Showing posts with label saudi arabia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saudi arabia. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Not Saudi Arabia

Visiting Saudi Arabia is a rather strange experience. But to make a long story short, unless you're coming to visit the holiest sites in Islam, you should steer clear of the place. This is because it is a country where…
  • Temperatures outside soar so high, every building must be air conditioned and you will most likely spend most of your time inside buildings or car.
  • Foreigners outnumber Saudis by such an amount and in so many jobs, that you'll have a hard time getting what you need when you are trying to communicate with Indians.
  • All prices must be divided by five to find their real life value, and you'll most likely be ripped off by prices that are considered to be normal by Saudis.
  • The dishdasheh is the national uniform for all men, while women must wear black tents over their heads – as well as not being allowed to drive. Conferences are a nightmare to attend, because all you will see is men in white and you will be the only person in Earth clothes.
  • Accents used by Saudis are so strange, that you won't recognize the language and will probably mistake it for Indian. Wide means a lot for some reason and the Arabic word for water has been somehow transformed into mooyaah.
  • Foreigners, such as Indians or Filipinos or even Egyptians, not only take up the manual labor industry, but also much of other industries, such as cooks and receptionists.
  • Skyscrapers fill areas of interest and tower above you while you navigate the cramped streets of the city. Fast food branches are so common in these areas that it's no wonder people have a hard time watching their weight.
  • Saudi receptionists look at you blankly when you enquire why the hotel does not offer internet services, and I must go around the place searching for a free wireless access point to read my email and update my blog.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

In The Prophets City

The land where the sun shines high above, blazing at 40 degrees high, over the two great mosques symbolic to Islam.

Welcome to Saudi Arabia.



Today is the 3rd day of our 3omrah in the holy land. We got here by bus, a 21 hour drive with constant visits to the (extremely dirty) bathrooms on the road. Arabic toilets are the only available option!! Not a very nice experience.

Off to the Medina.

After the ride which was quite long, boring and uncomfortable, the heat of the country welcomed us. It’s a bit like opening an oven and sticking your head inside.

Putting the bus and weather aside, the hotel was good, even though it has no wireless and all surrounding wireless access point are password protected – how clever.

The hotel is right beside the 7aram, the second mosque of the three important mosques in Islam. I’ve been to the mosque to pray a few times today and yesterday. The mosque is huge and the inside is beautiful.

We stay in Medina for two more days now, and on Tuesday we regroup to head to Mecca, where we begin I7ram and such. I’ll get into details once the day comes.

I’ll try to keep posting, once I figure out this 3G service or I find an access point. Until then, good bye from Saudi Arabia.

By the way, who ever knew Saudi Arabia had Indians (rather than Egyptians in Jordan) for the manual labour? :D