Golden Tulip Hotel Qasr Al Nasiria Riyadh

... of wine or something alcoholic during the flight. <br><br>Anyhow, it all worked out for the best and when I was returning to my seat the woman gave me a thankful nod and smile from where she was happily seated next to a woman of her own age also in abaya. <br><br>My flight in a nutshell: disappointed with Cathay Pacific, I totally thought that the service and inflight entertainment was going to be better for a long haul flight of 9 and a half hours ...

I apologise for the lack of actual information on this page. It has been a fairly hectic few days. Needless to day, I have already been in contact with most of you by now and updated you on how the new job was going.<br><br>I, along with another colleague, rented a rather batter, manual gear, Hyundai Accent and took it for a spin for about 24 hours around Riyadh and also out to Ad-Diriyiah. Al-Diriyah is a town in Saudi Arabia located on the ...

... the first one at the entrance with a nicely printed A4 page, with &#8216;SIMON IRVINE &#8211; AL-RAJHI COMPANY&#8217;. He was a small man, from Eritrea, who greeted me in broken English and offered to take my suitcase. I said that it was ok and asked where he was from. When he told me he was from an Arabic-speaking country and I engaged him in Arabic, relief cascaded down his wee face. He admitted that it would have been a very boring ride to the flat if I hadn&#8217;t spoken ...

... arriving at that time of the evening means u are in for a long wait in line to get through customs....<br><br>My one and only bag got concertinered in the crush with other bags and the carosel...<br>and the heat once out the doors...amazing.<br><br>Met Glenns driver...Noor...call him Mr Noor. Very nice man from Pakistan.<br>Most expats that stay in Riyadh for any length of time apparently ...

... each year is staggering.<br><br>With that delay we passed Makkah then Ta'if, and then it was sunset as yet again we entered the sandstorm areas. We stopped again at a Sapco for sunset prayers, Nusaiba and I causing a stir in the ladies restroom at the masjid -- I gather they don't see a lot of Americans there. When we went in a woman asked where we were from (from our coloring we are obviously not local) and was visibly shocked when I said America, I ...

... popping and we noticed lines of trucks with their hazards flashing as they struggled to keep their vehicles going at the slow rate down the sloping roads. The views are breathtaking. I particularly enjoy the odd assortment of rocky outcrops -- amazing how these jagged towers are shaped by nature.

We reached Riyadh close to midnight. My husband's aunt's (by marriage) brother lives in Riyadh, and we usually sleep at their villa and have a meal before heading out again for the longer segment of our journey. Riyadh is a huge city; unfortunately it has only been a stopover point for us, we haven't had the opportunity to spend much time exploring. <br><br>After dinner and a night's rest we left, making a short stop at Starbucks for a Frappucino. I ...

... to be by the patients' side and help the nurses. They are there 24/7 on the wards, sleep next to the pateints and all. Trying to navigate a trolley into the small 4-bed rooms of the regular wards, with sitters sleeping on the floor next to them, with all the curtains closed permanently because they are female patients can be lots of fun! :p At all times you have to be mindful of the cultural aspects of looking after the Muslim patient. 5 times a day the ...

Once more to the airport van my friends! So begins another trip by the Doigs, this time to Cairo, Egypt. Although we had never been, we have many friends who have been to Cairo and given us both positive and negative feedback. This was really the trip of first choice: for Colin because he wanted to see the Pyramids, Dawn and I the same, as well as for us the price was right. The day started uneventfully, until I received a phone call at work from Dawn. Wondering ...

... waited. And waited. During this time they opened another window, upon which 30 of the 80 men rushed it, almost resulting in a fist fight between an older gentlemen and a younger one who was in the new line but then got popped out like a ballon held underwater and then released. Interesting. After this amusing interlude, another helpful Jordanian gentlement told me what I needed. I phoned Dawn and asked her to bring down my passport and the paper I had been given by ...