Is This Really Saudi?? Resorts on the Red Sea
There are many beach resorts in Jeddah: family-friendly ones, ladies-only ones, fancy you-have-to-know-someone-to-get-in ones. The resort we’ve been to the most is called Le Plage and it’s primarily a family-friendly place. :: We had a hard time finding it on our first visit. There are no signs outside distinguishing the resort and everything is surrounded […]
Piping Hot Tea by the Roadside
Continuing with my trend of things we see on the side of the road (fake construction workers, shepherds), my eyes are always peeled for tea stands. The humble setups usually consist of a grill with copper kettles, a cooler of herbs, and a couple men sitting in lawn chairs. You pull your car up beside […]
Shepherds of the Desert
When traveling between cities, we get to see a job in action that reminds us of the roots of this nomadic country: shepherds herding flocks of sheep, goats and camels. 🐑🐐🐪 :: Thanks to the Paulo Coelho book, The Alchemist, shepherds have a somewhat mythical quality in my mind. Their job is as old as […]
The Sweetest Little Cafe
This bright, charming cafe, @saraladiescafe, is my happy place. I started coming here when Ezra was 1 month old – once a week we would stop in after our Mommy + Me yoga class (stop your snickering, it was a nice bonding experience). The employees, all sweet and friendly ladies, would dote on him while […]
Fooled by the Fake Construction Workers
These construction scarecrow men scared the living daylights out of us the first time we saw one, which was at night on a highway near the city limits. :: Since that night we’ve become accustomed to their roadside presence bc they show up often. I find it amusing that they’re dressed in full construction worker […]
Ancient Village
Yesterday we stepped back in time and wandered through the ancient Thee Ain Village deep within the mountains outside Al Baha (5 hours inland from Jeddah). This gem is my favorite spot in Saudi so far. :: After 45 minutes of winding along mountainsides, driving through tunnels and over bridges (breathing deeply as cars passed […]
Visiting Al Bahah
Since international trips aren’t an option right now, we’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to travel more within Saudi. This weekend we drove 5 hours inland to Al Bahah, a city in the mountains, beloved as a travel destination for Saudis due to its cooler temperatures and amazing parks. We’ve been astounded, as always when […]
Top Spot for Dining on the Red Sea
When you come to visit us (😉) we will take you here for dinner. Blue Ocean is our favorite dining locale on the Red Sea. It has a true coastal vibe and, when we time it right, you’ll get a front row seat to the sun’s brazen descent. :: We’ll reserve the table in the […]
My Biggest Pet Peeve about Saudi
Saudi is technologically advanced, has beautiful malls and wealthy well-traveled people, but in some ways it still seems 50 years behind the US. Smoking is still very common, for one, but my biggest pet peeve is the littering. In America I was a mild member of the litter police, but after a few months here […]
Learning What Kind of Quarantine Person I Am
These are the infamous clumpy white dunes of the central Saudi desert… Jk, it’s my sourdough starter (fed and unmixed). 😜 :: When I reflect on the past couple months, it’s embarrassingly clear what kind of quarantine person I am. Let’s take a look at my recent undertakings: ✔️Sourdough bread baking ✔️Potty training a toddler ✔️Bible-in-a-year […]
