My friend John Downe in Bahrain offered an early breakfast on a bright sunny Saturday morning (9 June, 2007) before I set off across the Causeway for the "magic kingdom" of Saudi Arabia.
I had been advised to arrive at the Bahrain to Saudi border crossing at 7AM, because a new shift takes over at 645AM & they would not be awake enough for a thorough search of a U.S. passport holder. I was, however, hopeful that someone would at least ask me about the cylindrically packaged tent which Eilidh had also
asked me to bring as cargo. (The tent was about 60" in diameter and approx 6 1/2 ft in length and labeled in huge print "Made in Pakistan") Then I could confidently explain, with receipt in hand, that it was only a tent intended for use in the garden of a villa in Yemen. To my dismay, not a single question was asked.
I had been advised to arrive at the Bahrain to Saudi border crossing at 7AM, because a new shift takes over at 645AM & they would not be awake enough for a thorough search of a U.S. passport holder. I was, however, hopeful that someone would at least ask me about the cylindrically packaged tent which Eilidh had also
asked me to bring as cargo. (The tent was about 60" in diameter and approx 6 1/2 ft in length and labeled in huge print "Made in Pakistan") Then I could confidently explain, with receipt in hand, that it was only a tent intended for use in the garden of a villa in Yemen. To my dismay, not a single question was asked. The road through Al Khobar and in the direction of Riyadh was amazingly well built and maintained. It was perhaps even better in most places than a typical Interstate highway in the United States.
Along this early leg of the journey two memorable items of interest, that I had not encountered in my previous travels throughout this region, stick in my memory. The first was seeing black camels, these were the poor beasts that were 
slaughtered by the hundreds in the years leading up to the construction of roadside fences along the major highways in Saudi. At night, there was no way to spot them without night vision goggles and many camels, drivers and vehicles paid a heavy price. I also witnessed a mode of transporting camels that seemed economical but not "PETA" friendly.
I arrived in Riyadh right on schedule. Checked into my hotel (the Al Faisaliah) and was off to visit vendors & customers. Had great afternoon with the Sabre team and enjoyed their hospitality. My friend from Saudi Telecom (Mr. Othman Al-Zahrani) was kind enough to offer a tour of Riyadh and dinner. We had a great evening visiting several historic sites near the Governor's palace and paying a visit to one of the souks. This was a great way to cap off Day One of my road adventure. Day One Photos:
No comments:
Post a Comment