Hotel Al Khozama Riyadh

... over the place. I have NEVER been sooo unprepared for a major trip abroad. <br><br>Finally catch the airport bus and my clothes are soaked and my flight is at 9:15 am. I get charged 396,000 won in excess baggage fees (which I learn very quickly I could have avoided paying if I wanted to be dishonest). The check-in counter and the counter where you pay were in two completely different areas and there was no confirmation or communication made between ...

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 ...

... correctly, just draping it loosely over my head would be ok, which is just as well because a week later with plenty of opportunity to practice, i still can't do it properly.<br><br>Arrived Riyadh airport around 7pm in the evening along with a couple of other flights. Glenn had organised a fast track service available for businessmen, so we were able to by pass the lines, which was good as i ...

... 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 ...

... 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 ...

... the horizon, due to the dusty sky here, so the city just sort of melted into the distance, it was amazing. It would have been a fabulous view at night! I may have to go there again sometime, just to get a few snaps! After walking accross the sky bridge, and again descending to the ground, we had some free time to wander through the shops. The last few levels is this amazing High street fashion shopping mall... Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Marks and Spencer.... Loved it ...

... water was close to the surface and so were the sand roses. We had bought a shovel in Bahrain, as mentioned, and I hauled it out, along with gloves and began making a hole. James spelled me off. Meanwhile, Colin and Dawn walked around scooping up all the sand roses that other people had deemed too small. They soon collected a huge pile while James and I had very little to show! Go figure. I had wanted a huge sand rose, but alas, it was not to be on this day. Disappointed ...