InterContinental Al Khobar

... as I knew only the big city. We drove past and again it was just sand , shrubs and little hills.

I did try to take some snaps but the bus was too fast for me so I guess you and I gotto be satisfied with these fleeting shots from my mobile. I noticed that the highway's sides were covered with wires all along and I wondered why. Realized later that they could be for keeping the camels from getting on the highway - I am so sad to say that I missed every picture ...

Not much - just waiting at the airport for the flight! Bahrain was both nicer and more boring than I thought, the weather is a lot more forgiving but it's not worth more than about 3 days exploration tops.. Unless you like to get really nittygritty :P

... and also not having any male family members with us [women are not allowed to cross solo, nor are they allowed to drive in Saudi!], we didn't even bother to attempt to cross the real border to go into Damman [although I wanted to..], so Saudi exploration will have to wait until I'm married :P [I have no brothers and my dad would much rather go anywhere else but a hot desert!]

... of Dubai. There were two interesting buildings - the World Trading Centre, which has 3 wind turbines in the middle of it that produce its power, and a pair of buildings I dont remember the name of that's shaped like two quarter-pikes [skate ramps]!

Our driver then took us to some random palace grounds thingy - basically, it's where the king keeps all of his camels. And there were LOADS of the buggers! We got to go in and stroke one of the baby camels, who at 3 ...

... local tribes around the country (normally last several days, victims are treated well and released without harm once concession from Yemeni gov't is obtained).  Additionally, several Westerners (including children) were killed in the Northern provinces, where there is currently fighting with the gov't now on the offensive, and small secessionist fighting/protests in the South.  The thing that worried me the most though was that Al Qaeda, having been hampered in Saudi Arabia, had been re ...

... to-a-room and two rooms per apartment. Married expats get a housing allowance (so they can live outside company-provided housing) along with other benefits. Just another incentive created to get people to marry in Saudi. I asked if there were advantages (more freedom) for women to get married. He said, “No---there’s no freedom wither way!” Interestingly, the average man gets married at about 26 and the average girl at ...

... 8217;t planned 9/11, which he agreed was unlikely, but I don’t he really though they were similar. I did manage to get him onto the less passionate topic of the U.S. foreign policies for a bit---at least slightly less uncomfortable, though I was grouped in with “you,” as in “you and the U.S., a few times.

We drove around a bit looking for the restaurant, then found it-- called “Olive Garden” (not the American kind). I ...

... seemed to have the build and look of a Pakistani, and dressed similar to my Indian friends in college. He was wearing shorts a bit shorter than me, which helped make me more comfortable in my get up. Saw some other guys wearing shorts too, but much longer than knee-length. All courts were taken and only one had a door, so we waited a bit for a pair of guys on that court to finish up (though supposedly they were going to be finished 15 min earlier). Farhad ...

... key, opened my door, switched on the lights and started laughing. Holy Cow!! They've given me a suite. Heh, no better way to get stuck in a foreign land with no spare undies than be stuck in a foreign land in a nice suite with all the luxurious tappings. Rolled around in the king sized bed that night and woke up at noon. Since I missed breakfast and lunch is served only after 1, I went exploring instead. Armed with the hotel's name card which doesn't ...

... This flight from Dahrah to Jiddah was a learning experience never to forget. One of the fellows I was working with was from Beruit and said he 'needed' to come in with me to the airport to be sure I got on the plane ok. Of course, being an experienced American flyer I tried to beg him off - VERY wisely, he said "No", that he had to come in. Hard to explain, even years later, the solid mass of people at the counter trying to get on the flight. It was a ...