My trip to Iran, which I'd been looking forward to for most of the year, was cancelled only the night before leaving! I even checked in online for my flight only to receive a message telling me that my flight to Tehran with Kuwait Airways had been cancelled. I tried to quickly organise another flight but the expedition leader informed me that they cancelled all tours for everyone. I was devastated! Tensions have been boiling betwen Israel, Lebanon, and Iran, and may be about to boil over since Iran fired missiles at Israel last week. A trip to Iran has now eluded me three times and this time it really hurts. It was like being about to win the NBA championship and I'm in control for most of the game, only for the other team to come all the way back and beat me on a last-second shot.
Altering travel plans is nothing new for me (enter COVID-19) so when one door closes, another opens. Pondering my options during a couple extra days in Kuwait, I opted for Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom only started issuing tourist visas in 2019. Before that, the only way to visit the country was to either perform the hajj or umrah, work here, or travel in transit. For a couple of years back in the early 2010s it was possible to visit on a guided tour, similar to North Korea, but that was eventually ended and the government stopped issuing tourist visas altogether. In 2017 I visited the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Los Angeles, and inquired about a transit visa there but I was told that it only lasts for three days and that it wasn't easy to get. Saudi Arabia could have put my plan to visit every country in jeopardy but that's no longer an issue as they're actively promoting tourism as part of Vision 2030. Whilst I planned on hitchhiking to Riyadh, I had credit from my Kuwait Airlines flight to Tehran so I went to an agent and booked a flight to Riyadh, and they didn't charge me the fare difference! Upon landing last night I received a warm welcome as the Saudi immigration officer liked my Barmah leather hat and told me I have a nice smile, and before landing I was concerned about wearing shorts and having pictures of girls on my phone. There are no buses or any type of public transport from the airport; taxis or an Uber are your only options. An Uber To the home of Ahmed, my current CouchSurfing host, would set me back close to $30 (US).
Founded by Abdulaziz Ibn Saud in 1932, Saudi Arabia is the only country named after the family who founded it (House of Saud). It is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies, meaning the king has total power. It's hot in Saudi Arabia at this time of year, but the Kingdom without heat would be like Antarctica without ice; it's all part of the experience. After a good sleep I wanted to get out there but it's a long, long way from anywhere to anywhere in Riyadh. Public transport is a nightmare at best and nonexistent at worst, although the long-awaited Riyadh Metro is nearing completion. If I could compare Riyadh to one place I've been to, it would be Phoenix, Arizona. It's a very hot, vast city that sprawls across the desert for as far as the eye can see, and any must-see sights are very far away from each other. I missed the bus because I was standing in the wrong spot, and the driver wouldn't open the door for me when I caught up to the bus stopped at a red light. I had to wait 20 minutes for another bus and then I ended up at the Diplomatic Quarter. Having to navigate the myriad of police in the area, my host, Ahmed, is working here so I had his live location on WhatsApp to show them. In Richard Bodeker Park I Found my first Saudi Arabian geocache as well as some interesting rock formations.
A so called "Ambassador of Green," Richard Bodeker was a German landscape architect who worked for over 45 years designing and promoting green spaces in Saudi Arabia. The heat will drain your energy quickly and the best thing I can stress is to drink a lot of water! I didn't make it very far today, and I'm disappointed with my progress after today. I went just past the Diplomatic Quarter and that was it. Riyadh may be that one place where it may be best, for sake of convenience, to just book an Uber.
One thing I never get tired of hearing is the call to prayer, even though it is sometimes my de facto alarm clock. Muslims are obligated to pray five times per day. The five prayers in their respective order are Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. They take place, respectively, before dawn, noon, late afternoon, at sunset, and at nighttime, always in the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. Visiting Mecca would be a very fascinating experience but non-Muslims cannot enter Mecca. Ahmed would pick me up and then we'd have shwarma for dinner, and then at home he may be some Egyptian tea. I would then take advantage of the warm evening by going for a long walk.
Tomorrow I'll be planning my day better and I'll be doing a lot more. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of Riyadh; exploring a city that only recently opened up to the world.
