Al Salam Holiday Inn Jeddah

... breakfast at the beach, so we stopped at a small restaurant that specializes in Indian omlette parathas and picked up a sack taking along our own carafes of hot chai. The beaches in Saudi are generally quite dirty with trash, although they were better this year than they have been in the past. There were quite a few people -- families -- there even though it was about 6 am. And I actually did get to drive in Saudi, as there were a couple of guys ...

... It was a feeling I have never experienced in my life and don't want to ever experience that feeling again. On 12.45pm flight tomorrow out of London and in the Sheraton just now drinking free wine!!!!! See you all soon and my friend in Jeddah those I met and those I didn't get a chance to meet, one day we will meet up again I promise.

At airport she has booked me on the flight tonight from london so I will have to stay in London over night and get a flight Sunday. She was really horrible this morning never even told me about my flights she left the house with not saying a word gave my passport to the guard and told then not to give me it till I was through immigration!!!! Think she sent the most run down car she could find to take me ...

Well I hope I will be on a flight tomorrow Saturday, finger crossed as yet I have not been told anything, not been given my passport back with exit visa, tickets etc etc. But the agency assures me it will be OK tomorrow!! The last few days have been very scary for me and very worrying as you hear so many stories, I just don't know if I ever want to come back it has been an experience to say the least.......mmmmm might write a book ...

... have a life here as well as work. They where telling me yesterday about a Ball they all went to on Thursday evening at the English Embassy , there is another Ball there the end of March and they have these things on at least each month!!!! It is in an English School so I have sent off my application form, CV etc etc so fingers crossed and we will see what happens. Forgot to take my camera with me yesterday as I was happy and excited at being let out for the day, so didn't get any photos.

Sorry I have not done much on my Travel Pod but not really got the heart or mind to do it maybe after a week or so I might!! Need to get a leats a few photos before the end of March. At least I can say it was an experience and it will make me stronger as a person.

... time to come home about every 3/4 months but don't think I could handle longer. As they are nothing like English people (think thats because they are Arabic!!!!) but they just have a different way about people and that may be also because of who they are ie royals.....Oh and the Kings Palace is just up then road from me!!! Yes I would have been happier if I had had a larger room or at least a room where it was like a bed sitting room. They travel a lot ie Dubai for 10 ...

Making a speed trip on Jeddah can be challenging at the best times. I arrived right after Umrah visas had closed for the year, and on the onset of the Hajj visitors. Jeddah has become a modern city, not without its challenges, but a vast improvement from when I first started going there 23 years ago. Highlights, the Corniche, Al Segeoul restaurant; the Dinner Boat, The Red Sea Mall, Al Andalus, (great Cappucino NOT at Starbucks ...

... it was amazing. i cant describe it to you but it was so beautiful and peaceful. hopefully i can put the pics up here soon. trying to get to the old market place and have a few odd jobs left on my to do list! but the really good news is that there is a wake boarding place five mins away from me at home so hopefully i i will still get to do that! missing you all like crazy and wont be long till I'm in the pub with you! save some beer for me keep in touch xx xx

wow OK here goes my arrival and first night!!!!! landing at the airport was chaos. the flight was uneventful and not much turbulence so that was good, i was however told that there would be someone to meet me off the plane, the ground staff had other ideas. i was put into the bus with everyone else and went to passport control. i was then told that i was a VIP and had to go to a different place. this was not good. i didn't know where i was or what was going on. half hour later they ...