By this Author: Grete Howard

Flight from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Sucre.

La Recoleta

Asur Museum

Hotel De su Merced

Chocolate cake - yummy!

Cal Orcko

Going back down the hill is easier on my chest, but harder on my knee, but I make it back to the car in one piece. As soon as we reach the hotel, I collapse into bed and stay there for the remainder of the afternoon, evening, and night. As David leaves to go for dinner with Juan, I wake up, and immediately cough up a whole load of green gunk. I take my blood saturation levels, which are only 86%. Not good. During the pandemic, the NHS was urging us to go straight to hospital if the SP0² dropped below 90%.

Thank you so much to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this fascinating trip.

Samaipata Fort

Samaipata Town

Samaipata Museum

Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Jacha Inti

Dinner

Viru Viru Airport

Hotel Las Americas

The beds are comfortable, however, and we slip under the sheets at 2am, setting the alarm for 07:00.

Waking a few hours later, I feel surprisingly refreshed. Breakfast is on the top floor, with a limited choice of breads, cakes, cereal, ham, pineapple, and melon.

Briefing meeting

At 9am we have a briefing meeting with Juan, our guide here in Bolivia, to go through the itinerary, what we can expect, and what is expected of us. Juan is very thorough and detailed. I have a question about tomorrow’s sightseeing – we are leaving town to visit a fort, and on the way back we are stopping for a hike to a waterfall. I fear that I am not fit enough for the hike, and David isn’t particularly interested, so I ask if we can visit a butterfly park instead. Juan explains that the park is on the opposite side of town to the fort, so it would be better to do it this afternoon instead. He has already been informed by Mark at Undiscovered Destinations (who we booked this trip through) that I am massively into photography, especially wildlife, and he is more than happy to change the itinerary for me.

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Recova Vieja

The items for sale here are a combination of tacky souvenirs, traditional handicrafts, delicate jewellery, quirky leather goods, and everything in between.

Plaza 24 de Septiembre

San Lorenzo Church

The Love Pig

As my back and knee are both hurting and making walking painful for me, I am unable to do this park justice. Apparently, there are some lovely trails leading through the 14 hectares of ground, but I find myself more and more grumpy as the pain becomes worse and worse.

Toborochi (the pink tree we saw earlier in the square) in bonsai form

A fruit called Sinini, said to be useful in the treatment of cancer

The birds and animals in sad-looking cages (apparently all rescued pets) do nothing to help my mood in any way.

There are some wild birds around, but Mowgli the dog makes sure that they don’t hang around for very long.

Black Legged Serima - our first lifer of the trip.

Blue Grey Tanager

Juan keeps encouraging me to continue, despite my protestations that I am in a great deal of pain now, promising me that there will be benches to sit on as we continue on our way. I feel guilty for not showing much enthusiasm, especially as Juan has gone to the trouble of amending the itinerary for me, and finding this place, so agree to make my way to the largest collection of orchids in the country.

When the afore-promised benches fail to materialise, the light makes it almost impossible to take photos, and hardly any of the 600+ orchid plants are flowering, I give up and Juan reluctantly agrees for us to make our way back to the hotel.

We stop on the way at a supermarket to purchase frozen vegetables that I use as ice packs for my knee and back. It works to some extent.

After a shower and rest in the room, Juan picks us up to go to a traditional restaurant for dinner. I don’t feel too great this evening, as I seem to have picked up a cold on the flight over here.

La Casa del Camba

In order to try as many different local dishes as possible, we order what is called a ‘Mini Buffet’ for two people. Juan insists it will be enough to feed three, as the portions are big and he “doesn’t eat much”.

The buffet consists of Charqui (similar to jerky/biltong: salted and dried beef), Duck Majao, Spicy Chicken, and Slow Cooked Beef Tongue.

These dishes are accompanied by Salad of the Day, Rice with Cheese, Fried Yucca, Fried Plantain, Fried Eggs, Chuño (potatoes processed by successive freezing, thawing, and dehydrating), and a Hot Sauce.

Spicy Chicken, and Rice with Cheese

Rice with Jerky and Fried Plantain

Duck Majao

Slow Cooked Beef Tongue

Salad of the Day

Yucca with spicy sauce

Freeze Dried Potato and Fried Eggs

We share a bottle of local red wine to go with it, as recommended by Juan - good choice!

Unusually for me, I seem to have lost my appetite, so I just a try a little of each dish. Funnily enough, it is Juan, who claims “not to each much”, who eats by far the most out of the three of us. Quite miraculous really, as he is so tiny – where does he put it all? He was right, though, it was more than enough to feed three people.

David and I do have dessert, however. Again a combo of three typical local dishes: Leche Crema (cream milk, a little like caramel pudding), Rice Pudding, and Manjar Blanco (similar to Dulce de Leche, a thick creamy caramel) served with Crillo Cheese.

When we booked this trip, we were unaware of the fact that today is the Coronation of King Charles III. Quite how it will affect our travel plans – if at all – is uncertain. The strike by 1,400 security staff at Heathrow, however, may make much more of an impact on the smooth running of our day. Ironically, it is only Terminal 5 that is affected – which means British Airways, and us.

With all that, we leave extra early for the journey up to Heathrow, which is just as well, as according to the overhead gantry signs, there has been an accident, and the slip road to the M25 is closed. We come off the motorway at the previous exit, which – according to the Sat Nav – only adds an additional 7 minutes to the journey.

Heathrow Airport

While David sorts out for the Valet Parking company to pick our car up from the Short Term Car Park, I ring for a wheelchair to pick me up from there rather than walk into the terminal myself. Although my knee is much better than it was, that, and my arthritis means I struggle to walk long distances, and even more so, stand still for extended periods of time. Heathrow being such a huge airport means that the schlep to the gate can be as much as a mile at times, and if Terminal 5 is going to be as busy as the media suggests, with long, slow queues, I would really struggle.

The wheelchair and driver arrive, and he pushes me to an area dedicated to Special Assistance Check In. There is no queue whatsoever, and we arrive directly at the desk. Still feeling a little paranoid after the drawn-our palaver with booking the spare seat, I mention it to the agent as we check in. She confirms it is all OK and the middle seat has indeed been reserved for us. Phew. We’d already printed our boarding cards before leaving home, so it is just a case of dropping off the luggage, and we are on our way.

The wheelchair driver pushes me into a Special Assistance Holding Area, from which we carefully conduct a daring escape to the nearby Pilots Bar and Kitchen for lunch and a pre-flight drink. David chooses a chicken and chorizo pizza, while I select a decadent smoked salmon tartine.

We make it back to the Holding Area in plenty of time before we are reported missing.

At the allotted time, a small army of pushers (wheelchairs, not drugs) arrives to take passengers to the flight. I am allocated a small slip of a girl who really struggles to navigate some of the inclines with my heavy frame in the chair.

Flight BA 145

As soon as I sit down in seat 23K, I am eternally grateful that we persevered with booking that middle seat (see the story here), as my legroom is partially blocked by a metal box.

As soon as we are airborne, the lady in front of me reclines her seat – which she is perfectly entitled to, of course, but it does further restrict my legroom. She struggles to be able to raise it again when the food arrives – it takes three of us: the air stewardess and the passenger pulling on the seat and pressing the button, with me pushing from behind. Finally, it goes back to an upright position. The person in the row in front of David doesn’t even bother to try.

The dinner consists of two choices: beef or vegetarian. I choose vegetarian, which is a delicious mushroom stroganoff with rice. It seems that I chose well, as David says that his beef dish is dull and tasteless. I give him my apple crumble to compensate. We both make the mistake of thinking the small reddish dish is some sort of cake or fruit mixture, but it turns out to be a beetroot salad. Oops.

From then on I sleep on and off – I can’t say I am all that comfortable, but I guess it is better than being squeezed in as I would have been without the spare seat. At least I can keep shifting position. I take painkillers for my aching back, and feel a little better.

Shortly before landing, we are served a “traditional British Breakfast” of sorts.

I have to give kudos to British Airways for using much more eco-friendly wooden (bamboo?) cutlery than the usual plastic you get on other airlines.

Without warning, David’s phone goes crazy, emitting a piercing high pitch tone, and it looks like it is trying to reset itself to factory settings. Oh dear, I hope he doesn’t lose all the information he has on there, that would be a bit of a disaster.

As we near the South American coast, the sun starts to rise, casting a gentle light on the wing of the plane.

I am intrigued and rather taken with the automated window blind – at the touch of this button (situated below the window), the glass takes on a darker shade. For a gadget lover like myself, this is a new toy!

The rest of the flight is uninteresting, and I am disappointed to see the number of passengers who do not raise their seat-backs for landing, and that the crew checking the cabin as the captain starts his descent, do not – or choose not to – notice.

Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport

There is a very nice man waiting for me at the gate with a wheelchair to take me to the taxi rank, where we catch a cab to a hotel near Aeroparque, the other, smaller airport in the city, where we have a connecting flight later this evening, to Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia.

Hotel Intersur Recoleta

At the hotel, there is a bit of a queue to check in, with just one person behind the desk. The room, when we get to it, is very nice, but it does seem to be a bit of a rip-off at £130 for a day room for just a few hours. Our flight from London arrived here at 08:20, and our next departure is not until 00:30, leaving us with a 16-hour layover, hence why we chose to book a day room.

Our first task when we get settled in, is to check in for this evening’s flight with Aerolinas Argentinas. Before leaving the UK, we selected seats 21 C and D on this flight, but when we go to check in, we find we have been moved to 3 C and D as a result of requesting Special Assistance (they keep the first row after business class for people who are disabled, old, pregnant or just need a little extra help).

The £130 for the room does include breakfast (I would bloody well hope so), so we make sure we get our money’s worth before trying to catch up on some sleep.

Our plan was to sleep for a while, then get a decent dinner before making our way to the airport. What we forgot to take into consideration, is that Argentinians eat dinner very late, and the restaurant doesn’t even open until 19:00. When we arrived at the hotel, we asked them to arrange a transfer to the airport, and they suggested 19:30, leaving us plenty of time, as there is an important football match on here in Buenos Aires tonight, and the stadium is located between the hotel and the airport.

With the restaurant closed, we head to the hotel café, where we are told that it is not just that the restaurant doesn’t open until later, the kitchen is in fact closed until 19:00. They can, however, make us a cheese and ham sandwich. I guess that will have to do.

And very nice it is too.

After having to vacate the room at 18:00 (making the £130 cost of the day room even less appealing), we spend the next 1½ hours hanging around in the lobby of the hotel, where we can hear the aforementioned football fans quite clearly.

There is a mezzanine floor above the lobby, with the most amazing chandelier spanning two floors.

The taxi arrives, and the driver is listening to the match on the radio. It is all going well for his team, Boca Juniors, until 3 seconds into extra time when Plate River scores, giving them a 1-0 lead. I have never heard a grown man wail to such an extent, alternating between banging the steering wheel and throwing his arms in the air with loud and pained exclamations of “nooooooo” and “¿por que”. The man is inconsolable! It would be funny if it wasn’t for the fact that he obviously takes football extremely seriously. I guess this is not the time to say “It’s only a game”?

The taxi pulls up outside the Departures, and I ask the parking attendant where I can find a wheelchair. She kindly phones ahead and soon a young man turns up with my carriage. He pushes me to the Special Assistance check-in, although technically there is no need to ‘jump the queue’ in that way, as there is not a single person in line for any of the counters.

From there we continue to the usual holding area, where I am given a choice: would I prefer to wait in the small, dull, holding area, or, if I prefer, they can push me to the bar, and pick me up from there at 21:30 for boarding. You can see from the photos below which option I go for!

Two glasses of Malbec later, I walk the short distance back to the Holding Area, where, as promised, I am picked up at the allocated time and wheeled throw immigration and security (very smooth and hassle-free) to the gate to wait for boarding.

When boarding commences, the wheelchair driver takes me off in the completely opposite direction to the gate. I try to protest, but he appears not to speak any English, and my Spanish is nowhere near good enough. We take the lift down to the ground floor, and exit the building, making our way across the tarmac towards the waiting plane.

Despite stating that I am able to walk stairs and only need assistance to and from the gate, I am being taken up to the plane in the catering lift. What fun!

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The only problem is, we arrive at the rear of the plane, and our seats are at the front. The steward phones through to the crew at the front entrance, who stops any more passengers boarding, so that we can make our way down the aisle to our seats in row 4. This row is reserved for disabled passengers and those who require special assistance (pregnant ladies, the elderly and infirm). I wish all airlines would do this – take note British Airways! There is plenty of legroom here, as it is the first row after business class.

As the air stewardess is making the announcements for take-off, a kid nearby is playing a noisy game on his phone, someone else is talking loudly on their mobile, and a third phone rings. So much for switching off your devices!

It’s a relatively short flight (three hours and five minutes), and we receive a surprisingly fresh crustless cheese and ham sandwich during that time, as well as a drink and a cereal bar.

We encounter some serious turbulence, making for an ‘interesting’ and bumpy ride.

Look out for our arrival in Bolivia in the next installment.

Thank you Undiscovered Destinations for making this dream come true.

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Preface

Bolivia, and the salt flats of Uyuni in particular, has been near the top of my wish-list for some time now. When, in the Autumn of 2022, I am trying to think of somewhere to go the following May, I check to see what Undiscovered Destinations (our favoured tour operator) can offer to Bolivia.

Looking at their High Andes tour, I decide to give La Paz a miss (we were there in 1990), as well as the side trip to Chiquitania, concentrating on the middle section.

Right at the bottom of their Bolivia page, they offer a combination with Chile and Argentina. There is no harm in just taking a look….

When I start to look into it, I decide that we are better off doing a large chunk of that part of the world ‘while we are there’. To cut a long story short, I ask Undiscovered Destinations to create a bespoke trip for me, with elements from their ‘High Andes’ tour to Bolivia, and the Puna and Atacama’ tour of Argentina and Chile to create a private 25-day trip.

This is our pre-planned route

Wednesday 7th December 2022

Having looked at our various options for flights to South America, we settle on British Airways direct flights to Buenos Aires, using that as our hub in South America. At 14 hours, it's a long, long flight, and we contemplate Business Class until we see the price, or Economy Plus until we discover that the armrests don't lift in that cabin.

After much discussion, we settle on buying three seats for the two of us on the right-hand side of the plane so that I can spread my leg out into the middle seat to be able to straighten my poorly knee during the long flight.

According to the BA website, an extra seat 'for comfort' cannot be booked on line, we need to phone them.

The first person I speak to, Richard, has it all covered until I state that I also want to redeem my Avios (frequent flyer) points.

“Oh, that's a different department,” he tells me. “I'll put you through”.

Eventually, a chap called Omar answers the phone in the Executive Club department. He doesn't seem to understand what it is I want. So we go around in circles for several minutes until he grasps the fact that I want to purchase an extra seat AND redeem my points.

He talks me through the process, frequently putting me on hold while he confers with his colleagues, and after 50 minutes on the phone to British Airways, I come away having booked two seats, with the third seat in the middle being on hold. The pricing of this seat, however, has to go to another department, so Omar tells me I have to ring back in three working days to pay for the third seat

Monday 12th December

When calling BA, I choose Option 1 for amending an existing booking. I get a recorded message telling me that as a result of the current weather disruption, they are unable to take my call. I am then unceremoniously cut off.

Tuesday 13th December

The same thing happens when I call today

Wednesday 14th December 2022

As it is now seven days since Omar put a hold on the extra seat (which is how long airlines will normally hold a seat for you), I take a different approach when I phone BA: I choose option Two for a 'New Booking'.

The call is answered almost immediately (sadly this is a reflection on how most companies treat potential new clients as opposed to valuing their existing customers). I explain the situation, and Ashish puts me on hold.

When he returns some minutes later (by which time I have been driven mad by the horrendous distorted muzak), he confirms that the seat is on hold, but it has to go to another department for pricing. “Yes, I know, that is what Oman told me last week, and that is why I am phoning today”.

Although Ashish refuses to acknowledge the fact, and just keeps repeating that “the seat is on hold, but it needs to go to another department for pricing”, it is pretty obvious that Omar (or someone in the pricing department) did not do what he said he was going to do last week.

Ashish, however, informs me that I don't have to ring them back, I should get an email within 48 hours detailing the cost, and all I have to do is to accept via return email, and they'll take the payment from the credit card they hold on file.

I am not holding my breath.

Friday 16th December

The 48 hours came and went today, and guess what? No email from BA. As today is a Friday, I shall give them until Monday.

Monday 19th December

It takes a little longer for the phone to be answered today, and the girl who does pick up almost immediately interrupts and tells me that she needs to transfer me to another department, sternly insisting that I am not making a new booking, I am amending an existing booking – and anyway, she is 'still in training'. (it sounds like she could do with a little more training in pleasantness)

I wait a while to be put through, some 25 minutes in total, and finally, a girl with a very Indian accent and a very English name (Michelle) takes on my problem. Once I have explained everything to her, she, like everyone else so far, puts me on hold for some considerable time. I am beginning to realise that a customer buying a second seat 'for comfort' is not an everyday occurrence.

Michelle explains that the seat booking is still with the pricing department, but because of the current weather/strike disruptions, they have had an unprecedented amount of calls, and at the moment they are only dealing with passengers whose flights are leaving in the next 72 hours. Meanwhile, she assures me that the seat will continue to be held for me.

Although patience and I are uneasy bedfellows, I shall step back and just wait until we get an email to confirm the price. “Don't sweat the small stuff, Grete”.

Friday 3rd February

Feeling that I have been more than patient at this stage, I ring British Airways customer service again, and get through to a very helpful lady called Nuruneesa, who fully appreciates my frustration, and does her very best to help me.

Unlike the previous staff members I have spoken to, Nuruneesa takes ownership of my problem, and contacts the pricing department herself, hanging on until they are able to verbally give her the cost of the extra seat.

She eventually comes back to me with a price of £741, which I consider to be more than reasonable compared with what our actual seats cost (£1,149). I guess as the seat will not have any luggage allowance, nor will it require food on the trip, or accrue any extra weight for the airline to carry, the cost is less than that for a passenger.

Nuruneesa is unable to put the payment through herself but takes my card details to pass on to the pricing department. After all the hassle so far, I will not fully relax until we get that all-important email confirmation. Watch this space.

I check the bank account every day for the next week or so, but no payment to British Airways has gone through.

Monday 13th February

This afternoon we receive an email from BA stating that they need to talk to us about our booking. Really? You don’t say!

As we are currently on holiday in France, where I don’t have access to all my previous information, they will have to wait until we get back home again. They’ve made us wait long enough to sort this out.

Saturday 18th February

Today I speak to a person who calls herself Nicole, explaining that we have received an email and giving her our reference number. After going through the security questions, she asks how she can help. I explain again that we have received an email, so the situation should be noted on our file, but briefly clarify that just over two weeks ago, Nuruneesa gave me a price of £741 for a comfort seat, took my payment details but that nothing has come out of my account as yet, so I am assuming that it hasn’t gone through.

Nicole looks on the system and confirms that they did have the details, but for protection reasons, they are unable to store the debit card’s security number for any length of time. In other words, BA was too slow to take the payment from the card before that period expired.

She takes my details again, and puts me on hold for what seems like an unreasonably long period of time, to check that everything is in place so that I “don’t have to phone them back every time”. Her words, not mine.

She finishes the conversation by saying that we should receive a confirmation email shortly. I have heard that before and will believe it when I see it.

Tuesday 21st February

Miracles never cease, I notice this morning that the money has gone out of my account to British Airways, and when I see an email in the inbox later, I am elated.

Not for long, however, as there is no indication in the email as to what that extra cost is for, and no confirmation of an extra seat booked.

Groan. David tells me to be patient and give them a chance to send out another email with confirmation of the seat reservation, so I give it over a week before I contact them again.

Wednesday 1st March

After spending some considerable time on BA’s website, I finally find an email form for them (no actual email address, just a web form). I briefly outline the situation, press send, and am delighted when I receive a reply within a couple of hours. That delight soon turns to frustration, anger, and disappointment, as BA once again wash their hands of my query, passing me back to the telephone. What is wrong with BA?

At the end of the email is a questionnaire to fill it. I don’t hold back.

"I have been going around in circles, being passed from one department to another, no-one willing to take ownership of my query. After seven phone calls and now an email, I am at my wits end, all I want is someone to confirm that the money you have taken from my account is to pay for a comfort seat. How difficult can it be??????? I used to think British Airways was a top level airline, but now I am extremely disappointed with the total lack of customer service. Your organisation is a total shambles."

I also reply to the email with my disappointment and frustration, and later Tweet BA.

Friday 3rd March

I get a reply from Linda, asking me to direct mail them as much details as possible, and they will try and sort it for me.

I do as asked, and get the following automated response. It seems that unless your request falls within one of their pre-selected ‘boxes’ of criteria, they don't want to know. I am at my wit's end now!

I reply to their tweet, voicing my frustration, but am not holding my breath. This really should not be so difficult!

Monday 6th March

I get another reply today asking for more information before they can assist with my query. This one is actually signed off by a real person – unless, of course, their Automated Reply System is called Imogen. Apart from the travel date, I already gave them all that info in my previous reply, and surely they can find the travel date by looking up my booking reference.

Tuesday 7th March

Despite wanting to tell them how totally incompetent they are, I keep my cool and just reply with all the information they have requested, adding a simplified explanation of the issue at the bottom.

I immediately get another automated reply asking for the same information AGAIN. I am now going pretty bald from where I am tearing my hair out.

A small note at the bottom suggests that as soon as I reply to the message they will “connect me to an agent who will assist”. Rather than type it all in again, I simply state that all the info can be found above.

Again I am not holding my breath.

Thursday 9th March

OMG. Miracles never cease. I receive the following direct message this morning.

It has taken me SEVEN phone calls totalling 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 37 seconds, TWO emails, THREE Tweets, and FIVE direct messages on Twitter over THREE months and TWO days to get this simple reply.

Thank you, Chris.

A few hours later, I get another direct message on Twitter, asking me to complete a survey. There is only one problem - there is no survey attached. How much more proof of their incompetence will British Airways provide me with?

Monday 13th March

Today I receive another reply from British Airways, this time via email to our Hotmail account.

I can now finally rest easily – I just hope all this palaver is worth it!

This is a short résumé of our journey through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in October 2022 for those who do not have the time to read my day-to-day blog.

A quick plug for our favourite tour operator before we get started.
The trip was arranged through Undiscovered Destination, a British tour operator and travel agent who organises private tours (as well as small groups) to some really interesting and unusual destinations. If you are keen to visit off-the-beaten-path places that rarely see another tourist, pop on over to their website to see the vast array of destinations they can offer.

We have travelled with them several times (Lake Turkana in Kenya, Moldova and Romania, Haiti, Oman, Comoros, São Tomé, Turkmenistan, and Brazil), always on a tailor-made tour, most of which I have personalised to suit our interests and capabilities, basing my plans on their group itinerary. As you can tell, we have been extremely pleased with their trips (we have several more trips in the pipeline with UD), and cannot recommend them enough for their exceptional customer service, attention to detail, ethical approach to travel, and the fascinating places they visit.

Back to Saudi Arabia. We flew on Saudia Airlines from Heathrow to Riyadh, the map below shows our journey through KSA.

Day 1 – The Edge of the World

Ali, our excellent and very caring guide, picks us up this afternoon to take us to the Edge of the World, the nickname given to Jebel Fihrayn. This spectacular cliff edge is part of the 800-km-long Tuwaiq Escarpment.

We stop on the way in a small town, where Ali buys a hot lunch from a restaurant, which we later consume as a picnic in the desert.

Our first stop is at Huraymila National Park where a small herd of Reem Deer has been reintroduced to the desert.

The escarpment is a very popular place for an afternoon excursion, especially on a weekend (today is Saturday). I didn't expect it to be quite so touristy, there is even an official (gravel) car park here! It is well worth it for the stunning view, though, and Ali adds to the atmosphere by posing in just the right place for me.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 2 – Riyadh

Today we are exploring the modern capital city of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh.

Masmak Fort
This fort is not very old as forts go, dating back some 150 years. It does, however, hold a very special place in the history of Saudi Arabia, as it was here, in 1902, that King Abdulaziz captured the fortress and took control of Riyadh after having lived in exile in Kuwait. From here he conquered and united the different kingdoms and provinces that make up the Saudi nation as we know it today.

Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque
Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter this modern-looking mosque close to the fort, as is the case of most mosques in KSA.

Najd Village Restaurant
Najd Village is an authentic Arabian restaurant offering traditional cuisine from the Najd region of the country. We are the only western diners there, and see many curious locals exploring the building and taking photos.

As with most Arabic restaurants, this offers little seating areas, known as majils, which are enclosed by waist level high walls, and scattered with cushions around the wall for you to sit on while eating, with the low walls acting as backrests. The food is usually served on a mat in the middle of the area, with everyone helping themselves from the same bowls, using their hands to eat. Correction: using the right hand to eat with, as the left hand is considered dirty (this is the one used during 'absolutions'). As foreigners, we do get our own bowls, however.

Modern Riyadh
Unfortunately, Murabba Palace and the National Museum are both closed, due to something called Riyadh Season, an annual entertainment and sports festival. I am not entirely sure why that necessitates the closure of historical sites, but who am I to question why.

We head for the financial district instead, which is jam-packed with exciting, sexy, and innovative architecture, in various stages of completeness. The security guards in charge of the area are not keen on photographers, so I take pictures covertly from inside the car.

Kingdom Tower
This large, up-market complex houses the Four Seasons Hotel, and surprisingly, it is the only place we have seen any luxurious cars here in Riyadh, with a gorgeous bright yellow Mercedes sports car drawing David's attention. Our reason for being here, is the view from the 99th floor of the building affectionately known as the Bottle Opener, for obvious reasons. It's an impressive building, covered with 85,000 square metres of glass.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here

Day 3 – Riyadh – Ushayqer – Bureidah

Riyadh Camel Market
Most of the large pens are empty (the auction is not until this afternoon), but we see some male camels who are being sold for breeding purposes, as well as females. When looking for a camel stud, prospective buyers will assess the camels mainly on their physical appearance.

Another section of the market is reserved for accessories – no self-respecting camel would be seen without the right adornments.

Qasab Salt Flats
These are said to be the largest salt flats in Saudi Arabia, producing 200,000 tons of salt annually. It is the primary source of salt in Saudi Arabia, and has been famous since ancient times for its high quality. Large holes are dug in the ground and filled with water. As the water evaporates in the fierce desert heat, a crusty layer of salt is left behind.

Ushayqer Heritage Village
Initially settled by nomads 1500 years ago, the current buildings we see here are largely no more than 400 years old. The village is built in a traditional design, with outer walls (now mostly demolished), and an inner courtyard where the market would have been held. The village is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, shaded pathways, and timber-framed walkways, crossing between hundreds of houses made from wattle and daub mud bricks.

Restoration is still very much in progress, and bricks are still made the traditional way by digging out the mud, adding straw, and drying the bricks in the sun.

Fufalgiya Mosque
As with most mosques, women pray separately from men, behind the curtain you see on the left of the image, to allow them privacy. As Ali explains, the women do not want the men looking at their posteriors when they bend over in prayer.

Almassi Alref Restaurant
We take lunch just outside the old town in a modern restaurant accessed across a bridge over an artificial stream complete with some pretty large fish.

The upstairs part of the restaurant is a little more westernised, with some garish plastic flower decorations. There is a menu with pretty pictures, and we order chicken kebab, shish tawock and iced mocha. The kebabs are served atop fanciful bowls on stems filled with hot coals to keep the food hot.

It's all very tasty, and the iced mocha is delicious!

From here we continue our journey along straight smooth roads to Bureidah, our stop for the night.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 4 – Bureidah – Qasim Camel Market - Ha’il

Qassim Camel Market
There are not just camels at this market, but also sheep and goats. I never knew there were so many different varieties! I have always found it difficult to differentiate between sheep and goats in some parts of the world, and here is no different.

We continue to the area selling camels. The large open area is full of hobbled camels, and the noise is deafening. The odd loose camel tries to run away, but none get very far before they are captured.

Prospective buyers mingle with their intended purchases, checking them out. There are three categories of camels, some of which are sold for breeding, judged by their looks, or destined for the cooking pot. Racing camels are not usually presented at the markets. Ali tells me that most of the camels in this area will become dinner at some point. Discussions then take place over a cup of Saudi Coffee, and a price is agreed upon. We too are given coffee and dates by the friendly traders.

Once the business deal has been settled, the camel is secured with a rope, and hoisted up into a waiting truck by a crane to be delivered to its new owner.

Ha'il
After returning to the hotel, where we are able to take a shower and have some breakfast, we say goodbye to Ali, our guide for the last couple of days before we continue our journey through the KSA, to Ha'il.

A'Arif Fort
We meet up with our new guide Abdulmajid at the fort. Dating from the 17th century, the fort is the oldest historical building in the town. Initially built for defense purposes, the fort was then used to signal the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan to the citizens of Hail. Following restoration, it has been opened to tourists as a museum.

From its lofty position atop a hill overlooking Ha'il, the fort offers a great view of the town below.

The Old Souq
While described as “old”, the market is surprisingly modern in my opinion, and I am sorry to say, not that exciting.

Butter mixed with date syrup is stored in animal skins – the smallest is that of a lizard, and the largest is from a camel. It tastes surprisingly good.

We get to try the best dates of this season, which I must admit are absolutely amazing. I am not really a fan of dates, but these are delicious – the best I've ever tasted!

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 5 – Ha’il – Jubbah - Sakaka

Jubbah

While there is still a settlement here in Jubbah, this was once a thriving oasis filled with people and wildlife, as documented in carvings on the rocks dating back 10,000 years. The carvings indicate that this area was once a savannah and home to numerous species of animals. The rock itself is made of sandstone, which I guess is reasonably easy to carve. It is thought that sharp pieces of basalt were used to make the inscriptions.

The petroglyphs here cover three distinct time periods, dating from 10,000 years ago, 5,000, and 2,000. It is like an ancient open-air library with its images and writing. They were such prolific carvers. I wonder why they all came to this particular place over the millennia? What drew them to these specific rocks?

Leaving Jubbah and Abduljamid behind, we continue on our journey north to Sakaka for overnight.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 6 – Sakaka – Rajajil – Marid - Tabuk

Al Ta’leel Coffee House we meet our new local guide, Abdul for the most amazing breakfast spread! We are certainly not going to starve this morning, with an enormous offering containing khubooz flatbread, addas lentils, three different kinds of cheese including my favourite soft cheese: labneh (made from yogurt), hummus with meat, babaganoush (smokey aubergine dip), stuffed baby aubergines, plain omelette, plum jam, black and green olives, falafel and chips.

Zaabal Castle
The name of the castle is translated as “ribs”, and refers to the fortifications protecting the city like the ribs protect the heart in humans. Although the fort originated some 2000 years ago, the top has been added later. This was purely a military fort, used to defend the town below – it consists of only two rooms, no living quarters.

Sakaka Old Town
As old as the castle, the town at its base was abandoned some 65 years ago, when the lure of modern houses with electricity and running water became too tempting for its inhabitants.

Museum
The bright and modern museum close to the castle, has a few interesting artifacts.

Sisra Well
The nearby well is believed to be older than the fort, dating from the Thamudic period, some 2,500 years ago. It is an unusual design, in that it is dug out of the rock rather than into the soil. Collecting water that ran off from the nearby rocky outcrop, the well features a 6km long underground tunnel to irrigate local agricultural areas that had no water of their own. The well itself is deeper than the tunnel outlet, in order to collect any stones than were washed off from the hills. The steps provide access for removing those stones. Most of the tunnels have since collapsed, with the building of the foundations for the modern houses.

Rajajil
Affectionately known as “The Stonehenge of Saudi Arabia”, these ancient stone pillars are part of a collection of around 50 groups of standing stones dating back some 6,000 years – that's a whopping 1,000 years older than its namesakes in the UK. Each of the groups are arranged in an East-West direction, and just like Stonehenge, the rocks are not local, but have been brought from 160km away. This then triggers the question: how?

Historians are unsure about how or why these pillars were erected or what purpose they served. Numerous human remains have been found, leading to suggestions that this may have been a burial site. It is understood that they were all of a similar age when they died, idicating possible sacrifice or maybe battles similar to the Roman Gladiators. A landmark or 'road sign' on a popular caravan route, or maybe astronomical structures have all been suggested. Inscriptions on the stones are in the Thamudic language, which has not been fully studied yet.

Marid Castle
Excavations have revealed that the castle dates back to the Nabataean Period,
around the 1st century AD. The whole area was fortified with stone walls to repel attacks by invaders, while the fort itself was built on a strategic rocky outcrop overlooking the city.

We part ways with Abdul and continue our journey to Tabuk and our hotel for the night.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 7 – Wadi Disah

Today is dedicated to an excursion to the magnificent canyon of Wadi Disah, with Bahil, a different driver. At the entrance to the canyon, we move over into a four-wheel-drive vehicle for the fun forage into the verdant canyon, so very different from anywhere else we have visited in this country.

Picnic
At a bend in the track, with an elevated area, we stop, and Bahil gets out a cool box from his car, and spreads a carpet on the ground. Picnic time! There is so much food!

Tabuk Castle
Once we are back inside the city, the driver stops by what I assume is Tabuk Castle. The castle is closed, however, so we make do with seeing it from the outside, all lit up.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 8 – Tabuk – Tayma – Al Ula

Tayma
Another town, another guide, this time a young chap called Abdulatif.

Haddaj Well
The well is closed for restoration, so all we are permitted to do is to take photos from the outside. Constructed in the 6th century BC, this enormous well has a diameter of 18 metres and is one of the largest water wells in the world. 75 camels were used to draw water from the well – you can see some of the 40 pulley wheels in this picture.

Al Taqqa Palace
While this place is also undergoing restoration work, we are permitted to enter. It is just one big building site, and is a bit of a health and safety nightmare, especially for someone with a knee injury.

Sheikh Madi Altalaq Palace
We are invited to visit Abdulatif’s family palace, which is an extravagant affair. We are offered Arabic Coffee, of course.

In the small library, we are shown pictures hanging on the walls of famous people visiting this place. Abdullatif takes lots of pictures of us, promising to add them to the collection of VIPs.

The whole experience has been surreal as well as humbling – I never thought I would be invited to a sheik's palace here in Saudi Arabia!

After lunch we say goodbye to Abdulatif, and head further south to continue our journey. We enjoy a post-lunch snooze for the first few miles, but then try our best to stay away as the scenery becomes increasingly more rugged, with some fascinating rock formations.

Sahary Resort, Al Ula

Set in a flat sandy area, surrounded by steep cliffs outside the main town, the oasis-like resort is large, with our room made to look like a traditional Arabic nomad tent.

The interior, however, is anything but basic.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 9 – Al Ula: Dadan, Jabel Ikmah, Hegra

Al Ula is the most touristy place we have encountered so far – not because there are great numbers of visitors, but all movements around the sites are strictly enforced and overly regulated by the government. The historic sites of this area can only be visited on a huge bus, arranged by the government, which I am afraid puts a huge dampener on the experience as far as I am concerned. We travel on private trips because we don’t want to be herded around with several other people, I like to take my time to make photographs, I write copious notes of what the guide tells us, and for someone like me, with walking difficulties, the whole thing is way too rushed and impersonal.

Dadan Rock tombs
From afar, these look like simple dark rectangles. A closer look reveals skilfully crafted funerary monuments, including the seated lion sculptures that mark the famous Lion Tombs. Lions symbolised power and protection and may have marked the burial of an elite member of society, perhaps even a member of royalty. These tombs are up to 50 metres above ground level, spurring the imagination of how they were carved without modern construction equipment. It is said that the reason for constructing them high above the ground was to ensure an easy passage to heaven by being part way there already.

Dadan Town
Dating back to between the late 9th and early 8th century BC, Dadan was one of the most developed 1st-millennium BCE cities in northern Arabia as a result of its proximity to the frankincense trade route. First mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel (27:20) in the Hebrew Bible, it was described as the “beating heart of the kingdom and a trading partner of the city of Tyre” (in modern-day Lebanon).

Jabal Ikmah
This whole area is described as an open library of inscriptions, with rock art and petroglyphs set in a stunning desert canyon. Messages and notes are left by those who lived here, as well as passing traders. Hundreds of inscriptions and carvings line the cliff faces and rocks, thought to date back as far as the 1st millennium BC, giving a glimpse into the daily lives of people in the Dadanite, Lihyanite, and other civilisations of AlUla.

Hegra
Once a thriving international trade hub, the archaeological site of Hegra was an important trading place for the Nabataens between the 1st millennium BC and the 1st millennium AD, and was considered the sister-city to the much more famous Petra in nearby Jordan. Most of the remaining structures that can be seen today are part of a necropolis, such as Hegra’s largest tomb, measuring ca 70 feet tall.

Elephant Rock
One of the many awesome rock formations in this area.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 10 – Maraya – Al Ula Old Town - Medina

Maraya
This is the world’s largest mirrored building (Mataya means mirror or reflection in Arabic) with 9740 mirrored panels and is designed to blend into the desert landscape and rise from it like a mirage. The building features a restaurant, a concert auditorium, a wedding venue, a conference centre, and a place for art exhibitions to name a few.

Old Al Ula Town
It’s an extensive site and not much is left of the once-important city. It is said that Mohammed came through here on his way from Mecca and stayed for three days, which attracts a number of Muslims who come here to pray.

Al Anbariah Restaurant
On the outskirts of Medina, we stop at a traditional restaurant where we meet up with our local guide, another Ali, who orders a selection of dishes for our lunch. What a spread! The dishes just keep arriving, there must be enough food to feed around 20 people.

Medina
Medina is the second holiest city for Muslims after Mecca, and I am requested to wear an abaya and hejab as we tour the holy sites this afternoon.

The Prophet's Mosque
Along with thousands of other people, we head to the Grand Mosque in time for evening prayers. As non-Muslims, we are not permitted to enter the mosque, but Ali finds us the perfect viewpoint where we can observe the many different nationalities who have made their way here to pray, some of whom have come from afar.

Hejaz Railway Museum
The former railway station has been turned into a museum with artifacts from the age of the railways and earlier.

Quba Mosque
Built in 622AD as the Prophet Mohammed migrated from Meccas to Medina wher he made his home, is was the very first mosque to be constructed anywhere in the world. At the time, it had palm trees for pillars and leaves for the roof, and it was built by the Prophet himself and his companions. Over time, various caliphs have renovated and extended the mosque to the super-mosque we see today, with four minarets, 56 domes, and a capacity of 15,000 devotees.

Alia Al Madina Farm
No trip to Saudi Arabia is complete without a visit to a date farm. First, we are shown how seats are made from rope and palm leaves, but, of course, the main items produced here, are dates. There are so many different dates, and we are shown the best ones in the area.

Archer’s Hill
There is a lot of Islamic history tied to this hill, mostly because of the Battle of Uhud that took place here in the 7th century between the non-believers of Makkah, and the Muslims. In the battle, 50 archers were posted on Archers' Hill to protect the Muslim army from attack, under strict instructions from Mohammed to stay there. Some members of the army, however, wrongly believed the battle was over, and deserted their posts, which led to the Makkah army gaining an advantage resulting in a great loss of lives for the Muslims.

Martyr’s Cemetery
Many pilgrims come here to visit the sacred hill, as well as the cemetery next to it, where the bodies of 70 martyrs from the battle are buried. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of disobeying the Prophet Muhammed.

Sayyid al-Shudada Mosque
The mosque is named after Mohammed’s uncle, Hamzah (full name Sayed al-Shohada Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib), who was killed in the battle. The mosque is a recent structure, completed in 2017, but replaces another mosque structure that was attached to Hamzah’s tomb.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 11 – Medina – Al Wahba Crater - Ta’if

Today is almost exclusively spent travelling, with just one stop on the way.

Al Wahba Crater

At 3,000 meters in diameter, and 380m deep, Al Wahba Crater is the largest in the country. The bottom of the crater is covered in a layer of salt. As with so many other places, there is a legend attached to how this crater was formed. One dark night, a lightning bolt illuminated the Oitn Mountain, revealing its magic beauty to the nearby mountain of Tamya. Promising eternal love, Tamya pledged to move herself to be nearer Qitn. As often happens in such love stories, a jealous mountain, Chliman, intercepted the move by shooting Tamya with an arrow. All that was left of the poor, unfortunate lover, was a great big hole in the ground.

With the visitors centre closed, we have a picnic in its shade instead.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 12 – Taif – Jeddah

Shubra Palace
The building dates back to 1905 and was a royal residence until 1995, when it was turned into a museum. As with so many places of interest in Saudi Arabia, it is closed for restoration.

Al Shiokh Rose Plantation
Taif is famous for its roses, and we continue to a rose garden, where we meet our new guide, Abdul Aziz. The factory here is run as a collaboration between 25 local families, each owning a small plot of land. They have 32 big vats between them. Rosewater is used mainly in skin care products, but is also used in cooking (I have a half-used bottle in my cupboard at home), and as a health benefit to aid digestion, as eye drops, it has antibacterial properties to help heal wounds, or to soothe sore throats.

In each of these vats, 10kg of rose petals and 25l of water is placed, a fire is lit underneath with the steam helping to create the resulting rosewater. The whole process takes 2.5 hours.

Al Hada Upper Viewpoint
The view has the potential to be great on a clear day; however, today is not that day.

Hamadryas Baboons
The main attraction here today is not so much the view, but the baboons that hang around waiting to be fed. The tourists love them, the locals consider them a nuisance.

Al Shareef Museum
An excellent and well-laid-out museum, showing how life would have been like here in the past - including a small selection of vintage cars, all of which still work. Once a year, on their national day, the owner takes them out to take part in a parade.

Broken Air Conditioning
The air conditioning is blasting out hot air, and Bacha is unable to switch it off. He goes off to see if he can find a garage willing and able to repair the A/C on the spot, while we explore Ta’if in Abdul Aziz’s car.

After a couple of hours, Bacha rings to say that the air conditioning has been fixed, and the car is ready for collection.

We continue down from Ta’if on a collection of impressive hairpin bends that cling to the steep hillsides.

Passing Mecca on the way, we arrive at our final destination in Saudi: Jeddah.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

Day 13 - Jeddah

We have another guide today, the delightful Abir.

The Globe Roundabout.
This sculpture by the Spanish artist Julio La Fente, was created in 1971, and is placed in the middle of a road junction.

Jeddah Corniche
For 62 kilometres along the seafront, the seagull-themed promenade swirls around the bay and rocky shores, providing an area for walking, meeting friends, and taking selfies.

Outdoor Sculpture Museum
Like the globe, these works of art used to be displayed on a roundabout, but when the city was expanded, they were moved to a park on the corniche.

Al Ballad Old Town
This UNESCO-inscribed district of Jeddah is undergoing major restoration. The higgledy-piggledy buildings are affectionately known as ‘dancing houses’. The titling is a result of shallow foundations – mostly just around a metre deep.

Shafee Mosque
The mosque is said to be 1422 years old, but was renovated some 500 years ago. The minaret is a mere 820 years old. It is the only mosque in Saudi Arabia where we, as non-Muslims, have been allowed to enter. Abir contacts the Imam who opens it up, especially for us.

Old House
As the lights fade, we enter one of the old buildings that used to be a private home, but is now open to the public. In the living room we are offered dates and coffee, while Abir shows off some of the items left behind from the old days.

On our way to the hotel, we stop at the corniche again, in a different place this time, to see what is claimed to be the world’s highest fountain, at 320 metres.

Jeddah also boasts the world’s highest flag pole and the biggest LED billboard.

You can see more photos and read a more detailed description of what we saw on this day here.

The End

This completes our journey through Saudi Arabia. In conclusion: the country has a lot to offer, and the people are extremely friendly and very welcoming to tourists. Their plan is to find a place in the Top Ten tourist destinations by 2030, thus so many important sites being closed to visitors. It does at times (especially in Al Ula) feel like they are trying to run before they walk.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here, and if you appreciate places that see very few tourists, attractions are almost unheard of outside the country, and enjoy the feeling of pioneering travel, now is the time to discover Saudi, before mainstream tourists do (the way I understand it, is that they want to become another Dubai. Shudder.) If you are put off by the lack of western facilities and tourist infrastructure, and expect everything to run like clockwork, it may be wise to wait a couple of years before visiting.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Mark at Undiscovered Destinations, George, our local coordinator in KSA, Bacha, our trusted driver, the guides who showed us the historical, geographical, cultural, and architectural sites along the way, and the people of Saudi who welcomed us into their country with open arms.

After a delicious breakfast of labneh and bread, we meet George (the local agent who arranged the trip here in Saudi, who has flown in from Riyadh), and the Jeddah guide Abir. We discuss how the trip so far has gone, any challenges we have faced, and all the good points of the journey. By mutual agreement, we decide to cancel this morning’s tour of Jeddah, as my stomach is still not very good after yesterday’s messy incident.

While I return to bed, David goes off on foot to the local mini-market, to use up some of the cash we have left – only to find they do not accept cash, it is a strictly card-only business.

The view of Jeddah from our bedroom window

Mid-afternoon Abir returns with Bacha, our driver, to start the guided tour of the city.

Jeddah is a modern city, and has a much more relaxed and friendly feel to it than Riyadh did. We take an instant liking to the place. Everything is grand and supersized, as is fitting for such a rich nation.

The Globe Roundabout
This sculpture by the Spanish artist Julio La Fente, was created in 1971, and is placed in the middle of a road junction.

Jeddah Corniche
For 62 kilometres along the seafront, the seagull-themed promenade swirls around the bays and rocky shores, providing an area for walking, meeting friends, and taking selfies.

Artistically shaped seagulls adorn all the street furniture on the corniche

Mobile phone charging station

Outdoor Sculpture Museum
Like the globe, these works of art used to be displayed on a roundabout, but when the city was expanded, they were moved to a park on the corniche.

Al Ballad Old Town
This UNESCO-inscribed district of Jeddah is undergoing major restoration work.

The old city gate dates from 1507

Abir organises a golf buggy to take us around the streets of the old town.

Safi, our handsome buggy driver

Most of the inhabitants left in the 1950s and 60s, now the buildings are mostly rented out to immigrants from Yemen and India.

The restoration work is carried out using the original coral stone.

The higgledy-piggledy buildings are affectionately known as ‘dancing houses’. The titling is a result of shallow foundations – mostly just around a metre deep.

Each house is different.

The blue is a result of the mayor travelling to Tunisia and falling in love with the town of Sidi Bou Said

The balconies are constructed of teak from India.

650 houses have been restored so far.

Shafee Mosque
The mosque is said to be 1422 years old, but was renovated some 500 years ago.

Whereas the minaret is a mere 820 years old.

It is the only mosque in Saudi Arabia where we, as non-Muslims, have been allowed to enter. Abir contacts the Imam who opens it up, especially for us.

In front of the Mihrab, there is a vacuum cleaner left, but Abir managed to magically summon a janitor, who removes it for my photos. This woman has contacts in all the right places.

We struggle to open the door to get out onto the road on the opposite side of the courtyard from where we entered. Again Abir knows just who to call for assistance.

QR codes get everywhere!

Electric scooters are available for hire, and for some reason, it amuses me to see an Arab lady in full abaya, hejab and niqab, wearing a bright yellow jerkin as she zips along the streets on one of the machines.

Many of the old buildings have been converted into shops, selling leather goods, jewellery and spices.

The top of the sandals is made from goat leather, whereas the sole comes from the skin of a camel

The cannon was left by the Portuguese at the end of the 15th century, when they failed to capture the city.

As the lights fade, we enter one of the old buildings that used to be a private home, but is now open to the public.

In the living room, we are offered dates and coffee, while Abir shows off some of the items left behind from the old days.

We also enter a second house (mainly to use their facilities), which is now occupied by a lovely art gallery.

The home had three entrances at that time: one for men, one for women and the last was the entrance to the office. This is the one we use.

Abir on the steps of the ladies' entrance.

As we say our goodbyes to Al Balad (the whole old city is closing to visitors this evening, we are not quite sure why), the sky is painted in a gorgeous orange colour by the sunset.

On our way to the restaurant, we stop at the corniche again, in a different place this time, to see what is claimed to be the world’s highest fountain, at 320 metres.

Jeddah also boasts the world’s highest flag pole and the biggest LED billboard.

Tofareva Restaurant
As with so many places in this country, the menu is accessed via a QR code, which is useless when you don’t have a mobile signal and the restaurant doesn’t offer free wifi. We let Abir order for us.

This is said to be one of the most popular restaurants in the city, well known for its excellent traditional local food. The setting is unusual to say the least, with chairs and tables made of plastic wood, bare concrete floors, benches and a long bar in the centre (presumably for standing-only customers.

Jareesh: slowed cooked wheat with vegetables and tomato sauce, a speciality of the house. This is my favourite!

Stuffed vegetables - not keen on this

Hummous

The trio of desserts is known as “A Must”, as it is so well known, and so delicious, that you MUST try it!

Left = Lutus biscuit cheesecake, middle = pomegranate pudding, right is angel hair pasta with rose water

It is all washed down with this delightful, if rather vibrant, freshly made mint drink.

At the airport Bacha finds us a porter for the luggage and a wheelchair for me, which I am very grateful for, as it is a long walk through to the check in. We say our tearful goodbyes to Bacha, who has become a good friend during our journey through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia together.

After depositing our luggage and getting our boarding cards, there is a second check-in where all the passengers in front of us have their carry-on weighed and measured, whereas they just wave us straight through. Immigration checks do not throw up any problems, neither does the second passport check. Security, on the other hand, is a real pain. My camera bag is taken aside and everything has to be taken out of it before it is scanned through again. The same thing happens with my rucksack.

From there, the porter takes us in a tiny lift, down long corridors, on a train, more lifts, and along a travellator to reach the gate, where we wait for some time for staff to get the boarding organised. Again, we are just ushered straight through security, while others have themselves and their luggage X-rayed.

The plane is full, cramped and very uncomfortable, but it is only a six hour flight, and I manage to sleep for a while, and we make it home in one piece.

Thank you so much to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable trip to a little-visited nation. Tourism is in its infancy here, so if you enjoy visiting unusual places, Saudi should definitely be on your list!

I slept well last night, it was a nice soft bed. Despite the restaurant “only having croissants” last night, there was the usual breakfast spread of cheese, meats, yogurt, vegetables, eggs etc this morning.

Bacha picks us up as arranged at 09:00 to drive to Shubra Palace, which is literally just around the corner from the hotel (we could see the back of it from our bedroom) where we are to meet our guide.

There is no sign of the guide, so we just hang around taking pictures while we wait.

Shubra Palace
The building dates back to 1905 and was a royal residence until 1995, when it was turned into a museum. As with so many places of interest in Saudi Arabia, it is closed for restoration.

At 09:30 the guide phones Bacha to say he has just woken up, and suggests a place to meet. Meanwhile, Bacha goes off to a shopping area to get some breakfast, while we stay in the car watching the traffic. We notice that nearly a third of all cars have damage to their rear wheel arch, and we discuss why that could be, suggesting that it is not really surprising as lane control seems to be sadly lacking on roads here in KSA.

While we wait, the muezzin call to prayer goes off on Bacha’s phone, prompting David to state that he prefers that to rap ‘music’.

Al Shiokh Rose Plantation
Taif is famous for its roses, and we continue to a rose garden, where we finally meet up with our guide, Abdul Aziz.

In each of these vats, 10kg of rose petals and 25l of water is placed, and a fire is lit underneath with the steam helping to create the resulting rosewater. The whole process takes 2.5 hours.

The factory here is run as a collaboration between 25 local families, each owning a small plot of land. They have 32 big vats between them.

Rosewater is used mainly in skin care products but is also used in cooking (I have a half-used bottle in my cupboard at home), and as a health benefit to aid digestion, as eye drops, it has antibacterial properties to help heal wounds or to soothe sore throats.

Cheesy, but it has to be done!

Al Hada Upper Viewpoint
The view has the potential to be great on a clear day; however, today is not that day, with too much mist hanging around in the valley.

There are some amazing properties on the cliff edge opposite, mostly used as summer houses to get away from the stifling heat in the lowlands (it is considerably cooler up here than anywhere else we have been in Saudi). The price for those homes, however, is outrageous, around 10,000 SAR per m² (ca £2,200) against a mere 500 SAR in the town.

Hamadryas Baboons
Today, the main attraction here is not so much the view, but the baboons that hang around waiting to be fed.

The tourists love them, the locals consider them a nuisance.

The Explore tourist bus arrives not long after us, and they have come prepared with food for the animals, including whole trays of dates.

The baboons squabble over the food, and the tray goes flying, with dates everywhere.

I love the way this cheeky one is holding his hand over one date, while trying to grab another.

Al Shareef Museum
We reluctantly tear ourselves away from photographing the baboons and continue to the excellent and well-laid-out museum showing traditional life in the Middle East.

Water is kept cool in vessels made from mud

Mock-ups of bedouin tents show how men used to make the coffee, while women made butter.

Traditional sitting room - many people still live like this today

The dentist not only did extraction work in the mouth, he was also responsible for circumcisions.

There is a small selection of vintage cars, all of which still work. Once a year, on their national day, the owner takes them out to take part in a parade.

Back in the car (our usual car, not the one in the picture above), and despite the climate here in Taif being much cooler than we have experienced so far (it’s a mere 30° C outside), I am sweltering. The air conditioning is blasting out hot air, and Bacha is unable to switch it off. I start to freak out a little as I have never liked saunas.

Bacha goes off to see if he can find a garage willing and able to repair the A/C on the spot, while we go with Abdul Aziz in his car to the restaurant. Which is closed for prayers. We sit and wait in his car for them to open, when we see the Explore group arrive and walk straight in.

Lunch
With such a group, they are around 20 people plus a guide and driver, it takes forever for them to order, while we are left in a family room to play ‘I spy with my little eye…’ for nearly half an hour before a waiter pops his head in to see what we would like. Abdul Aziz has gone off to eat with his mate, the Explore guide, and the waiter speaks absolutely no English (which is about the same as my Arabic), so we are grateful when he brings a tablet with pretty pictures.

We order two different dishes that look like kebabs (something that sounded like ‘izmer’ and ‘mattawa’), a fetoush salad, some mango juice, and a sandwich to take out for Bacha.

The food takes another half an hour to arrive, but it is worth the wait. We think the kebabs are beef and aubergine and are both very enjoyable. The salad, however, is a little disappointing, it is not as citrusy as I like it, but I eat some anyway.

Abdul Aziz returns, having spoken to Bacha who has managed to locate a garage willing to take the work on, but they need one more hour to finish it. Using his own private car, Abdul Aziz gives us a guided tour of Taif, first through the posh parts of town, with huge shopping malls, luxury housing, and their very own scale model of the Eiffel Tower.

We can’t believe our eyes when it starts to rain. Rain? In Saudi Arabia? At this time of year? It’s unheard of!

We continue to the older parts of town, where there are several beautiful abandoned mansions from the late 1800s.

Finally, Bacha contacts us to say the car is ready, sporting a new compressor and radiator.

All we have to do now, is for George to transfer the money to Bacha, who then goes off to the ATM to pay the bill for the repair work. It has all worked out very well.

The road leading out of Taif is full of the most amazing hairpin bends, with stunning views of the mountains beyond.

As we near the bottom, I start feeling nauseous. Very nauseous. I ask David for a plastic bag, just in case, and boy do I need it. Thankfully I manage to get everything into the bag, and the bag appears to be waterproof. I can’t remember last time I was quite so violently sick. Several times. It must have been the salad at lunchtime, as David feels fine and he didn’t eat any of that.

I sleep most of the way as we drive past the holy city of Mecca. I briefly wake up to see huge areas filled with covered walkways, and new hotels, all waiting for the influx of pilgrims during Hajj (the annual pilgrimage).

Ibis Jeddah Malik Road
As seems to be all too familiar now, the hotel has no record of our booking. Bacha tries to contact George, but he is in the air on a flight from Riyadh to Jeddah, and is unable to be contacted to confirm our reservation.

Eventually, some 45 minutes after we arrived, we are shown to our room, where I collapse in a heap in bed.

Waiting in the lobby

This private tour was arranged for us by Undiscovered Destinations.

Finding the hotel restaurant proves a little difficult this morning. We are assuming they do have one (unlike a couple of the hotels we have stayed in so far), so when we bump into one of the Explore group members in the lobby, we ask if he knows. Once we realise that the R on the lift buttons means restaurant, we at least find ourselves on the correct floor, although it is still far from obvious where we go to have breakfast. Again we are saved by another traveller who appears from around a corner. There, well hidden in a side room, is the ‘restaurant’.

While I much prefer to travel independently rather than with a group such as the one we meet here, arranged by the well-known adventure holiday company Explore, it is enjoyable to have a little interlude with other westerners, chatting about travel and sharing stories. Although their itinerary is slightly different to ours, their tour is arranged through the same local agent as ours is. Today, however, they are following the same route as us, but leaving half an hour earlier – at least that means we shouldn’t be at the same place at the same time.

The journey from Medina to Ta’if is scheduled to take five hours, with just one stop along the way.

Still suffering from diarrhea, I soon need the toilet. For miles and miles, all we see is road, road, and more road. No settlements, no service stations. Eventually, Bacha, our ever-thoughtful driver, sees a truck stop and pulls in.

I gingerly open the door to the cubicle, and to my delight, there is a western-style toilet inside. Such a relief! There is no water to flush the toilet with, but that’s another story….

After yesterday’s debacle, you will be pleased to know that I made it in time.

Felling rather washed out as a result of the diarrhea, and from not eating much over the last couple of days, I sleep most of the time during the drive.

Al Wahba Crater
I wake up as we pull off the main road on another well-surfaced road leading to a small building. There is nothing around but flat desert, so I am at a loss as to what we are heading for.

Blurry picture of the flat desert, taken out of the car window while I am still half asleep

At the end of the track is the aforementioned modern building, a small car park, and a footpath leading up a very slight incline to a small shelter. As we make our way along the path, it suddenly all becomes obvious - there is a great big hole in the otherwise flat surroundings: Al Wahba Crater.

At 3,000 meters in diameter, and 380m deep, Al Wahba Crater is the largest in the country. The bottom of the crater is covered in a layer of salt. It is a popular place for hiking, but the two young chaps who turn up are refused permission to enter the crater, being told that the weather is “too hot”. They walk along the rim instead.

As with so many other places, there is a legend attached to how this crater was formed. One dark night, a lightning bolt illuminated the Oitn Mountain, revealing its magic beauty to the nearby mountain of Tamya. Promising eternal love, Tamya pledged to move herself to be nearer Qitn. As often happens in such love stories, a jealous mountain, Chliman, intercepted the move by shooting Tamya with an arrow. All that was left of the poor, unfortunate lover, was this big hole in the ground.

Bacha is amazed to find that the caretaker of the site is from the same small village in Pakistan as he is. Although they have never met before, his house and Bacha’s family home are a mere 3km apart. What a small world.

There is a modern visitors centre with all the facilities here, but guess what? It is closed. We have a picnic in the shade on the porch instead, the guide managing to find a foldable chair for David, while I sit in the car.

There are rolls, samosas, kibbe, and dates

Fearing retaliation from my stomach, I brave just one Kibbe - a deep-fried lamb and bulghur wheat ball

While we are enjoying our picnic, the Explore group turns up. I find it most odd that they arrive here nearly an hour after us, yet they left half an hour before us. We get chatting with one of their members (who incidentally is Norwegian and works less than a kilometre away from where I lived - it seems to be a day of coincidences) who explains that they, like us, stopped at a service station to use the facilities, when one of their party was bitten by a dog. Although not seriously injured, he was taken to the hospital for a precautionary rabies shot. While he was waiting to be seen by a nurse, another group member went in search of the toilets. Once the injection had been administered, the party went on their way, and it wasn't until they'd driven a couple of kms down the road that they realised there was one person missing. The lady who'd gone to the toilet. Thankfully they found her fairly easily when they returned to the hospital, but this is what delayed them and why they turned up so much later than us.

I soon regret eating anything at all, as my tummy goes into cramps. I am, however, assured by the guide that there is a good toilet just two kilometres away in a service station on the main road to Ta’if.

Bacha stops at every service station, mosque, and truck stop we see along the way, but they are either closed or so basic that Bacha doesn’t want me to use them. Finally, we find a huge service station with a reasonably clean toilet. Success!

Back on the road again and we see a mirage of camels being herded by a 4x4 vehicle in the distance, across the flat, featureless desert.

It is not a mirage.

Petrol
The car is running low on fuel, so Bacha calls in a petrol station to fill up. He comes back and explains that there is “no balance left” on the company card. He takes a photo of the message on the pump and sends to his boss, and we just wait until the boss has added some funds to the account before he can fill up with diesel.

Ta’if
For some reason I imagined Ta’if to be a small provincial town – instead, it is a big, modern city. I didn’t expect that!

Iris Boutique Hotel
Tonight’s accommodation has changed from the original itinerary, and Bacha asks us for the name of the hotel. He proceeds to drive out of town, through some dodgy-looking areas and building sites, down dirt tracks in what looks like some poorer areas. No sign of the hotel.

David looks it up on his phone, and using Google maps, guides Bacha back into the centre of the town, some 25 minutes away, where we finally find the hotel.

It is not a luxurious hotel, but the room is nice, and it is clean. The shower is good, but we find the entire bathroom floor is soaked afterwards.

There is a coffee shop in the lobby, so we go down to see if we can get something to eat. The coffee shop is closed, but the manager explains: “Room service. You can order anything you like”.

We return to the room to peruse the glossy menu and decide on a chicken burger, fajita, a couple of mango juices, and a tiramisu.

We call 807 for the restaurant as suggested, asking if we are able to order some room service. “Ring 0 for reception” is their short answer.

We do.

“You need to ring 807 for the restaurant”

“We just did. They told us to ring 0”. The receptionist reluctantly takes our order.

Five minutes later, the phone rings.

“I am sorry, the restaurant only has croissants”.

“Erm… we’ll have croissants then. Two each please.”

“Would you like anything else?”

“Like what? You said there is only croissants?”

“Coffee? Water?”

As there are a couple of complimentary bottles of water in the room, as well as a coffee maker, we stick with just the croissants.

They are very nice croissants, but...

By 21:00 we still have not heard from Bacha regarding the start time tomorrow, so I message him. He almost immediately replies: “I shall ask Mr George (the local agent)” I then promptly lose the internet, so am not able to receive any further replies. Finally, after using David’s phone – which strangely enough is still connected to the internet, we hear back from Bacha just after 22:00, to say that we will be leaving at 09:00 tomorrow morning.

My tummy is rumbling noisily and ominously as I climb into bed this evening, warning me of a disturbed night with many trips to the bathroom.

Thank you very much to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this fascinating trip.

Birding
Yesterday morning as we walked to the restaurant for breakfast, I noticed a few birds hanging around the hotel gardens. I wished I’d had my long lens with me at the time, so this morning I get up early to do some birding before breakfast.

White Spectacled Bulbul

Tristram's Starling

Red Backed Shrike

Spotted Flycatcher

Arabian Green Bee Eater

A couple of nice little lifers there (birds we have not previously seen).

After yesterday’s frustration and disappointment at having to explore the sites on a group tour, we decide to give the Al Ula Old Town excursion this morning a miss. Instead, we ask Bacha, our lovely driver, to take us to see some ultra-modern architecture that I have read about, as an alternative.

Maraya
We encounter the first problem before we even get near the building – there is no entry to the site unless you are on a group tour organised by the tourist office. Groan.

Bacha, having previously spent some time in Al Ula, knows another way. That road too, is blocked off so we cannot enter. Looking at google maps, Bacha explores yet another possible way in, and it turns out to be third time lucky. This is the route taken by the construction vehicles, and Bacha sweet-talks the supervisor by talking to him in Urdu, the official’s native language (and one of several that Bacha can speak). The guard agrees to let us pass, but gives us only eight minutes inside, just about enough time to be able to drive around the building without stopping.

Trucks travelling to and from Maraya on the dirt road cutting through the mountainous desert scenery

So what exactly is Maraya? This is the world’s largest mirrored building (Mataya means mirror or reflection in Arabic) with 9740 mirrored panels, and is designed to blend into the desert landscape and rise from it like a mirage.

As part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan of greatness on the world tourism scale, Maraya has been coined the centrepiece of Al Ula’s growing cultural scene. The building features a restaurant (we were even told that foreigners are permitted to drink alcohol there, but whether that is true or not I have no idea), a concert auditorium, a wedding venue, a conference centre, and a place for art exhibitions to name a few.

This award-winning architectural masterpiece was completed in just 2½ months in 2019, and is constructed so that it can “move and adjust itself” to the wide range of temperatures in the desert.

Like a mirage, Maraya plays tricks with my mind – I struggle to make out what is the background and what are reflections as the building seemingly appears and disappears while we are driving around it. It really is quite extraordinary.

Much as I love history, seeing this unique reflective cube that has ostensibly been plonked amongst stunning rocky outcrops, adding to the beauty of the desert scenery, is of more interest to me this morning. I am so glad we had the opportunity to work around the rules and get a quick glimpse.

Spotting our car on the mirrored surface

By the time we get back into town, I am desperate for the loo and am grateful for the recent expansion of Al Ula to attract world tourists as I enter the modern toilet with a ‘proper’ western seat in the new bus station. I have never enjoyed having the ‘squits of the squats’, but with my bad knee, it could be pretty disastrous. I take some Ciprofloaxin (antibiotics that 'should' help clear up any diarrhea), just in case, for the long journey ahead.

Old Al Ula Town
This is where our itinerary was supposed to be taking us this morning, but when I see the large groups of people getting off the buses at the edge of the town and walking to the ruins of the old city, I am even more glad we opted out of the old and into the new this morning.

It’s an extensive site and not much is left of the once-important city.

It is said that Mohammed came through here on his way from Mecca and stayed for three days, which attracts a number of Muslims who come here to pray.

I sleep for a while as we make our way towards our last destination of the day: Medina. When I wake up, I am in dire need of a toilet. This. Very. Minute. Explaining my urgency to Bacha, he looks out for service stations, which are few and far between on these long-distance roads. He spots one and pops in to check it out for me. Closed. The second one is also closed. It is now becoming so desperate that I no longer care whether there is a seat or a hole in the ground, I just need to go!

Bacha pulls up at a mosque and finds the attached ablutions building open, with a communal toilet block. Hurrying as carefully as I can to avoid any sudden jerky movements, I rush in. As I open the door, my bowels scream “can I let go now?” with me pleasing “no, no, no, not yet!” I will spare you the gory details but suffice to say that for the first time ever on all our many travels, I don’t make it to the cubicle in time.

After changing all my clothes and cleaning up the mess (this was not the day to wear white trousers), I collapse with embarrassment in the car and immediately go back to sleep.

Al Anbariah Restaurant
On the outskirts of Medina we stop at a traditional restaurant where we meet up with our local guide, another Ali. As a traditional hospitality greeting, the manager brings out an incense burner – thankfully it is only symbolic, as both David and I can feel our eyes stinging and noses running as soon as the smoke hits us.

Ali orders a selection of dishes for our lunch. What a spread! The plates just keep arriving, there must be enough food to feed around 20 people.

I really shouldn’t eat much, if anything, but I don’t want to offend, either, so I take just a very small helping.

Fattoush - a salad of tomatoes, cucumber, mint, parsley, and toasted pitta bread

Hummus

Shorba - a complimentary soup offered by the management as part of the hospitality

Selik - rice with milk served with chicken in a spicy sauce

Another different type of rice with chicken

Molichia - a green vegetable sauce to go with the chicken and rice, which is made from a vegetable known in English as jute mallow

Bamya - a chicken and okra stew

Camel kebabs with bread and a yogurt sauce

After all that food, a dessert is brought out.

Echestraya - a pudding made from bread, milk, rosewater, sugar, and date honey. It is similar to a crumble and absolutely delicious!

And there is Arabian coffee to finish, of course.

Medina
Medina is the second holiest city for Muslims after Mecca, and I am requested to wear an abaya and hejab as we tour the holy sites this afternoon.

Ali, our local guide here in Medina

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi AKA The Prophet's Mosque or the Grand Mosque
Along with thousands of other people, we head to the Grand Mosque in time for the afternoon prayers. As non-Muslims, we are not permitted to enter the mosque compound, but Ali finds us the perfect viewpoint where we can observe the many different nationalities who have made their way here to pray, some of whom have come from afar.

We see people from Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, other Arab nations, and more, all heading for the Tomb of Mohammed to pay their respects. Muslims believe that the rewards of praying in Al-Masjid an-Nabawi are better than 1,000 prayers in any other mosque.

The large courtyard in front of the mosque is covered in the most amazing and ornate umbrellas that are being lowered automatically as we arrive. I would love to see the courtyard from the inside with all the umbrellas up.

Umbrellas being lowered

According to the internet, this is what it looks like:

Photo: King Eliot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Of course, that is never going to happen, so I make the most of soaking in the incredible ambiance that surrounds this place. Despite still feeling pretty rough, I am totally mesmerised by this place, with its peaceful and reverent atmosphere.

The umbrellas are completely folded up now, and blend seamlessly into the rest of the architecture.

The surrounding area is one huge hotel complex, with more springing up by the minute.

Still, they are struggling to meet demand. When I see the number of people here today, just an ordinary day, not even a Friday, I cannot begin to imagine what this place is like during Hajj (the annual pilgrimage).

These images from the internet show the sheer scale of the haram of the mosque (the sanctuary area inaccessible to non-Muslims).

Hejaz Railway Museum
The former railway station has been turned into a museum with artifacts from the age of the railways and earlier.

By now I am suffering from some bad stomach cramps, so I stay in the car with Bacha while David and Ali go in. The museum is very crowded, so they don’t stay long. The following images are screen grabs taken from David’s video.

The foyer

Model of the museum

Museum exhibits

While we are waiting, a man knocks on the window of the car, holding up a bunch of grapes. “Medina grapes,” he says as he hands Bacha the fruits and walks off. The last thing I would want to eat right now, is unwashed grapes. Bacha tries one, screws his face up, and states: “No good”. As I say to Bacha, perhaps that is why the chap is giving them away.

Not long afterwards another man comes along offering grapes – this time Bacha just waves him on.

Quba Mosque
Built in 622AD as the Prophet Mohammed migrated from Mecca to Medina where he made his home, this was the very first mosque to be constructed anywhere in the world. At the time, it had palm trees for pillars and leaves for the roof, and it was built by the Prophet himself and his companions. Over time, various caliphs have renovated and extended the mosque to the super-mosque we see today, with four minarets, 56 domes, and a capacity of 15,000 devotees.

Bacha explains that to Muslims, this is a very special place to pray, and he excitedly asks if he and Ali can go and make their sundown prayers here as he has never had the opportunity before. Right at the start of this tour, we told Bacha that we are very happy for him to stop at any time to make prayers during the trip, and he has briefly done so on a couple of previous occasions. Meanwhile, David and I are left babysitting the car, which is double parked in the overfull car park.

Alia Al Madina Farm
No trip to Saudi Arabia is complete without a visit to a date farm. This place, the oldest farm in Medina, is reached via a long fenced alley; and once inside there is a touristy open-air space that is a peculiar mixture of workshops, a café, shops, and a museum.

The Explore group (a small group tour operator) that we saw yesterday is already here, it seems.

First, we are shown how these seats are made from rope and palm leaves. While the place is touristy in appearance, there is no sales pressure.

The main item produced here is dates. There are so many different dates, and we are shown the best ones in the area. Neither of us is particularly fond of dates, but after being given a taster, we buy some date syrup, at great cost.

In the ‘museum’ part of the complex, we are shown how the farm may have looked in the early days.

Archer’s Hill
There is a lot of Islamic history tied to this hill, mostly because of the Battle of Uhud that took place here in the 7th century between the non-believers of Makkah, and the Muslims. In the battle, 50 archers were posted on Archers' Hill to protect the Muslim army from attack, under strict instructions from Mohammed to stay there. Some members of the army, however, mistakingly believed the battle was over and deserted their post, which led to the Makkah army gaining an advantage resulting in a great loss of lives for the Muslims.

Ali manages to obtain special permission for us to drive around the site rather than walk, because of my knee injury.

Martyr’s Cemetery
Many pilgrims come here to visit the sacred hill, as well as the cemetery next to it, where the bodies of 70 martyrs from the battle are buried. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of disobeying the Prophet Muhammed.

Bacha goes to pay his respect at the cemetery.

Sayyid al-Shudada Mosque
The mosque is named after Mohammed’s uncle, Hamzah (full name Sayed al-Shohada Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib), who was killed in the aforementioned battle. The mosque is a recent structure, completed in 2017, but replaces another mosque structure that was originally attached to Hamzah’s tomb.

Delights Inn
When we get to the hotel, the Explore group is already there, checking in. One lady has a problem, and it takes the single receptionist ages to get through them all.

By the time it is finally our turn, we get the usual dreaded question: “Have you booked?” Yet again they struggle to find our reservation, but eventually, some 20 minutes after we first arrived, we do have somewhere to retire to.

The room is small, but the bed is enormous. I do not feel like eating anything this evening after my mishap earlier, and as there is no restaurant in the hotel itself, we just retire to bed. David ate a lot at our late lunch, anyway.

Thank you to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this fascinating trip for us.

After a lovely breakfast buffet, we leave the hotel at 07:30 this morning, to drive the 20 minutes to the meeting place for today's excursion. The roadside is dotted with bizarre and fantastical rock formations.

Here in Al Ula, all visits are highly systematic and fastidiously arranged through the tourist office. The only way to enter the archaeological site is on an organised visit, via e-tickets. We arrive at the location indicated on our e-ticket, which is basically just a bus stop.

There is no-one else here, some ten minutes before the allocated meeting time. Bacha, our trusted driver, wanders around the area a little, chatting to various people. Suddenly he hurries back, urging “the bus leaves in 15 minutes”, and points to a parking area further away. Bacha heads for the buses, but the road is closed. We rush across on foot, panicking slightly that we might miss our slot. An official points to one of two buses, and we get on, breathless from the haste and the heat. There is no-one else on board, not even a driver.

As we wait, a number of other tourists turn up in cars and minibuses (with their drivers dropping them off right by the bus, not 'miles' away like we were) and get on the other bus. “Are we on the correct bus?” I have to admit that I am feeling a little edgy and irritated at this stage, as I would like to know what the arrangements are. I am so not into these sorts of organised tours.

A minibus arrives with an Explore group (a small group British adventure tour company, that we have travelled with on a number of occasions in the past), and their leader comes onboard our bus with them, explaining to his group what is going to happen. I am glad someone knows what is going on, as we are completely confused.

45 minutes after the allocated time, we leave, with the first stop some 15 minutes away.

Dadan
We start the visit at the very new and modern visitors centre, devoid of any atmosphere, but quite clean and airy. A female guide starts explaining the history of the area, but she doesn't wait until everyone has got off the bus before doing so, so I miss the start of her commentary. Another reason to dislike group tours, and one of the main reasons we stopped doing them 10 or so years ago.

Rock tombs
From afar, these look like simple dark rectangles near the base of the cliff. A closer look reveals skilfully crafted funerary monuments, including the seated lion sculptures that mark the famous Lion Tombs. Lions symbolised power and protection and may have marked the burial of an elite member of society, perhaps even a member of royalty. These tombs are up to 50 metres above ground level, spurring the imagination of how they were carved without modern construction equipment. It is said that the reason for constructing them so high above the ground, was to ensure an easy passage to heaven by being part way there already.

This, a photograph in the museum, is the nearest we cat get to the tombs

When I feel a sudden urge (the Saudi version of Delhi Belly), I rush to the toilets back in the visitor's centre. Thankfully they are beautifully clean, with proper western seats, soap and water. When I get out, I find that everyone else is back on the bus and just waiting for me. Someone is in 'my' seat at the front of the bus (which I chose especially as it is easier to get in and out of with my poorly leg). I probably sound as grouchy as I feel when I 'apologise' as I lean over them and grab my water bottle that I left on the shelf in front of the seat. They hastily get up, mumbling “sorry, we didn't know anyone was sitting here”. Really? This is yet another reason why we don't travel on group tours!

Another short bus journey takes us to see one of the most important discoveries in the area – the city of Dadan, dating back to between the late 9th and early 8th century BC. Due to the proximity to frankincense trade routes, Dadan was one of the most developed 1st-millennium BC cities in northern Arabia.

Dadan was first mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel (27:20) in the Hebrew Bible, where it was described as the “beating heart of the kingdom and a trading partner of the city of Tyre” (in modern-day Lebanon, which we visited in 1999).

No one is allowed into the actual excavation site, and the guide explains that it is still very much a 'work in progress', and if we come back again in two years, it will be much more interesting.

Jabal Ikmah
We get back on the bus for another short ride to another visitors centre. Here we have a bit of time to lounge around in some funky furniture before continuing with our explorations. A hospitality desk offers dates, sweets, and very welcome drinks. I try beetroot juice, which I enjoy more than I expected to, as I don't generally care for the taste of beetroot.

Tourists travel to the site in golf carts, while the guides walk.

This whole area is described as an open library of inscriptions, with rock art and petroglyphs set in a stunning desert canyon.

Messages and notes are left by those who lived here, as well as passing traders. Hundreds of inscriptions and carvings line the cliff faces and rocks, thought to date back as far as the 1st millennium BC, giving a glimpse into the daily lives of people in the Dadanite, Lihyanite and other civilisations of Al Ula.

The main petroglyphs are associated with two different tribes that came through here around 900 BC and 600 BC

This is the end of the morning tour, and the bus drops us back to visit the site on a group tour, and still suffering from the Saudi Surge, I rush to the toilet in the bus station, which thankfully is modern, clean, and fully equipped.

Viewpoint
Bacha spent some time working here in Al Ula a few months ago and knows of a viewpoint he wants to show us. We head for the hills, driving up a winding road that clings to the desert hillside, with great views of the flat plains below.

At the top is a large plateau, with a road leading to the popular lookout point. Unfortunately, like so many tourist spots here in Saudi, it is closed, with barriers across the road and uniformed men standing guard. All we can do is turn around and head back down again.

At least I manage to get a few photos while hanging out of the window as Bacha negotiates the hairpin bends.

Lunch
We pop back to the hotel for lunch – as we have full board here in Al Ula, with a midday meal included. Unfortunately, they don’t start serving food until 13:00 and it is now 11:50. Waiting until the restaurant opens is not an option, however, as it will not leave us enough time to eat and get down to the centre of town for our next organised excursion. Another reason to dislike organised tours, as if I needed any.

David pops back to the hotel room for some snacks, and we drive down to the bus station car park where we share a packet of Doritos. The Howards sure know how to live!

On the huge 50-seater bus, there are only an Arab family, a French couple and us, as we make our way to the highly anticipated historical site of Hegra.

Visitors’ Centre
The open-air visitors’ centre looks more like a holiday resort than a museum, with plenty of seating, clever use of ropes for shade, and a bar.

Hegra
Once a thriving international trade hub, the archaeological site of Hegra (also known as Mada'in Saleh) has been left practically undisturbed for almost 2,000 years. Between the 1st millennium BC and the 1st millennium AD, Hegra was an important trading place for the Nabataens and was considered the sister city to the much more famous Petra in nearby Jordan.

Like Petra, Hegra is a metropolis that has turned into a necropolis: most of the remaining structures that can be seen today are tombs, with much of the architectural remains of the city waiting to be excavated or already lost, quite literally, to the sands of time. One theory is that the cities are buried under the desert surrounding these tombs.

To some locals, however, the site has a more sinister reputation for being inhabited by jinns, or evil spirits. According to the Islamic text, the Thamudis who made their home here were punished by God for their idolatry, struck by an earthquake and lightning blasts. Thus, the site has earned a reputation as a cursed place.

Carvings above the entrance to the tomb feature steps to guide the deceased to heaven

Visitors are shown around the site by guides known as Rawis – ancient storytellers and reciters.

The site is extensive, with seven distinct areas of rocky outcrops, some with as many as forty tombs carved from it.

The bus takes us from one important cluster to another, to see some of the more important of the 131 tombs discovered to date. Only 86 of them have monumental façades, however.

There are a further 700 simple holes in the mountains.

Natural water pipes were built around the tombs to protect their facades from erosion, which, along with the dry conditions in the desert, have kept them well-preserved thousands of years after their construction.

It always saddens me when I see graffiti on ancient sites.

This one looks like it has bullet holes in it!

Hegra’s largest tomb, measuring ca 70 feet high, is the monolithic Tomb of Lihyan Son of Kuza, sometimes called Qasr al-Farid. Its name means the “Lonely Castle” in English, because of its distant position in relation to the other tombs. It was left unfinished, with rough chisel marks showing in the lower parts of the tomb.

At the end of this fascinating and educational tour, one of the highlights of the trip so far despite the overly-choreographed group visit, Bacha is waiting for us at the bus station. I ask him if we can go via the famous Elephant Rock before he takes us back to the hotel.

Elephant Rock
Before I left home, I spent a lot of time looking at Google Earth and The Photographer’s Ephemeris website to establish the best place to be for sunset photos of the rock. Not only is it a little too early in the afternoon for sunset, but more importantly, the site is closed. I have to make do with taking a quick photo from the car park before the security guard notices us.

Alternatively, I could turn to my friend Photoshop to create the photo I was looking for.

Alcohol
After ten days with no alcohol, David inspects the antiseptic hand wash with great interest.

Desperate measures for desperate times.

Disclaimer, no hand gel was consumed in the making of this image.

Sahary Resort
We return to the hotel for a shower, dinner and overnight.

Arabian Oryx in an enclosure within the resort

Thank you to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this amazing trip to Saudi Arabia.

I wake at 05:00 to what sounds like an old-fashioned landline phone ringing in another room, or somewhere in the hotel. It does not get answered, and the ringing goes on for another forty minutes. By this time the hotel-neighbours-from-hell have woken up, and the dad is coughing, clearing his throat, and slamming doors. We escape by going to breakfast.

Breakfast

Today David orders something called Gazmaz Eggs, which those of you who have read yesterday's blog entry, will know that they are exactly what I thought I was getting yesterday when I ordered Shakshuka.

I, on the other hand, e joy a dish of Labneh with thyme, and ask for extra zaatar to go with that. It is served with zaatar bread too, and is incredibly yummy.

Best labneh I have ever had!

Zaatar overload this morning

Soon after breakfast, we are on our way south again. We stop at a service station for a desperate David, and although he claims the toilets were disgusting, he does come back to the car with an ice cream each. Result! I have been craving ice cream for a couple of days now.

Tayma
We drive around and around this small city, with no sign of the local guide we are meeting up with. Bacha makes a phone call, then reverses around the corner, checks google maps, and phones again, but no guide to be seen. Finally, in frustration, he takes a picture of what he can see out of the window and sends it to the guide. Still no sign. Eventually, we do meet up with the guide on the main street. Abdullatif introduces himself and explains that our guide, who is a friend of his, had to go to Riyadh, and asked him to look after us instead.

Haddaj Well
The well is the main attraction in the city, and something I have been looking forward to seeing. Guess what? It is closed for restoration, so all we are permitted to do, is to take photos from the outside.

Constructed in the 6th century BC, this enormous well has a diameter of 18 metres and is one of the largest water wells in the world. 75 camels were used to draw water from the well – you may be able to see some of the 40 pulley wheels in this picture.

Al Taqqa Palace

While this place is also undergoing restoration work, we are permitted to enter. It is just one big building site, and is a bit of a health and safety nightmare, especially for someone with a knee injury.

Abdullatif has a friend with him, who records our every move on his mobile phone. It is hot, I am still feeling disappointed that the well is not open, I am trying to negotiate my way around a dangerous ruin, and this idiot is filming me! I finally lose patience and snap at him to stop it!

Post note: Some two months after returning to the UK, while researching Google Maps for this blog, I found this image of me – and the one below which was taken a little later after I calmed down.

This palace is where Abdullatif's father and grandfather were born. This, the original door to the palace, is 500 years old.

Abdullatif's ancestors, despite being of humble origin, were/are part of the local royal family, making him a sheikh.

Sheikh Madi Altalaq Palace
We are invited to visit the family's current palace, which is accessed through an impressive-looking gate, into a walled compound. The building itself, while large and sporting a splendid entrance, is reasonably unassuming from the outside.

The reception room, however, is anything but. A huge room, with extravagant chairs along the walls. We are invited in to take a seat.

An Irishman called Andrew, who we met outside the older palace, tags along. He is travelling independently, in his own car, having previously lived in the KSA.

Bacha appears suitably impressed. This is the room where Abdullatif's grandfather would entertain visiting dignitaries.

Post Note # 2: Since arriving back in the UK, I have seen videos of such visits.

We are offered Arabic Coffee, of course.

Also individually-wrapped cookies, dates, and apple juice.

In the small library, we are shown pictures hanging on the walls of famous people visiting this place. Abdullatif takes lots of pictures of us, promising to add them to the collection of VIPs. Should you be lucky enough to get an invitation to the palace, look out for our picture in the 'Rogue's Gallery', and let us know if you see us.

The whole experience has been surreal as well as humbling – I never thought I would be invited to a sheikh's palace here in Saudi Arabia!

Lunch
Bacha has been given directions to a suitable lunch place for us, and we invite Andrew to join us. The restaurant is very traditionally Arabic, with floor seating in individual little cubicles only. Explaining about my knee injury, Bacha asks if they can find me a chair, but they have none. We decide to look for something to eat elsewhere, and after a bit of driving around, we end up in a fast food joint, where we all enjoy 'zinger sandwiches'.

After lunch we say goodbye to Andrew, and head further south to continue our journey. We enjoy a post-lunch snooze for the first few miles, but then try our best to stay away as the scenery becomes increasingly more rugged, with some fascinating rock formations.

I am disturbed to see the amount of graffiti that has been scrawled on the rocks.

I am totally blown away by the outer-worldly scenery that has been sculpted over the millennia by wind and water.

Just outside the town of Al Ula, we turn off the main highway onto a sandy track leading to our camp for the night. Bacha explains that previous customers have complained about the approach road to the hotel, and the management is now trying to improve the road. We see a number of road-work vehicles, but no workers. Bacha is concerned about getting stuck in the loose sand here, so drives very gingerly.

The track may be a basic sandy lane, but the breathtaking approach to the resort takes us between staggeringly steep cliffs and golden sand dunes basking in the late sun.

Sahary Resort

Amusingly, the sandy track turns into an elegant cobbled road as we enter the resort compound.

The reception area

Bacha, our lovely driver

The resort is large, with different types of accommodation offered.

It looks like we are staying in the Al Gazal Village part of the camp.

David walks along with the porter transporting our luggage, while I hobble behind with my walking stick, taking photos.

It seems we are right at the end of the path, the furthest away from reception, the restaurant and the car park. Oh well, I shall be giving this poorly knee a bit of a workout for the next couple of days.

Well, almost at the far end.

Our room is made to look like a traditional Arabic nomad tent, but the interior is anything but basic.

After settling in, we wander down for an early dinner, as we want to try and photograph the stars later. The restaurant looks like a wedding set-up, with white cloth-covered chairs, and it is almost empty.

Dinner
For a buffet, the food is surprisingly good. We both normally hate buffets with a passion, but this has some decent meat dishes - we choose stuffed chicken in a cream sauce with rice. They also have a good selection of vegetables, which to our surprise are not overcooked, but still offer a delightful al dente texture.

As for the dessert buffet – wow! It all looks so delicious that I try one of each. Thankfully they are very small portions.

Chocolate-filled eclair, baklava rolls, honey cake, cream-filled sponge (very light and surprisingly delicious), baklava, kanafeh (sweet cheese-filled pastry), kiwi custard tart.

After dinner, we return to the room and sit outside for a while, admiring the stars, and trying to photograph them. The local light pollution in the camp, while looking very pretty, makes it hard to get a clean image.

In the end, I manage to create something by combining two images.

I would like to offer a huge thank you to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this amazing trip for us.