Al Seteen Palace Hotel Riyadh

... 8217;. I have spent most of the day just cleaning and relaxing. I don’t want to tire myself out too much or I’ll be no good to anyone. I picked up my suit from dry-cleaning and ironed all my shirts. I bought some household products and scrubbed the fridge. Apart from that, it’s been a fairly relaxed day and I’ve been listening to some music while writing this entry. That’s about it for now. I will try and add another entry in the not too distant future. Bye bye.

28th...bought an abaya in Dubai. The young woman at the shop showed me how to put on the sheelah (the head scarf)...an hour later i asked another nice young Saudi lady in the waiting area to show me again, because i took it off and couldn't get it back on properly...there is a knack to it. Met her family while waiting...really lovely people. Her mother said not to worry about putting on the ...

Four weeks later it was time to head for home. We loaded up our car again, although this time our luggage rack on top of the car was completely full, and left Jeddah in the early afternoon.

We passed through Makkah again on our way, and inevitably we got lost. They have gotten so much better about having street signs, but even so and even with a detailed map of the city, we followed the roads and ended up at a dead end -- specifically a road that ...

When you are entering Riyadh from the east, you pass a lot of agricultural spots -- date farms, dairy farms, fields with modern irrigation equipment. Leaving the city heading west it's as if you have come to the edge of a vast cliff and are now headed down into an enormous valley. Our ears ...

... small barrier to the families' entrance, and back in again. I shared a small chuckle with the staff as they were the same people, they had just shifted down the counter a bit. I was also the only customer in the store, on either side.

Large mocha chip Frappucino in hand I felt ready to face the next ten hours or so of drive time. We drove quickly along the city highway, not much traffic but still considerable winds and a lot of sand blowing around.

... spinal anaesthetic, must remain in recovery UNTIL IT HAS FULLY WORN OFF!!! I feel sorry for the caesar patients who just want to go back to the ward and be with their babies, but can't because "no, you cant move your legs properly yet". And we transport our patients back to the ward after they are recovered. We also quite often look after royals and VIP's - there is an entire ward especially for these patients. The rooms are amazing, like 3 separate rooms ...

... to a piece of fine gold! The best part of the morning was the fact that the souk was situated on the other side of town, and we had to drive right through the city centre to get there - providing me with some fantastic photo opportunities of the city, typical architecture, and the two famous towers - Faisalliah and Kingdom tower. I've booked in my first lot of leave for late September/early October, and I can't wait! The plan is to head to Dubai for a few days, meet ...

... high in the sky as it would have been at maybe 11 back home. The compound grounds are massive in themselves. There is a gym, pool, tennis courts, social club, courtyards, theatre, bank, travel agency, supermarkets, dry cleaners... you name it! There is even a rug store :p Im going to have to go further exploring in the next couple of days :) Well, I have to say that I am having a "super fun" time. This place is amazing, such a wonderful experience, am loving it more every day. The ...

... on our last day in India. It was a smooth re-entry to Saudi from Bahrain. Customs waved us through all along the way and we enjoyed the smiles from all! Once we hit the Saudi side we detoured down the Hofuf Highway to look for sand roses - an interesting crystal formation formed from sand and chemical elements combined with a saline groundwater. James knew the way having been there before. But...like everything else, time changes everything. Roadsides were now fenced off ...