Radisson SAS Hotel Riyadh

... popped my passport in my wallet and decided to go and explore outside.

I made my way to the only big landmark I could remember, a big McDonalds just in the corner and walked up Sitten St looking at everything. After making some calls to family to let them know I’d touched down safely, I went in search of a mobile phone shop. After walking around quite a bit I found a small Mobile Soug where I bought a sim-card and cheap mobile phone because my British one is ...

... 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.

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.

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.

... 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.

... a separate recovery of 2 bays for labour ward. Most of the time, they seem to work 1:1, although you might see 1:2 if they are really busy. There is a lot of paeds, 5 bays that they allocate especially for them. They never have LMA's in recovery, though - the doctors will always remove before transporting to us. Often you will find patients staying overnight or longer in recovery simply because there is no where near enough beds in the hospital. ICU patients -as ...

... detailed response than I have learned, Im totally lost! :p I'm studying really hard with what ive got, which isn't much. I'll probably never be able to read much arabic writing apart from numerals, but hopefully I might be able to string a few basic sentances together by the time I head home again! I must say, I was a tiny smidge jealous seeing my housemate Legia off the other night, on her way back home to Aus for her mid-year holidays. She was so excited, as she ...

... lots of stories, lots of fun. It was a private compound that we went to - the girl who was hosting the BBQ is an english girl who works in recovery - just gorgeous. Her hubby works here in the National Guard as an advisor to the Saudi's, so they get to live in a MUCH nicer place than ours! They had an amazing villa all to themselves, beautiful furniture, plasma TV, a cook, a cleaner, pool right outside....... It was beautiful! There were maybe 15 of us there, all of whom work ...

... brought one too many bags and needed to see if she could somehow get it on the flight. I told her that if we got on we would take one of her bags as we were only taking two bags (we were allowed six). Finally the clock hit 10:15 and the Flight Manager asked us for our tickets; always a hopeful sign. He went down to an empty computer terminal as PIA (Pakistani International Airline or Airways) brought out their cards and began setting up to process their flight ...

... and Kingdom Mall are beautiful and luxurious enough to rival the Champs Elysses or Rodeo Drive. The compound that we lived on the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center was about 10 minutes drive from downtown and about a 25 minute drive from the Diplomatic Quarter where some of the doctors were housed - but mostly the Embassies and a great walking/running/cycling path in and amongst date palms, and artificial lakes.