travelswithkathleen

I am a native in this world And think in it as a native thinks

Sunday, March 17, 2024

The Night Market


Yanbu is also a port on the Red Sea, and the market began 500 years ago as a gathering place for merchants and sailors. I admit to being disappointed—it was small and dark, and there was nothing I was remotely interested in buying. (I finally bought an obviously mass-produced ceramic mug with some hand painting on it just because the young woman in the shop looked so hopeful when I walked up.)

I'm sensing a theme here




Moving on to Yanbu.

The waterfront, where there is a lighthouse, and surprise! a giant sign.

Random things I saw in Jeddah


This might be more than usually random, but I have nothing to add.

Opening up to the tourist trade




Nothing remarkable about this picture, but it makes me smile. All of the tour guides in Saudi Arabia were charming, and so eager to show us their country even as they struggled to figure out this whole “tourism” thing.

Where was I again?


I'm laid up with a nasty cold, so maybe I can actually finish up with Saudi Arabia in this decade. Yesterday I was wishing for death; today if I'm lying down watching television I don't feel terrible, but the minute I do something strenuous—like walking to the kitchen—I urgently need a nap.

Here's an interesting juxtaposition of the three stages of building repair in old town Jeddah.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Sunday bird blogging




Here's an unimpressive picture of an impressive bird: a Eurasian hoopoe I saw near my hotel in Aqaba.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Saturday reflections


I have no idea what this building in Jeddah is (though I do like the marching camels), but there's the Arabian sky, reflected, so here it is.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

The Sauds





Versions of this sign, depicting the founding father and first king, Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the current king, Salman, and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, were everywhere.

Lest you forget that Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, and is in fact named for the royal family.

Urban poetry





King Faud's Fountain, seen in the distance the night we left Jeddah. It's the tallest water fountain in the world, because of course it is.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Sunday bird blogging




Pigeons on a building in Jeddah. With reflections, so two birds with one photo, so to speak.

This wasn't a fun week. I've been having laptop issues for the past few weeks, so I've had multiple visits to the Apple store, and had to work around all of this to try to get all of my class materials done. There has been a certain amount of yelling and cursing, and I have to admit it was not always directed at inanimate objects.

The laptop is still on life support, despite paying $250 dollars and three days downtime for a new battery, but I'll scream about that next week.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

On the streets of Al Balad


Is it obvious that classes have started again? I will post the remaining Jeddah pictures, but the pictures that haven't been processed yet (Knossos, Ephesus, Yanbu) will have to wait a while.

Urban poetry



I think this counts as urban poetry: the outdoor seating area of a cafe in Jeddah honoring Muhammad Ali.

As a world-famous Muslim, Ali was very popular in Saudi Arabia. He visited many times, first making the Hajj in 1972.

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