Qatar Pearl industry. Our last stop was in the Souq Waqif. We stopped to see some military camels, then at a falcon store and a falcon hospital. There are a lot of shops to see, but we were running out of steam. We walked two blocks to our hotel, thanked Pierre for these two delightful days and said farewell. Our driver Mujeed will take us to the airport tomorrow morning for our flight to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
A sheik had a tomb prepared for himself, unfortunately he never saw it finished because he died so:ewhere else and never was entombed here (the best laid plans of men left a gley)
We stayed at the Shaden Resort in Al Ulu - a spectacular setting anong the rocks
Anne in Dadan language
Rock formation resembles a dolphin (I think a crocodile)
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Elephant Rock
Maraya concert Hall
Fun playing with the mirrors
Resort near the concert hall - $4,000/night
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Prophet Mohammed is entombed under the green dome of mosque |
Railroad station in Jeddah
High speed train we took to Jeddah
Jeddah´s Kings´ palace on the right
Walking along the corniche in Jeddah
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Soon to be the tallest building in Jeddah |
Yacht club
Al-Rhama Mosque (built in 1985) known as the “Floating Mosque” because its built on pillars directly over the Red Sea which creates the illusion that it’s floating over the water especially during high tide.
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Flying into Qatar
Our hotel in Doha
View from our balcony
Arabian Equestrian facility
Layout of the facility is in the shape of a horseshoe
Whirlpool for the horses
Notice the pool on the right where the horses train
Lineage of each horse is identified on the doors of their stall
Miracle of Birth Sculptures near the Women & Children’s hospital
Women & Childrens’ Hospital
Qatar National Library
Modern style minarets
Structure built by Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim to represent Italy´s soccer team which he rooted for but the team lost
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Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Museum - private collections from all over the world - and quite a variety!
Remembering my first car - a 1971 MGB (mine was beige)
Camels training for races
Skyline of Qatar
Oryx statue in front of a ritzy hotel
Katara Cultural Village located on man made hills
And underneath the village - refrigerated storage! What money can do!
Pigeon cotes
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Air conditioned outside mall, cool air blowing out of the center structures which are located in the center and the sides of the mall - unbelievable
All along the floor are scenes of marine life and deserts made from beautiful stones, sequins, etc., enclosed in glass, making you look down to view all the scenes as you walk thru the mall in cool comfort. Couldn’t get a better photo unfortunately
Katara Twin Towers - also called the Lusail Crescent Towers
Building resembling Lego blocks
Building resembles the face of a falcon
National museum of Qatar resembling a desert flower - amazing architecture
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538 Discs make up the building |
History of pearl diving, trading and battles fought in Qatar are some of the exhibits
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Layout of the museum |
Walking to the souq, we pass by the camels used by the emir for parades
We visit a falcon store & hospital
Beautiful birds for sale in the souq
Walking thru the souq
United Arab Emirates - our next stop
11/8 This morning we had a 50-minute flight from Doha, Qatar, to Abu Dhabi in the UAE and changed our watches forward another hour. We were met by our guide Ruhee, from Bangalore, and driver Wahab. Right away we had to look for our abayas and head scarves since we couldn't visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in our capris and t-shirts. It's very lovely, and it resembles the Taj Mahal when you first see it. Our next stop was the Qasr Al Watan (Palace of the Nations), another beautiful building. There is a lot of oil money in Abu Dhabi. The UAE is a federation of 7 emirates (like states), each with its own emir. The richest and largest emirate is Abu Dhabi, it's also a city and the federal capital. The ruler of Abu Dhabi is always the president; the ruler of Dubai is always the prime minister of the UAE. Ruhee wanted us to see more, but we were ready to chill. See her tomorrow.
11/9 We enjoyed a free morning. Later we enjoyed a fine buffet luncheon at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental hotel overlooking the beach and water; we enjoy hearing Ruhee's stories. We drove by the not-yet-opened Guggenheim Museum, and it's a strange looking building. We did walk through the Abu Dhabi Louvre; it's another unusual but lovely building. Just in time, we watched the sun set from the 74th floor observation tower at the Conrad hotel. Ruhee surprised us with a little birthday cake to celebrate A & M's November birthdays. There are so many new buildings here. Ruhee's sons were born here but don't have citizenship. It's impossible. And when Ruhee or her husband turn 65, they must return to their native land unless they have somehow accumulated significant wealth.
11/10 This morning we drove two hours to Dubai. This city also was built in the last twenty years. Amazing buildings, good roads. Our hotel is in a built-to-look-old souk. Quaint, but a bit confusing. After lunch we went on a desert safari, and we saw sand gazelles and many oryx. Walked in sand again; forgot how difficult it is. Traffic is terrible all times of the day.
11/11 It took us 15 minutes to find our breakfast spot. Lots of nooks and crannies that look alike. Ruhee showed us some more sights. In older buildings, traditional wind towers are built into houses and used to catch the wind and move it throughout the house. Useful and picturesque. We stopped by one of the popular beaches, and we saw the world's largest Ferris wheel. Even though this is a Muslim country, some public displays of affection are acceptable. Women wear skimpy clothing and bathing suits. No moral police here. Towards sunset, we rode a couple elevators up to the 154th floor of the Burj Khalifa building. Missed the sunset, but the skies are not clear anyways. Surprisingly, the height didn't bother me. My photographer got some good pics. Again, traffic is hideous. They keep building these huge buildings, but the good roads aren't built for the amount of traffic the buildings bring. We aren't doing the driving, but we get stressed anyways. The emir needs to get started on some super highways or massive mass transit systems pronto.
11/12 Our little souk hotel is relaxing, then we go out into hectic Dubai. We went across town in all that traffic (not exaggerating) to see the Miracle Garden, a touristy flower exhibition. Instead of going to the aquarium, we took a monorail ride across The Palm Jumeirah Island and saw the very densely packed artificial archipelago constructed in less than 5 years, opened in 2006. It's amazing. The islands were artificially created and are just stunning. Of course, i'm complaining about Dubai traffic -- and this so crowded but I'm gushing about how great it is. We didn't feel like waiting with the crowd to see the Museum of the Future. So we took a water taxi from around our souk across to the Gold Souk. We've seen several gold souks now. But it gets overwhelming quickly. After a little rest, we went with Ruhee on a dhow dinner cruise at the marina. People were packed on board. Cruised around, had a drink, visited the buffet and then watched a Tanoura dancer. Kinda fun, kinda weird. But the guy did have some stamina. Got home after midnight. We'll drive to the Oman border tomorrow for our last leg of our trip.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque initiated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan AL Nathen. He is the founder of the UAE.
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Structures housing the lights for illuminating the mosque at night |
The mosque has 82 domes
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More than 1,000 columns!
One of the 11 clocks in the mosque, top show the time for prayer, center shows the date according to the Gregorian calendar, below it in the center is the date according to the Islamic calendar.
24 carat gold gilded chandeliers
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Chandelier resembles a date palm tree upside down with dates hanging down |
Qasr Al Watan, Palace of the Nation, where meeting are held with leaders from around the world. It also includes a history of the United Arab Emerates, traditions and their ties with other nations
Banquet Area
Meeting Room
Photos from the corniche (center building is a replica of the Atlantis hotel in Bahamas)
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We had an amazing buffet lunch at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel - with anything you can imagine offered |
View from the terrace where we enjoyed lunch
The Zayed National Museum inspired by a falcon's wing on the left, and part of the Abrahamic Family Project which includes a mosque, a Christian church and a synagogue dedicated to the pursuit of peaceful coexistence
Guggenheim should be finished next year - building in the country is on a fast paced track
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Museum is built over the water |
Great collection with more being added
Sarcophagus of Henuttaway - Egypt 950-900 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era (year notations for the Gregorian calendar, equivalent to AD and BC)
Persian archer - from Iran about 510 B.C.E.
The roof of the museum is steel with mesh in between layers to prevent rain from getting inside but allowing the rays of the sun to shine in.
Photos from the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers Observation Deck
Mandarín Oriental Hotel in center of photo with beautiful beach
Ruhee, our very efficient & informative guide, had the staff sing Happy Birthday to Maddy and me. It was a real surprise and so thoughtful!
Monday, November 10 - Driving to Dubai, where we stay for 3 nights
Our hotel in Dubai, we were in building 8 and had a golf cart take us back & forth to the reception building, driving thru the souk. It’s in the old section of Dubai that has been rebuilt to resemble the original look. Located near the embassies and outside of modern Dubai
Ruhee, our guide, & 2 old ladies going on a desert safari to see Oryxes and San gazelles
Sand gazelles
Ghaf trees thrive in the desert because the roots go way down deep to reach water
Oryx - lives about 40 years, there are thousands living in this desert
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Wind tunnels to bring in cool air
Burj Khalifa on the right
Views from the 154th floor
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Photos of the leaders of the United Arab Emirate rulers scroll on this building
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Dancing water fountains as seen from the 154th floor of the Burj Kalifa |
OMAN VISIT - last leg of our trip
All kinds of rocks in different colors
Bee hive tombs
We happened to see men leaving a funeral, women do not attend. They have their own time to pay their respects.
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Golden Tulip - our lovely hotel for one night in Niza, Oman
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| We had a nice patio |
Buffet dinner was served by the beautiful pool and patio area
Visiting the souk in Nezwa - best souk visit we have ever experienced. Hamad, our Omani guide, explained everything and had us try three things everyone must do while in Oman: Omani bread, Halawa, & Omani chili potato chips. We enjoyed all of them!
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The dates look good, probably a huge selection we’d never get here. Bet someone is jealous you got to go to a F1 track!
ReplyDeleteYour Middle Eastern trip looks amazing! I love date cookies and I never knew there are so many varieties of dates. Were you able to visit Dubai?
ReplyDelete