Wow. That sure went fast. 52 weeks. 365 days. And yesterday marked my 1 year anniversary in Saudi Arabia. Time here passes differently. It feels like I boarded that flight from Canada to Saudi much longer than a year ago, and oddly, at the same time it feels like I’ve packed 5 years worth of memories into the last year. The weeks seem to drag on, but the months themselves seem to fly by. It’s hard to put the concept of time into words, but I reckon those of you who live here get what I mean.
Since this is my second time in Saudi the culture shock was pretty minimal. I’ve coped better emotionally this time around than that first time. I knew what to expect and was well prepared. Earlier this month I decided that I would re-contract for a second year. I’m not quite done traveling, and I’m finally debt free so really, all I make goes to traveling or into savings. That’s a bonus. I’ve got a bunch of loose upcoming travel plans. I’m going home for nearly 3 weeks for American Thanksgiving. I’ll be splitting my time between my second home (Seattle) and seeing my family up in Canada. I’m spending Christmas in Dubai, which I’m really looking forward to because I get overly jazzed about the holidays. Otherwise I’ve got a bunch of holiday time but nothing conclusively booked. I want to get to Kuwait for a weekend as it’s the only Gulf Coast country I’ve yet to visit. Both Azerbaijan and Iran are near the top of my list. I would love to go back to Bangladesh, and there’s a lot of Egypt I’ve yet to explore.
So here’s to surviving a year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and I can’t wait to see what this next year has in store.
Last week I told you about all the lovely reasons you should consider a job in Saudi Arabia. This week I wanted to touch on the equal number of not so great things to consider if you’re thinking about being an ex-pat in the Middle East. Obviously, as with anything really, there is the good with the bad, and working in Saudi is no exception. So here’s my list of the 10 not-so-great things you should know…..
1. Culture shock is inevitable. This is kind of a no-brainer, but if you’re a westerner you truly couldn’t pick a more different place to live than Saudi Arabia. Basically you can expect to initially be in a state of euphoria- it’s all so different and you will find it fascinating. Oh my gosh a camel. Oh my goodness the Middle Eastern attire worn by men resembles a dress. Why’s that guy got a machine gun? Why is that child hanging out the window while the car is going 100km/hr down the road? It’s like a total sensory overload and your brain will struggle to keep up with the many new things you will see. You’ll feel like a kid in a candy store. This phase is called the Honeymoon phase and you will be generally happy with your decision to move abroad. Sadly this phase ends. Often abruptly. The next phase can be called the Frustration phase. You’ll be generally bitchy or pissy. Nothing is the same, everything sucks, why the hell isn’t it like home? Why did I leave? Everything will feel challenging. Some people will spend their entire time in Saudi in this phase. Inshallah, you will pull on your big girl panties and move into the Adjustment phase which basically means that you get used to the way things are. You accept things. The final phase is Adaptation which means that things will stop feeling so foreign and that you will successfully be acclimated to the new culture. This doesn’t mean a full-on conversion to the new culture, but rather that you feel apart of the culture. I haven’t yet made it to the Adaptation phase, but quite happily navigate in the Adjustment phase with occasional relapses into the Frustration phase.
2. Bring a suitcase full of patience. No joke. If you move to Saudi Arabia from any western country, you are in for one hell of a shocker. Things are super inefficient here. It’s mind boggling at times. Simple things that might take 3 steps back home will take 10 here. Occasionally you will suffer a full blown temper tantrum in public because you will be so annoyed. Sometimes you will cry. But mostly, you will just have to accept the way it is because you are never, ever, going to change it. So just roll with it. If you want an example of what I mean read this post about my uphill paperwork battle this fall. Or this one about Saudi banking.
3. Prayer times. Unless you live under a rock I’m sure you’re well aware that Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. And people here pray 5 times a day. And unlike other Middle Eastern countries everything closes during prayer times. Closes. Seriously. As an ex-pat you will find that you are intimately attune to what time prayer is (because the time changes a bit day to day) and you will need to be aware of this when you are heading out. It can make running errands or trying to get out for a meal difficult if you forget about prayer times. I have found myself being locked outside of a restaurant or store while we wait for prayer to finish many a times. Grocery stores will let you stay inside and keep shopping, but you won’t be able to pay or leave until prayer is over. Restaurants will let you eat during prayer, but will not serve you food or allow you to pay or leave during prayer. This is why it’s important to time things out- I like to get into a restaurant and have the food come before prayer is called so we can eat during that time. It’s also good to know that the 2 evening prayers are often quite close together, so for example if I wanted to go shopping and the mall opens at 4pm, I would only be able to shop until 5:30pm when the 1st evening prayer is called. All the stores would close, and we would wait the 20min or so until they open again. Then at 7pm prayer would be called again and this one is often 30min or so. You can see that could become a source of frustration.
4. Opening hours. Grocery stores are often open 24hours, so apart from closing for prayer you can go anytime. Malls usually open from 10am-12pm (or whenever the lunchtime prayer is) and then open again at 4pm until 11pm-1am (ish) depending on the day of the week. That being said, it’s not uncommon to show up to a shop that should be open and find out that no one showed up for work. Or they slept in. Or are just running an hour late. Same goes for the bank.
5. No driving for the ladies. That’s right. If you would’ve described yourself as a self-sufficient independent lady you’re in for a surprise. Not being able to drive is the #1 complaint of western ladies. But, to be fair once you see how absurd the drivers here are you will quickly lose interest in wanting to drive. That being said, having to rely on a driver to take you places is pretty annoying. At first it will seem cool. Oh, let me just call my driver. But the first time you’re left stranded somewhere this will lose it’s shiny appeal. You can’t go anywhere by yourself because you are now a child who needs to be taken everywhere. And sometimes you will want to go somewhere (or leave) and all the drivers are busy. So you wait, because you don’t have any other choice. It can lead you to feeling like a caged animal because you can’t freely get into the car and drive where you want to go. Just today I was stranded at the mall waiting and waiting for a driver to come get me. #annoying
6. No recycling. If you love the environment a little piece of you will die every time you throw a water bottle in the garbage. Or a can of diet coke. Or that stack of papers. Or that pickle jar. Nothing gets recycled. Ever. Or at least not where I work and live. It breaks my heart to live somewhere that totally has the resources to recycle and just doesn’t. Also, people don’t seem to be concerned about wasting water or electricity. Newsflash: Saudi Arabia is a desert. So why would you plant grass and flowers meant for North American weather and watch them wilt and die in the 50C heat. And waste water on them?? Only to replant new flowers the following month? Why? Because you’ve got money. That’s why. On the weekends when the hospital offices are closed you can walk by office areas where all the lights are left on (and I’m sure the AC) all weekend long while no one is there. It can be a hard pill to swallow.
7. The list of things considered illegal is long. We’ve already discussed women driving. It’s a no-no, along with alcohol, pork, movie theatres, and being alone with a man who is not your husband or your relative (so essentially no dating). Women are not allowed to try on clothes when out shopping with the exception of Kingdom Mall ladies floor, and the handful of lingerie stores run by women. Technically, it’s illegal to practice any religion but Islam. There are no churches or other religious groups. Pornography is obviously illegal. Many of these things can be a source of frustration for ex-pats. I personally miss coming home from a stressful day of work and sipping a glass (bottle) of red wine. I also really miss going to the movies.
8. Class system. Saudi Arabia is a class system, no two ways about it. Lives here are not measured the same as in western countries. There is literally a chart of how much your family will be paid if you are killed in a car accident, and that chart varies greatly depending on your sex, religion, ethnic origin, and country of citizenship. Many Saudis employ servants, drivers, and nannies. There are numerous reports of ill treatment of these workers- and this isn’t really a topic that I want to touch on. I have witnessed on many occasions servants being treated in a less than respectful way. It is shocking, and contrary to how I was raised or how I view equality amongst people.That being said, many westerners employ housemaids and drivers and nannies. Pay amongst different nationalities is also vastly different depending on the colour of a persons passport. This is obviously a source of contention at work where we are all essentially doing the same job, and I’m not sure that there is a proper way to correct the situation. The truth of the matter is that no North American nurse in Saudi Arabia is make 2-3times what they would back home. It just doesn’t happen. And yet many Filipino and Indian nurses are making several times more than they would in their own country. It’s a touchy topic, but cost of living and education costs are drastically different between western countries and the rest of the world, and yet, here in Saudi Arabia the price of water is the same whether you’re from Canada, or Malaysia. This is a huge topic that’s hard to properly address.
9. In sh Allah. Saudis live their lives based off the principle of Inshallah which translates as God Willing or Gods Will. It is easily the most commonly used word in these parts. Also the most annoying for westerners who typically don’t live their lives guided 100% by this premise. It is also annoying because it’s so bloody contagious. I say Inshallah easily 20 times a day. I accidentally let it slip out last week at Oktoberfest when some one asked me if I was planning on going next year. Inshallah! I replied. And then immediately smacked the palm of my hand to my forehead. Duh. Let me set the scene for you…..you’ve got some type of Saudi style paperwork nightmare, that you’ve been stressed about, and really wouldn’t be that big of a deal to work out back home, but then again, you’re not at home. So this seemingly simple thing (like opening a bank account, or getting your residency card) has turned into a colossal nightmare because you’ve now made 8 trips to several different offices over the span of a few days because half the time the office hasn’t opened on time, the guy didn’t show up, or you get there and now they’ve closed for tea time, or prayer time, or smoke break time. So finally you’ve handed in all the paperwork and things are looking real good. So you ask “How long before this is processed?” I bet you a million riyals that the guy’s reply will be 1 of 2 things “2 weeks, Inshallah.” Or “Inshallah, 2 weeks.” As soon as he utters Inshallah you can almost automatically double the time, or assume the paperwork will get lost. It’s kinda like a jinx.
10. Reverse culture shock. Homesickness. People not getting you. Just as integrating into Saudi Arabian life isn’t easy, nor will returning home. Your time here will change you. It will change the way you see the world. Returning home is hard. People will have a hard time understanding what your life here was like. Many will not be interested. When I returned from Saudi the first time I moved back to Seattle. Back to the same neighbourhood, same job, same friends. And yet I wasn’t the same. It took me nearly 6 months to settle in. Upon reentry you may find that people have a hard time relating to you. You may find that the time you spent away strained relationships. Unless you are going home often, you likely will have missed out on major events back home such as weddings, births, anniversaries and holidays. It’s not easy.
Don’t get me wrong. I still think that deciding to take a job in Saudi Arabia has been hugely rewarding, and for me the positives out weigh the negatives. At least most days they do.
Did I miss anything that should be on this list? What are your thoughts?
People are endlessly curious about what being an ex-pat in Saudi Arabia is like and what it entails. Often I get contacted regarding what it’s like to live in the Middle East and how to go about getting a job here, so I thought I would discuss the pros and cons to living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. My perspective is that of a western woman. If you’ve been reading my blog for anytime you likely know that I’m a Canadian educated nurse and that I’ve spent most of my career working in large U.S. hospitals. I’m currently working in Riyadh the capitol of Saudi Arabia in a large teaching hospital. So here are my top 10 reasons why you should consider working in the Kingdom:
1. You will most likely save money. Money is the #1 reason most people come to the Middle East. The income you make is most likely tax free depending on your residency status and tax laws in your home country. For many ex-pats housing is included with their hiring package, so no rent=more money in your pocket. Also the cost of living is WAY lower than any western country, which also makes it easy to save money assuming you’re not blowing it on designer shoes and first class plane tickets. I should note that at least for most western nurses the myth that “you’re making huge money in Saudi Arabia” is a flat out lie. What I make tax free is pretty darn close to what I made in Canada or the U.S. taxed. But I don’t pay rent or have a car payment, so at the end of the day I come out ahead. But I’m required to work about 32hrs more a month than I would back home so essentially hourly I’m actually making less, although monthly I’m making more.
2. You will meet many awesome people. Ex-pats are super fun, and also maybe a little bit crazy. I’m sure there are studies proving this. You will make friends from all over the world. New Zealand. Australia. Malaysia. The Philippines. You have to be a bit of an adventurer to want to uproot your life and move to Saudi Arabia. You will also meet people who are extremely passionate about traveling. Or salsa if that’s your thing. Or running. Or tennis. Whatever you’re into, rest assured you will find people with similar interests here.
3. You can travel the world. I get 54 vacation days per contract. Yes. 54. No joke. That’s a lot of vacation time. In fact in the year I’ve been here I’ve already visited Qatar, Cyprus, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the UAE, the Maldives, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Germany. The last time I worked here I traveled to Hungry, Austria, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Portugal, Oman, India, Turkey and Greece. You can pack a lot in in a one-year contract. Trust me. I’m a professional at it. And depending on where you’re from it’s so much cheaper to travel from Saudi Arabia than it will ever be back home. For $500 the only place I can get to from the west coast of Canada is the U.S. and maybe Mexico if I found a great deal. From Riyadh I can get to Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Africa as well as Asia.
4. This is the only way you will get to see Saudi Arabia. Unless of course you’re Muslim. Cause they aren’t issuing tourist visas. So it’s quite a privilege to get to see a country and culture so vastly different than your western one. Working here gives you a perspective on a country and culture that is separate from what western media leads us to believe. Not every local you meet wants to kill you or convert you. Did you know that Saudi’s are actually very funny people? Granted sometimes they don’t get my sense of humor, but if I’m honest I laugh a lot at work. Many of my Saudi co-workers are very light-hearted. In fact, I refer to most of our male Saudi co-workers as my “brothers.” Also, being in Saudi Arabia allows you to see parts of the country that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Did you know that the famous site of Petra in Jordan has a sister site in northwestern Saudi Arabia? Have you ever been to a camel race? Did you know that camel beauty pageants are actually a thing? Take a job in Saudi Arabia and see for yourself.
5. Your life will be anything but dull. Especially if you happen to be a blond western woman like me. Trip to the grocery store=marriage proposals. Go to the bank to deposit money= getting offered tea and cookies by the male teller. Going out for dinner could turn into a full-on photo shoot with a group of local girls. Earlier this week I walked into my patients room and the patients mother held up her hands and yelled “beautiful” and then pinched my cheeks. Trust me. This kindof stuff never happened to me in North America. It’s pretty entertaining how the most seemingly easy thing can turn into some strange encounter. I personally live for this type of daily entertainment.
6. Arabic to English translations are funny. And vice versa. Quite often when I attempt to speak Arabic my patient or their family will start giggling and then clapping like they are congratulating a toddler for using the toilet. I’m not joking. It’s ridiculous. Also accents and poor language skills can lead to some pretty funny misunderstandings. The first time I was in Saudi I worked with a Finnish girl who with a thick accent would say she needed to go “shart” when she was saying she needed to chart. Trust me for 15 months this was never, not funny. Every time she said it my kiwi-sidekick and I would laugh. She probably hated to work with us. Another time an Arabic doctor came up to me and asked me a question. What I heard was him asking me “Do you have painful urination?” That’s seriously what I thought he said. I must’ve replied “what?” to him 3 times because I couldn’t believe he was asking me that. Turns out on the 4th time when he spoke v e r y s l o w l y, that he was actually asking me “Do you have pen for donation?” I’m quite certain he never asked to borrow a pen from a western nurse like that again.
7. Ladies. You will grow to love your abaya. So yes it is true that anytime you leave your housing compound you will need to don your little black dress aka your abaya. The only exception to this is if by some amazing stroke of luck you find yourself living on the DQ (Diplomatic Quarters.) If you do then I’m super jealous, and can we please be friends. Stat. Anyways, back to the abaya. It literally takes humming and hawing over what to wear out of the picture. Going for dinner with friends and not sure what to wear under your abaya? Ummm PJs. Or yoga pants. Or nothing at all. Cause who’s going to know- you’re covered in a head to toe black dress anyways. Going shopping. Same outfit. No one but you will ever know.
8 Learning Arabic will become your party trick when you return back home. After you’ve lived in Saudi and you get asked that stupid question during an interview “Tell us one unique thing about you?” I speak Arabic bitches. That’s what. BOOM. No one will be expecting that. After I left Saudi the first time I returned to my previous job at a large hospital in Seattle. We got a lot of Somali patients, and often we would get Saudi English students from the university in the ER. One time they couldn’t find an Arabic interpreter. So I was all casually like “I can try and help.” And the doctor was like “What now?” Yep. Basic medical Arabic is my party trick.
9. Embassy Parties. When was the last time you went to a Ball or Gala? Never. Work in Saudi Arabia and that will likely change. All those bridesmaids dresses you were led to believe you could wear again. Well pack one and some dancing shoes because you’ll likely need em. Also it’s fun to have the chance to celebrate 4th of July at the U.S. embassy, or St Pats at the Irish, or Bastille Day at the French.
10. Bragging Rights. How many people can look back on their lives and say “Remember that one time I lived in Saudi Arabia…..” You, that’s who if you take an adventure as an ex-pat in Saudi. The downside is that when you are old and in a nursing home chances are people will just think you have dementia, not that you actually did live in Saudi Arabia. But either way you’ll be entertaining someone with your tales.
UPDATE August 2017: Here’s a recent link to a blog post I wrote about working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia.
After my blissed out week at a retreat in the northern beach town of Bondalem Bali I headed inland to Ubud, the island’s artistic hot spot. I had visited Ubud back in 2008 the first time I was in Bali, and let me just say I was unprepared for how much it had grown. Ubud was jarring coming out of the tranquility of the meditation retreat I had been at. So much traffic, so much noise, so many tourists. It was a total assault on the senses, and that first day was really overwhelming. Thankfully, my first 2 nights I had booked to stay in the rice fields just outside of Ubud, which was much calmer. Well relatively calmer. That first night I was awoken at 4am thinking someone was in my room and violently shaking my bed, and then in my disorientation it also sounded like someone was trying to get in the room by shaking the door in its frame. Turns out there was a 5.3 earthquake off the coast. Once I determined that a) I was not crazy b) it was unlikely the room was haunted and that c) this was very likely an earthquake, I did what any savvy person would do……I googled “what to do in an earthquake” so I would be prepared if there was another one, and checked social media. Come on. I know that’s what you all would do!
After 2 nights in the rice fields I moved to Ubud proper. For 5 nights which extended into 6 when I rescheduled my flight to stay an extra night. I had initially booked at a cheaper hotel, but after some issues there I moved to the hotel next door which turned out to be the nicest place I’ve ever stayed. In my life. Nicer than the Maldives. And that’s pretty hard to do. To be fair I didn’t really know what I was booking. I basically called to ask if they had a room available, a pool, and wifi. They said yes and I showed up. The lobby was beautiful. During check-in I asked is there AC? And the lady was like yes. In each room. And in my head I was like- of course it would be in each room lady. Then she took me to the room. On the way she referred to it as the “Canopy Suite.” My eyes almost burst out of my head. It was bigger than my apartment in Saudi. It had separate rooms- with an AC in each room. Then there was the infinity pool. And the amazing breakfast. And the tub in the bathroom was like bathing in a barrel. Ok. It was actually bathing in a barrel. And they pulled my covers back every night and left me cookies. So now you see my dilemma about having to stay another night. If you go to Ubud you should look into staying at Bisma Eight. Well worth over extending my budget.
Ubud is full of shops, restaurants, museums and galleries. I spent my time there catching up with my other retreat-sisters, and walking around town. There are many great restaurant choices. One that was at the top of my list was Locavore. They have a very well reviewed tasting menu but they book out a month in advance and I wasn’t able to get a reservation. By chance I stopped in there for lunch one day. Table for one? And they seated me overlooking the kitchen. It’s not cheap by Bali standards, but by western standards it’s a steal. I had a 7 course meal with a couple glasses of wine and it was culinary heaven. Half of it I wasn’t exactly sure what I was eating- what exactly are fish lips anyways? But it was all so good. If you are in Ubud make a reservation and go. I’ll be thinking of this meal for months to come.
One of the days I did a day trip with my French Canadian retreat-sister. We had an energetic Balinese guide named Gusti who took us to 3 temples in the southern part of the island while telling us of Bali culture and the practices related to Balinese Hinduism. It was such a great day. We visited Taman Ayun Temple mid morning and we basically had the temple to ourselves. This temple is from 1634 and was once the royal temple. It has beautiful gardens with the traditional tiered Balinese pagoda roofs and many ornate stone carvings. The temple is surrounded by a moat which used to hold alligators. The sky was very moody when we visited which made for great photos.
From here we dove about an hour to Tanah Lot Temple which as legend has it has snakes that guard the entrance to the caves below the temple. This temple is situated alongside the sea on a rocky cliff and it is nothing short of spectacular. The waves were large and frothy as they crashed to shore. This complex was quite large with a smaller temple off to the right and then the main sea temple to the left. By sea temple, I literally mean in the sea. Depending on the tide you may or may not be able to visit. Tide was in when we were there so we couldn’t go but it is beautiful nonetheless. You should be very careful of the cliffs though- our guide had seen tourists fall over the cliffs and get swept away so he kept us well away from the roped barriers. As we were getting ready to leave we randomly ran into 2 of our other retreat-sisters. Bali was full of of many such encounters. It was amazing that we all ended up in the same spot of land at exactly the same time.
We then got back in the car and drove another 90 min to Uluwatu temple. Bali is not at all equipped to handle traffic. Most roads are 2-laned roads with little room to pull over or passing lanes. And then of course they are filled with cars, trucks and loads and loads of motorcycles. When we arrived at the temple we were greeted by signs and loud recorded warnings about the bulglarizing monkeys. As I’ve previously mentioned. I’m not a huge fan of monkeys. Or rabies. I was mildly terrified which caused Gusti our guide great enjoyment as he bravely tried to protect me. We did see monkeys, but they kept their distance. This temple is also alongside a steep cliff. In fact we could see Uluwatu temple from Tanah Lot temple. I read somewhere that the temples along the sea were built as a chain so you could see one from the other. There are 2 parts to this temple and I would highly advise wearing good shoes and bringing plenty of water. I would also recommend a hat, but can’t guarantee it won’t get pulled off your head by a cheeky monkey. This temple also had mesmerizing ocean views. I basically kept taking the same photo over. And over. And over.
While Bali is full of tourists it’s still good to dress and act respectfully. Most temples won’t let you in if you’re dressed inappropriately anyways, but here’s an idea of what you should wear. Buy a sarong- you’ll need to be wearing one to enter a temple, and they double as a towel or beach cover. You will also need a sash to tie around your waist but many temples provide these, or do what I did and just use a scarf. Make sure your shoulder are covered- a simple t-shirt will do. Don’t try to enter a temple in a swimsuit top and hot pants. It seems pretty logical but you know there are people who try this. Also as with any temples/religious sites the world over- ladies if it’s that time of the month you’re not supposed to enter. One of my retreat sisters told me how her guide made her read the list of rules before entering a temple and she basically had to give him the “all clear” to tell him she was safe to go in. Also most temples have donation boxes- your call on how you feel about donating. I usually opt to.
So that wraps up my time in Ubud Bali. As I write this I can’t believe it was almost a month ago. I’m going to Munich for Oktoberfest this weekend for 5 nights and then I don’t have any major travel plans until I go home for a visit the end of November and first bit of December. I’ll be spending Christmas in Dubai which I’m super pumped for. Seeing as I’ve decided to stay in Saudi another year I’ve just requested a bunch more vacation time in the new year, with many ideas but nothing concrete as of yet.
I was going to try and write this post yesterday as September 23rd was Saudi National Day, but I’ve been working night shift the last 3 weeks, and am flip-flopping back to day shift. Yesterday my brain was complete mush- and nothing logical or sensible would’ve been written. This year National Day coincided with the Hajj holiday. This week at work non-essential hospital services are closed- ie clinics, and non-emergent OR’s. Yesterday it was announced that the King has extended the Hajj holiday an additional week. I’m eagerly awaiting to hear whether this means extra vacation days or not. Inshallah it does!! So here’s a brief explanation about what each of these 3 holidays are about….
It’s like any country’s day of independence. Think Canada Day or the 4th of July. September 23rd marks the same day in 1932 when King Abdulaziz announced the Kingdom as a country. National pride is at an all time high and there are flags of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia all over. There are festivities for families, and I saw some excellent footage of fireworks at the Ritz Carlton hotel here in Riyadh. People take to the streets in costumes with green wigs or wearing flags, or the colours of the flag (green and white.) Traffic is reported to be a nightmare. I had wanted to run out yesterday early in the evening but my lovely driver “J “flat out refused. He said “people very crazy. They leave eggs out in the sun for a month and then throw them at passing cars. If they not throw eggs they throw rocks. Very bad.” I couldn’t really argue with that. He also said that most of the hospital drivers wouldn’t be going out after 7pm. On Canada Day back home we get day drunk. In Saudi Arabia the youth reportedly throw rotten eggs at motorists. Kinda reminds me of kids back home smashing pumpkins in the streets on Halloween. I rang in National Day from the comfort of my couch as I tried to stay awake watching Netflix until a reasonable bedtime hour with the hopes of sleeping thru the night.
Hajj Pilgrimage
Hajj takes place every year according to the Hijri calendar during the last month and lasts 5 days. It is considered to be the 5th pillar of Islam and every Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime assuming they are physically able and can financially afford it. In 2015 it is projected that 2 million Muslims will take part. A reported 800 flights per day take off or land at the airport in Jeddah- there is an entire terminal dedicated to Hajj and is only open during this time. I won’t pretend to be any sort of expert on Hajj- most of what I’m writing is summarized off the interweb, or drawn from conversations with Saudi’s or ex-pat Muslims that I work with. I wanted to share it with you though because I think as an ex-pat living in Saudi Arabia it’s always a great idea to understand the culture. And since religion drives this culture, it’s equally important to understand the major religious practices in this part of the world.
Unlike most of Saudi life the sexes are not segregated at the Holy Mosque during Hajj. Men often wear 2 pieces of white sheet or towels while women are required to dress traditionally with their hair covered. Interestingly, women who normally cover their faces when out in public are NOT allowed to do so during Hajj. As far as I can tell the actual pilgrimage is quite orderly as each day is broken into different rites that are practiced that day. Most pilgrims travel in groups with guides and handbooks explaining the requirements of Hajj. These requirements include praying, declaring their intention to perform Hajj, and performing Tawaf which entails walking counterclockwise around the Kaaba. The Kaaba is a large black box and is the holiest site in Islam. It is considered to be the House of Allah. After Tawaf the pilgrims go to Mina for a day of prayer. This is the first day of the Hajj. The second day of Hajj is spent at Mount Arafat- this is where it is said that Muhammed delivered his last prayer. Pilgrims stand in vigil listening to a sermon and repent for sins for the afternoon. After sunset they move to a place called Muzdalifah where they have evening prayers and sleep outside on the ground. The third day pilgrims take part in a ritual called stoning the devil which involves throwing 7 pebbles at one of 3 pillars, and after that animals are slaughtered and often given to the poor. This coincides with Eid al-Adha. Male pilgrims then shave their heads and women clip the ends of their hair. Day four the pilgrims repeat the “stoning of the devil” by throwing 7 pebbles at the 3 pillars. They must then leave for Mecca that day. Before leaving Mecca they again perform Tawaf around the Kaaba. The fifth and final day is a repeat of the rituals on the fourth.
This years pilgrimage has been marred by tragedy with the crane collapse earlier this month which killed more than 100 people. Sadly, earlier this morning while pilgrims were taking part in the “stoning of the devil” there was a stampede and the latest reports say that over 700 people have died.
Eid al-Adha
Eid al- Adha is the second Muslim holiday. Eid al-Fitr is the first holiday which marks the end of the fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha centers around the story of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son. Meat is sacrificed on this day and divided into 3 sections. One portion for the family, one portion is given to other family members, and the last portion is given to the poor. Eid is seen as a time of celebration. People dress up in fancy clothes, and exchange gifts. Happy Eid to all!!
I hope you’ll be kind to me if I got some of the above information wrong. I have pretty elementary understanding of the Islamic religion, but still felt it was important for you, my readers, to be informed!
I normally have a strong dislike of the word “bliss” or phrases like “finding your bliss” and equally so of the phrase #blessed, but I’m at a complete loss of words to describe my time in Bali. The only word I keep coming back to is bliss. It really was bliss. So even though the word is kinda new-agey, and used to make me gag, it will be my word of choice for this post.
My time in Bali was split between a retreat I had wanted to do since earlier this year in the northern part of the island, and Ubud, the island’s artistic and cultural hub. Bali is an island in the Indian Ocean, one of an estimated 17500 islands that make up Indonesia, or “Indo” as hipsters refer to it. Indonesia is predominantly a Muslim country, but the island of Bali is the exception. Here over 80% of the population practices Balinese Hinduism which governs every aspect of local life. There are religious calendars that are followed to dictate when birth, puberty, tooth filling, marriage and cremation ceremonies should take place. It’s a very colourful and spiritual place. There are temples both large and small and shrines seemingly everywhere, garnished with daily offerings.
I flew from Kuala Lumpur via AirAsia and let me say it was in stark contrast to my previous flight with Etihad airways- but thankfully we made it. I spent one night in the touristy beach town of Seminyak as a meeting point for the retreat I was attending. Here I met up with the other 17 ladies who would also be attending the retreat organized by Sarah of Sarah Somewhere. The retreat’s theme was “Return to Wholeness” and I went into it with a pretty open mind. In fact I didn’t even really learn the name of the place where the retreat was until after the retreat was over. (Thanks Google.) Nor did I learn that we were on the northern part of the island. I literally didn’t have a care in the world and just rolled with it. Turns out that was a great way to be, as this week long retreat would prove better for my soul than I ever could’ve guessed.
The ladies of the retreat were a diverse group ranging in age from 25-71ish. We came from the Philippines, Singapore, Canada, the U.S., Australia and Mexico (sorry if I’ve left anyone out!) Some people knew each other previous to the retreat, but many like me, were strangers. We would leave friends. Friends who had the privilege to see each woman’s core. To see each other stripped away from the roles we play in our every day life and just be seen as we are. We all came running towards or away from a multitude of things but with the same shared goal of becoming whole.
The retreat took place in a small resort called the Bali Mandala Resort over looking the ocean. It was total bliss. The huts were out of an island romance scene, the pool was lovely, and the food was amazing. I’m notorious for getting sick on every single trip I take. But not this one. Not even once. There was a spa on the resort where I had some of the best massages of my life. I spent the days eating, going to a morning and afternoon meditation class, dipping in the pool or ocean, or reading and journaling listening to the ocean waves lap against the rocky shore. Even as I think about it now my breathing becomes more relaxed and a calmness washes over me. It really was bliss.
During that week we did an early morning sunrise dolphin tour with a local fisherman. Right before going one of the ladies I’d gotten close to asked “are you going to take something for seasickness?” And I was like “no. It’ll be fine.” Famous last words. The fisherman laughed at me as I repeatedly vomited over the side and then handed me a Balinese pastry and an orange to settle my stomach. We visited the nearby school that is funded by the resort, and spend some time signing and dancing with the kids. We visited a local hilltop temple and received blessings from a Balinese High Priest. We witnessed sunrises and sunsets that left me speechless. We had a day of noble silence in which we weren’t supposed to talk with one anther, but encouraged to just be with our thoughts. We were entertained by local Balinese dancers on our last evening and spent the night of the full moon dancing as if no one was watching. After the impromptu dance party we changed into our swimsuits and guided by the bright moonlit sky swam in the pool, and did a “whirlpool.” This night I will likely remember for the rest of my life.
Most importantly we formed friendships- many who’s paths will likely intersect in the future. I felt whole. Like all the parts of me that were scattered miraculously found their way back to one another. I let myself be seen in my most bare form. I looked into the eyes of those 17 other ladies and saw them in their most bare forms, and loved every bit of them. I meditated and got some needed clarity on where I’ve been, and where I’m headed. I felt blessed. Blessed for the opportunity to travel to Bali for the sole purpose of finding inner peace. Blessed to disconnect. Blessed to meet these amazing ladies. Oh, and I felt pure bliss like I’ve never known before. Deep rooted joy that I hope I can channel into daily life.
What experiences have brought you bliss or made you feel blessed?
Last week I returned from a 3 week solo trip to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and Bali Indonesia. It was such a great trip that I actually forgot I had a job. Like 2 weeks into the trip I saw photos of a work potluck on Facebook and my brain clicked in and was like “oh right. You do actually have a job.” Part of my time in Bali was spent at a yoga/meditation retreat (which I’ll tell you about soon) and my work-related amnesia must have been due to some massive uncluttering of my brain. Either that, or I have early onset dementia. Hard to say.
I flew from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi and then on to Kuala Lumpur via Emirates Air. Never having flown with them before I was super impressed, even more so after flying cargo class with Air Asia to Bali. I spent 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur before going to Bali and 3 nights there on the tail end. It’s no surprise that I liked Kuala Lumpur. I love bustling international cities. I love having great international cuisine and anywhere that has an abundance of bars. The first 2 nights I stayed in Bukit Bintang which is known as the shopping/entertainment district of KL. It’s very walkable, and I felt safe walking around as a single woman. On my return I stayed in KLCC which is where the Petronas Towers are and Suria KLCC a great shopping mall.
Bukit Bingtang
Petronas Towers
I spent my time in Kuala Lumpur eating some amazing food, and getting to pair it with wine or beer. This is one of the major things I miss while living in Saudi- I love to go out for nice food and have a nice glass/bottle of an adult beverage to go with it. I think I ate sushi like 3 or 4 times. I ate some delicious Chinese dim-sum. I went up the Petronas towers and checked out the aquarium nearby. I shopped and lost myself in a huge English bookstore. I saw a movie, which was great because by North American standards it was super cheap. They oddly played what I’m assuming is the Malaysian national anthem prior to the movie and everyone in the audience stood up from their seats until the song was over. That was a first for me. Mostly I spent my time doing normal everyday things that I would do if I weren’t living in Saudi.
One morning I took a taxi to Batu Caves which are about 20-25min from the city center depending on traffic. You can reach the caves by train, but I was feeling super lazy and had lost my travel mojo at this point so I opted for a taxi. Batu Caves is a hugely popular Hindu shrine built into the side of a limestone hill. It’s a pilgrimage site for Hindu’s worldwide. I’d seen pictures of the towering statue of Murugan with the staircase leading into the caves and it was at the top of my list of things to see while visiting Kuala Lumpur. The caves have served as a temple since the late 1800’s.
There are some 270 steps leading upwards into the cave. When I visited there were a pretty even mix of tourists and Hindu worshipers. There were also numerous menacing thieving monkeys lining the railings leading into the cave. I really don’t like monkeys so I kept a close eye on them, and kept my things out of reach. Other visitors weren’t so lucky. I witnessed the monkeys steal bottles from babies. Seriously. 2 separate incidents of bottles full of milk were taken out of the innocent hands of babes. Others lost bags of fruit and hats. Pretty much anything a monkey could get their hands on. Don’t get me wrong- they’re super cute from a distance, but that’s where they can stay.
So up the steps you climb, and it’s really humid, so you’re sweating from pretty much everywhere. Coming up from the bottom the steps appear to just disappear into the darkness of the cave. It’s a very impressive view. Once you get into the main cave there is a temple off to the left and there are several statues of various Hindu gods tucked around the walls of the cave. You then climb another smaller set of stairs which takes you into a smaller cave with another temple where Hindu worshipers were lined up to get Puja which involves making an offering and then getting a purification blessing from the priest. It was pretty surreal watching all the goings-on from the inside of a massive cave. Also the priests were all sporting 70’s style mustaches which are always a hit for me.
On the drive back into the city I had a unexpected chat about world religions with the taxi driver. Malaysia is over 50% Muslim, almost 20% Buddhist, and then the remainder split between Hinduism, Christianity, and the various other Chinese religions. He asked me where I lived and I told him I was a Canadian, but that I lived in Saudi Arabia. He then asked if I was Muslim, I said no, and then asked him if he was. He replied “I like all religions but am none. All are the same.” I told him that back home we described this as being “spiritual but not religious.” He liked that phrase a lot. Chatting with him was one of those random and unexpected things that happens when you open yourself up to meeting people who you otherwise wouldn’t. It’s one of the things I love the most about traveling. We all come from different backgrounds and places, but essentially we are all the same. Chatting with him reminded me of a song from one of my favourite artists Ingrid Michaelson called Blood Brothers. I’ll end this post with the lyrics from the chorus…..
What you need, what you need I need too What you are, what you are I am too ’cause we’re all the same under a different name We’re all blood, we’re all blood, blood brothers We’re all blood, we’re all blood, blood brothers
Lastly, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Expat Blog for featuring me as their Blog of the Month, and a Hello to my new readers, some of whom have sent me lovely messages. So thanks for reading. And don’t forget you can subscribe to get new blog posts in your email to the right-hand side of this post. Or you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
So in my last blog post I alluded to that one time on my first international trip where my passport was stolen. The year was 2006. I was super green to the world of travel and still under the delusion that at 27 I would likely get ID’d on a musical pub crawl in Dublin. And that when I did get ID’d I thought my driver’s license wouldn’t suffice so I had best have my passport on me. How naive.
It was a Saturday night. After bouncing around between several bars that evening and making friends with many locals and an American couple we ended up at a dance club. As memory serves me there was dancing involved. My recollection is part memory, part drunken photos. I ended up with a stolen passport, but somehow didn’t have my camera taken. My travel mate’s camera wasn’t as lucky. So after the bar closed we ended up on the street in front of the bar and this is where I realized I was sans passport. Initially I thought I’d just put it somewhere else in my purse. That initial feeling where you think you’ve lost something is awful. It feels like burning in your throat followed by a fluttering in your upper chest. Oh Shit. My passport isn’t in here.
After the initial shock subsided the water works kicked in. Followed by us madly banging on the bar door for them to let us back in. They were in the process of cleaning up. We checked to bar floor, the bathrooms, but no passport. Shit. They also stole my US work visa which was affixed in the passport. Double shit. Adrenaline and being scared shitless are powerful antidotes to alcohol. I sobered up pretty much stat. We went back to the hotel. I called my parents. I cried like baby. Through sobs I told them of my predicament. I called the Government of Canada’s emergency assistance number. In retrospect it wasn’t a true emergency. But let me tell you it was an awful feeling being abroad without a passport.
Lucky for me there was a Canadian consulate in Dublin. Unfortunately, they were closed until Monday. Remember how I said prior to this that I was under the belief that embassies were open 24/7. Like 7-11. Nope. It still cracks me up that I thought that!! So here it is in the early hours of Sunday morning and we are to fly out early Monday afternoon. After a few hour of restless sleep we went to the police station to file a police report, I got passport photos taken, and printed off an application for a temporary passport. Then we did what anyone would do- went on a ghost tour of Dublin later that night. Because what else could we do?
So Monday morning we show up at the consulate with all my papers. Unlucky for me the lady who could’ve issued me a temporary passport had called in sick, so the best they could do was to issue me an emergency passport which was basically an 8×10 piece of paper with a couple stamps and my picture on it. It would get me from Dublin to London, but not back to the US (where I was living at that time). In London I was supposed to go to the embassy there and they would be able to issue me a new passport. So I boarded the flight to London. And then in London the airline (which shall remain unnamed) allowed me to get onto the flight to LA. With an 8×10 piece of paper as my ID. So get on the plane I did. In my head everything would be ok once I landed because they have my fingerprints on file and they can see that it’s me, and that I’m legally allowed to work in the US. Wrong. Dead-wrong.
I landed in LA, and immediately the immigration people were less than pleased at my arriving from the UK with only a mildly-official piece of paper. I was pulled from the immigration counter to a separate area where I was left to wait for what seemed like a couple hours. In this waiting area were other people- most did not speak English, but like me were in varying degrees of immigration greyness shall we say. Eventually I was brought to an office were it was decided that I should be put back on the returning flight to London….except that the flight had already left. So then it was decided that I had 3 days to get a new passport and work visa or I would be asked to leave the country.
Now here’s where my luck was good- I was living in Orange County, just outside of LA, where there was a Canadian consulate, and where for an absurd amount of money they can issue you a temporary passport and an expedited permanent passport. And lucky for me living in Orange County I was only 2 hours from the Mexican border to get a new work visa. Work visas are only issued upon arrival to the US. Had I not been close to the Canadian or Mexico border this already costly ordeal would’ve included a flight out of the US so I could get a visa coming back in.
So in the end it all worked out. It ended up costing many hundreds of dollars, some gas down to Tijuana and a couple boxes of tissues, but I got a great travel story out of it. In fact I’m exactly the person you want to be traveling with if your passport ever gets stolen. I know exactly what to do. Stay calm. Locate the nearest embassy or consulate. Visit during business hours. Voila.
What’s the most stressful thing you’ve had happen while traveling??
Gosh, I’m sorry. I kinda dropped off the face of the earth there for a bit. Not literally, but figuratively, in that I’ve been off finding myself in Bali. I’ve been on a 3 week solo trip bouncing from Saudi to Kuala Lumpur, to a yoga/meditation retreat in Bali, and then back to Kuala Lumpur. I promise to tell you all about it soon, but in the mean time I thought I’d tell you about how I came to love travel so much, and some of the things it has taught me.
I spent most of my 20’s working as a travel nurse in the US, living in North Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, California and Washington. I was very outgoing and comfortable with uprooting myself whenever I got bored or needed a change of scenery. During this period of time I moved more than most people will in their entire lives. As in I seriously moved at least 20 times. Even though I would’ve described myself as adventurous it was from a very sheltered perspective. Besides going to Mexico as a kid I had yet to leave North America. I was a bit of a princess back in those days- very tied to monetary things that I thought brought me comfort- I always had a flashy car, never deprived myself of whatever it was that I might “want” in that moment. The “me” of then could never have imagined living out of a backpack, having to wash my knickers out in the sink, or staying anywhere that wasn’t 5 stars. The extremes of humanity like poverty, classism and sexism were largely foreign concepts to me at that point.
Back in 2006 I took my first international trip with a friend to London and Ireland. Even though it was an English speaking country it felt very foreign. The locals had cute little accents, and the toilets were a bit different, and they used different words to describe things than I was used to. Oh, and they also drove on the other side of the road, which meant I had to drive on the other side of the road. It was all fresh, and new, and I loved it. And then because it was my first international trip I decided to live every travelers worst nightmare and have my passport stolen. Because, THAT seems like a fun idea. Here’s how green to travel I was. I was 27 and convinced that if I was going on a pub crawl I needed to take my passport with me in the event I got ID’d. Yep. Present day me never carries my passport with me if I can lock it somewhere, and yet here I was drunk on a pub crawl in Temple Bar, and my passport got stolen. Along with my friends camera. Tears ensued. Like the kind of crying where you know you’re completely effed and it sobers you up kinda crying. Now here’s how equally green I was: from the movies it always appears that people who are in trouble (or drunk and missing a passport) just run up to the gates of their embassy and the guards let them in and offer assistance. Life Lesson: that is only in movies. In reality embassies work business hours, and may not even be located in the city or country your passport is stolen from. Eventually, I obviously got an emergency passport and I’ll tell you all about it another time!! Promise.
So after the passport fiasco of 2006, I traveled to Japan and Bali in 2008 to celebrate a friend’s 30th birthday. This was likely the point where the life I had been living intersected with the life I wanted to be living. And where my full blown passion for travel was found. I was able to experience 2 very differing Asian cultures on this trip. I saw the orderliness of Japan against the third worldiness of Bali. I ate foods I had never heard of, road on some of the fastest trains known to man, became accustomed to the distinctive smell of burning garbage, and had one of the worst GI illness of my life. That trip left me wanting more.
So orderly….
Before I knew monkeys have rabies…
The following year I rang in my 30th birthday on the beaches of Costa Rica with an awesome groups of friends both new and old. I traveled to Guatemala to visit a dear friend who was living there and learned the life lesson that sometimes we play it a little too safe in our western bubbles. For sensible reasons I would never ride around in the back of a strangers pick-up in North America, and yet that was exactly what I found myself doing in Guatemala. I also learned that really outside of western countries there are no such things as safety waivers, just the general implied rule of “try not to act like an idiot and you’ll live.” I like that a lot. I also dragged my Pops with me to Scotland that year on a ancestry tour. That same trip I managed to drive our rental car into a low-hanging bridge about 3 hours after we picked it up. Thank goodness we got extra insurance with that one!!
Seems safe enough….
Turns out we ARE royalty….
When I was 31 I got the crazy idea to take a travel nurse gig in Saudi. By crazy idea, I mean my cousin Amber nagged me to go with her, and then when I decided I would, she promptly pulled out. Granted she’d recently met a lovely guy so I couldn’t really be mad. And to be fair I’m pretty sure Saudi couldn’t have handled the both of us!! The 15 months I worked in Saudi shattered all my previous world views and exposed me to cultures, languages, and religions that were so foreign to me. During that time I had the privilege of traveling to Bahrain, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Austria, Egypt, Portugal, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Some with new friends from Saudi, some with dear friends from home, and some solo.
India. Trying to fit in…
Even in Egypt there’s a……
Syria. I often think of this guy….
Turkey. From a hot air balloon.
After Saudi I moved back to Seattle, but had a hard time settling in. I had changed. Long periods of travel, or moving abroad do that. They are meant to. I saw things differently, and longed for more. Within a year I was off traveling again. Exploring Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I had almost 5 weeks off and it was awesome. I didn’t want to come back. This started me planning the biggest adventure I’ve ever had and last year I took nearly 3 months off and drove an auto-rickshaw across India with 2 of my dear friends. It was life changing. After completing the “Rickshaw Run” I traveled thru Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and spent some more in India. I volunteered at a charity in Kolkata and then spent a week in Northern India in an ashram. I fell in love with Bangladesh. Specifically the people. I can’t talk of that trip without getting a goofy smile on my face. In fact I’m smiling now as I write this to you. The time I spent in India opened me up to the injustices of poverty, classism and sexism. What I saw can’t be unseen. Nor should it.
The Rickshaw Run India
Paparazzi in Bangladesh
Kids are the future…..
Volunteering in India.
So that brings this to my most recent travels. This year has been an awesome travel year, one that has often made me feel like I’ve been shadowing along on other peoples honeymoon’s as several of the places I’ve been have had a slightly romantic feel. While I myself have felt anything but. The winter isolation of the Lofoten Islands of Norway, the Maldives, the susets off the beach in Bali have all been uber romantic. But as I’ve already blogged about I’m not waiting around for the future Mr. Kristine wanders to experience it. If I want to go, I go.
Here are some of the many lessons I’ve learned from traveling. My passion for travel has made me fiercely independent. I am comfortable alone, or with strangers. The people you meet are generally good. If you ask, they will help you. Kindness begets kindness. For me personal growth happens when I’m out of my comfort zone. There’s something very liberating about going with the flow. Letting things play out. Traveling will make you more aware of your “gut” feeling. Listen to it. I don’t always play it safe, but I take calculated risks. I’m also not afraid to yell at someone or become aggressive if a situation requires it. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen very often. Travel opens you up, it softens you. Often it is transformative. It has been for me.
The things you experience while traveling will imprint themselves on your heart. Some of them will be places, some will be experiences, but the vast majority of them will be the encounters you had with other travelers and the local people. People who are the exact some as you, but come from very different backgrounds. People who if you let them will be some of your best teachers.
What are the best lessons you’ve learned from travel?
Last month I popped over to Sharm el-Sheikh, or “Sharm” as it’s referred to by ex-pats and Middle Easterners. I went for 3 nights to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Sharm is a resort town on the Sinai peninsula of Egypt, on the Red Sea. It’s a quick 2hr flight from Riyadh, and makes a nice weekend get-away. The town itself is mostly full of all-inclusive resorts of varying stars, as well as Saudi, Egyptian, British and Russian tourists. It’s known amongst divers as being some of the best waters you can dive in, and there are many dive boats to stay on if that’s your thing.
Sharm is a place of contradictions. You will see Muslim women in swim burkinis or their abayas next to British and Russian tourists in the teeniest swimwear your eyes have ever seen. It’s bizarre and surreal. Safety wise Sharm el-Sheikh is the only safe place on the Sinai peninsula, but as with most security in the Middle East, this is an ever changing thing, so it’s best to follow the situation closely if you’re going and be sure to register with your embassy. The last major terror attack in Sharm was in 2005, although the most recent June tourist attack in Tunisia has shed light on Sharm being a target. Security is reportedly on high alert, but to be quite honest I hardly saw any security at all. Maybe they blended in civilian-style, but I’ve seen more security in Saudi Arabia than we saw here.
I won’t actually name the resort we stayed at because it wasn’t really that great. We spent our time bouncing between the few pools at the resort, going for dips, reading in the shade, having drinks at the swim up bar, or watching the daily belly-dancing and jazzercise classes. They were hugely entertaining. I had wanted to try scuba diving again, but had been fighting a respiratory bug for the last several weeks (thankfully not MERS) so couldn’t do it. The beach area is really rocky so most of the resorts on the bay we stayed on had piers that led out into the ocean to make getting in easier. The water is a beautiful shade of blue with great visibility and tons of fish. The ocean was really rough the time we were there, so while I did go in my fear of water immediately kicked in and I was back out in a matter of minutes.
The best thing we did while there though, was rent a beach cabana and pretend we were high rollers for the day. For $30 we got a private beachfront cabana with a waiter and wifi. It felt like total luxury and I loved every minute of it. Weather wise it’s super humid. Riyadh has a dry heat which I’ve become accustomed to, so Sharm was pretty close to unbearable during the day with temperatures in the mid to upper 40’s and humidity in the 50’s it was sweltering. The other relaxing thing we did was a 2 hour Egyptian hammam which was classier than my Moroccan hammam experience, but still resulted in me being mostly naked whilst getting a scrub down with my travel mate. Since it was my second experience I felt like quite the experienced hammam-goer.
If you need a weekend away you could do much worse than to fly over to Sharm el-Sheikh. If you love all-inclusives than you will likely love Sharm. If like me, they’re not really your thing it still makes for a nice weekend out of the sandbox. Go exploring people…..
Wow. That sure went fast. 52 weeks. 365 days. And yesterday marked my 1 year anniversary in Saudi Arabia. Time here passes differently. It feels like I boarded that flight from Canada to Saudi much longer than a year ago, and oddly, at the same time it feels like I’ve packed 5 years worth of memories into the last year. The weeks seem to drag on, but the months themselves seem to fly by. It’s hard to put the concept of time into words, but I reckon those of you who live here get what I mean.
