Oh the things we didn’t expect about Saudi… 🐒
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There’s a city in the mountains called Taif that a lot of Jeddawis (people from Jeddah) visit on the weekends to experience cooler temperatures and a change of scenery. ⛅️⛰ It’s about two hours away and, at one point on the drive, the road climbs up a steep mountain with a series of nauseating switchbacks. Luckily there are a few pull-off points where you can get a scenic view and let your stomach recover a bit. But you must be on your guard because this is where the baboon herds lie in wait for naive tourists…
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This type of baboon lives in rocky terrain and survives on various insects, small mammals, and plant life, and apparently bags of Doritos and candy bars too. They seem friendly but I’ve also heard their angry growls when a guy brandished a banana in their face and wouldn’t fork it over. He quickly acquiesced once the ringleader bared his teeth. I’ve seen videos of them swarming cars and I just read about them stealing puppies and forcibly raising them as pets so when they’re old enough they can protect the herd. 😳 Kay, I’m not getting out of the car next time.
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Some local people consider the baboons a nuisance because they enter the towns and get destructive when on the hunt for food, but they are definitely a draw for tourists. I’m from the flat farmlands of Ohio so I will never fail to be entertained by seeing monkeys in the wild. I grew up spotting cows and sheep on road trips while Ezra and Abel get camels and baboons. 🐒🐪😂
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