Oh, how I wish I could soar like an Arabian falcon over what I saw today. How is it that I can be 40 years old and have 20 years of travel experience under my belt and still manage to find places that make my jaw drop in awe? The number of places is to visit and adventures to be had in this world is limitless. I feel like I could spend ten lifetimes on Earth and still not see everything. After doing so many things in Riyadh in just a few days, I just had to see the Edge of the World for myself. I thought about attempting to hitchhike but then thought I might as well book a tour. Normally I shun tours but sometimes they make life so much easier. I had to get to a Dunkin' Donuts all the way on the edge of town, meaning I had to book an Uber. As a group gathered, we all piled into a 4WD (a tour coach wouldn't have made it on these unsealed roads). The guide stopped to get us ice cream before we explored some ruins.
It's amazing how some of these mud buildings can last for centuries but with such a dry climate it isn't surprising. These weren't the highlight of day, however. Camels would hang out outside of our vehicles.
Over the course of my travels I've had encounters with camels in Ethiopia, Egypt, and Australia. I still have to visit the Gobi Desert: home of the Bactrian camel, which is the world's only two-humped camel. The scenery would only become more majestic...
...and this was the highlight of the day! Located at the end of the Tawfaiq Mountains, these cliffs appear straight out of somewhere in Western Australia or the American Southwest. This bit looks like kebab or shwarma meat when it's roasting.
I wish I had brought Juliett (my drone) with me, but I didn't bring her on this journey because she wouldn't have been allowed into Iran. It wouldn't have been an issue here because I saw at least one person flying a drone. Never one to be fearful at the edge of a cliff, I just had to enjoy this majestic sunset.
I'm glad my mother doesn't travel with me because I've always been a daredevil: I've jumped out of airplanes and off bridges and I have hundreds of photos of me hanging over cliffs, waterfalls, etc. What shocked me is the amount of rubbish, particularly plastic bottles, I saw lying around. I was even more upset when my driver left his Dunkin' Donuts cup at the lookout, and he did it knowingly because he placed a couple of rocks inside of it and left it there. I opened up my backpack and filled it up with about 30 plastic bottles, and I encouraged others at the lookout to bring some plastic with them to throw away when they got back to Riyadh. Like much of Europe, Saudi Arabia would do really well with a recycling program. A giant Full Moon would greet us as we made our way back to our respective vehicles. Dinner under the stars sounded magical and majestic, so we all chatted as we drank tea and feasted on chicken and rice with an aromatic Arab flavour. Why would I need 4-star hotel when I can feast as I gaze at millions of stars and a colourful Moon? The Edge of the World made my jaw just absolutely drop in awe today.
In the dark we were dropped at the same Dunkin' Donuts that we met at earlier. Fortunately I was able to get a lift with a couple of the guys who were also on the tour, meaning I could get to an area where I could go back to Ahmed's house via public transport. Five days in Riyadh has been wonderful. I'll be setting out toward AlUla tomorrow where I'll be visiting the remains of the old Nabatean Civilization, and Ahmed made me one final pot of Egyptian mint tea before I continue on my way. There's a lot more to the Kingdom than just Riyadh but this massive city and the Edge of the World have both been amazing starting points.
