rivlinm

In the middle of the night I woke up and took a look at Al Haram and was in awe how lively it still was. What an amazing sight. Breakfast was oddly included (rare for a Fairmont), possibly because I had upgraded to a suite, so I took the maze of elevators to go down so I could go back up. There was a 360 degree view of the city and an amazing spread of food, but the service was lacking compared to the Hilton in Medina.


Late night circumambulating


Top notch breakfast at the Fairmont


Downtown Mecca


Landscape


Kaaba view is blocked from breakfast


Looking at Zam Zam Tower

Between prayers I decided to take a walk through the backstreets and discovered endless 2 SAR Stores and many friendly locals happy to pose for the camera. The items they sell are the same junk sold in the mall, but at a fraction of the price. As I walked back the food lines for the many fast food joints were endless and all of a sudden everyone fled in a state of panic. It turns out the police were cracking down on street vendors selling goods too near the Masjid and they all ran to avoid having their goods confiscated. This in turn made everyone panic and run as well. Nearly every guest I encountered in the elevators was reclusive and withdrawn, but one woman from Dammam was particularly friendly and welcoming. We briefly spoke as she was taking fast food to her family in the room. Near the Masjid, restaurants are non existent outside of hotels and most guests in the elevator had their hands loaded with a to go bag and soda from their favorite western fast food chain. I was shocked the hotel didn’t have a policy prohibiting such.


Beautiful historic architecture on the five star hotels surrounding the Masjid


Fastfood heaven


Broke ground on the towers in 2002


Replaced the 18th century Ajyad Fortress, creating international outcry, especially from the Turks


An exclusive mosque is in the crescent for VIP (Notice windows)


Ongoing construction


Exodus following prayer


Backstreet Mecca


Hawking fruits and vegetables


2 SAR Store


Misbaha (99 or 33 beads)


Misbaha seller


Saudi Keffiyeh


Carpets


Kaaba rug


Not surprisingly, this Indian couple wanted their photo taken


Family business


Toy salesmen


Maybe check the maintenance record before flying this one


Crochet taqiyah (likely from Pakistan)


Dates


Tea set


Snacks

I spent the rest of the day in the mosque and particularly enjoyed watching the clocktower light up as the evening wore on. With another long day in the books I pigged out on a döner kebab. As I was trying to get on the elevator (another battle I discovered while in Saudi Arabia) that same Fairmont staff who ridiculed me for my camera earlier walked by and gave me a glare. Again I woke up during the night and pleasingly took in the vibrant activity down below.


Almost sunset


Filling up for the evening


Capacity


The world’s largest clock face


Lit up for Azhan – At 43m across, it’s more than 6 times the size of Big Ben’s


An observation deck and astronomy exhibit sits near the top


Mixed döner kebab

The next morning I woke to news of Houthi missiles raining down on the capital Riyadh and members of the ruling class being “jailed” in the Ritz Carlton. My parents were a bit paranoid to say the least, but I assured them I was not at risk.


One last Fairmont breakfast

I needed a taxi to Jeddah for my final day in the Kingdom, but it was a bit challenging finding an Uber (125 SAR quote) so asked a taxi that had just pulled into the parking bowels of the Abraj Al-Bait parking garage. He first wanted 200 SAR but agreed to 100. I was pleased and we headed off for the hour drive on the busy, but open road across the desert. Oddly there were many beat up cars passing us unsafely on the shoulder. Either way I arrived safely at my hotel eager to check out how Jeddah compares, as one of Saudi’s more religiously lax cities.


Jeddah bound


Still seen miles away


Cut off for non Muslims to avoid Mecca

rivlinm

The Prophet's Mosque was absolutely beautiful and very functional for a 24/7 mosque. Not an easy accomplishment. Worshiping other deities and objects in Islam is still an ongoing issue. Kissing the Black Stone is seen as acceptable since Mohammad (PBUH) is said to have done so, but other locations like his tomb, Al-Baqi cemetery, and I even recall sites in my visit to Iran where they actively have to discourage such acts. For example, this sign was outside the cemetery informing people of this very topic.



I kept my attire more western aside from my time in Ihram. I suppose you could say I looked Turkish.

I think if I was flying into JED first, I would have entered Ihram at the airport. Not sure other than maybe flying EK/EY F, I would want to change in the plane's lav. Obviously since I flew into MED, no one was dressed that way.

You bet, glad you enjoyed.

Couldn't agree more. Medina really was a welcoming place. (city and masjid) Mecca, eh....

rivlinm

Selecting a hotel in Jeddah was challenging. Since there are not particularly many tourist hotspots or areas of nightlife it was difficult to decide upon an area (many suggestions online are business driven). Also, reviews seemed to indicate most places were outdated or rundown for their value, especially the hotels tied to a loyalty program.

In the end I opted for a lesser reviewed hotel named the DyarInn Jeddah just a block from Falastin Street in the Al-Hamra District. For less than $60 I was impressed with the property and would highly recommend it. They checked me in early again at 11:00 and I set off down Falastin Street to explore Jeddah.


DyarInn Jeddah


Cold AC and a comfortable bed

Along this main road leading to the corniche were a slew of fast food restaurants and a mall. As I neared the corniche there was a building with ample signs indicating no photography. Coincidently Google Maps doesn’t seem to label that specific building either. After a bit of research it turns out it is the Government’s Convention Center for entertaining and hosting dignitaries. More interesting however is its original purpose. In the 1980’s it was built to serve as the InterContinental Jeddah but when King Fahd saw it’s proximity to his private 1,000 acre island across the Red Sea he deemed it too close and took ownership of the building.


Falastin Street


Jamjoom Mall


Designed to be the InterContinental Jeddah – Now the Saudi Government Convention Center


Red Sea Corniche with the Jeddah Islamic Port

Coincidently I continued walking down Al Kurnaysh Road until I got to the real InterContinental. I had heard they sell postcards, something that had remained elusive up until this point. The AC inside was very welcomed, but their postcard selection was iffy at best.


Interesting McDonald’s exterior


Not the most inspiring Saudi postcard selection

Continuing on I hailed a taxi to the Al-Balad District. Arguably this historic quarter is Jeddah’s most (if not only) tourist attraction and proved to be a nice way of dodging the sun between the buildings. Traditionally the core of Jeddah, Al-Balad translates to “The City” and is from where modern day Jeddah evolved. Now in a state of disrepair (although efforts are being made to rejuvenate the area) it’s mostly a mess of crooked alley ways beneath the coral block buildings. Once the homes of wealthy merchants in the port city, the structures are now crumbling as they can’t sustain the living standards of modern day Saudi Arabians. The most notable building, Nasseef House, has been nicely restored and is now a museum but once housed King Abdulaziz ibn Saud, the first ruler of the modern Saudi Monarchy. The people, mostly working class and foreigners were friendly and welcoming as I made my way around.


Entering Al-Balad


Al-Balad


Coral brick construction


Traditional carved windows


Some have been restored


Not sure I would trust the stability


Watermelon


Cardboard hauler


Nasseef House, completed in 1881


Thought to have the oldest tree in Jeddah, from a time when being able to water a tree would be seen as a status symbol


Nasseef Square


Souk Al-Alawi


Beautifully carved entryways


Bread maker


Bread seller


Back alley


Goal


Became a UNESCO site in 2014

The fortified walls of Al-Balad haven’t existed for over 75 years, but the gates still exist, including Bab Jadid, one of the original eight. Most cities in this part of the world really have some unique public squares and Jeddah is no exception with Allegiance Square being one of the larger ones, just outside Al-Balad. I considered walking back to Al-Hamra but after getting to Jaffali Masjid, I had enough of the blazing heat and found a taxi. I can’t vouch for the legitimacy of this distinction (although many smaller news sources have quoted the term and location over the years) but outside the mosque is commonly labeled “Chop Chop Square” for its role in public executions and floggings following Friday’s Jumah.


Bab Jadid Gate


Allegiance Square


Felt like pedestrians were prohibited from accessing


Quite a fountain on the other side of the Square


The only (UN country) flag to be inscribed with the Shahada


Jaffali Masjid


Too windy today for the Saudi Flag Roundabout


I don’t think I could think of a single American food chain that I didn’t see in Jeddah

Back at the hotel I cooled down for a bit before going to explore the Red Sea Corniche at sunset. Plenty of Saudis were about and about enjoying the evening with their family or loved ones. The men were generally welcoming, while I was regularly and rudely received by the women. Many had laid out picnic blankets to have dinner while watching King Fahd’s Fountain. The peak of its water jet is disputed somewhere between 260 and 312 meters, but regardless it’s the world’s largest fountain by a considerable margin.


Late afternoon on the Corniche


Sungazing


Keffiyeh & misbaha


Man & woman


Father & daughter


King Fahd Fountain


Lots of beautiful sculptures around the city and park


Smiles


Cigarette


Playground


Mother wanted no part of this photo


Sittin’ on the corniche


Picnic


Taking a stroll


Badminton


Sunset time


Fishing


Three


King Fahd Island


Hasan Anani Mosque

I still wasn’t pleased with my postcards so took an Uber to Jarir Bookstore. The mega, two level store sold all of the goods you could expect to find at a Staples, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble and Michaels. Sure enough they had some expensive postcards, of the Holy Sites I had visited all week none the less. I dodged cars getting across the street to Al Sunobra for some dinner and I was again served just before they closed up for Isha. Back at the hotel I struggled to sleep with a runny nose before finally giving up in the morning and going off in search of stamps. My first guess was the InterContinental again, and they were happy to help out and sure enough, they arrived a few weeks later. I figured I should have one last meal and what better option than some yummy fast food. Just before my flight to Cairo, I found a taxi for 50 SAR and headed out after a rewarding and fulfilling week in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.


When Starbucks updated it logo, Saudi had a special version without the image of a woman, but they have since transitioned to the logo seen worldwide


Kebab assembly line


Final product


Chicken tenders from Broaster

rivlinm

Upon arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport I was greeted by a scrum of passengers (mostly pilgrims) making their way to a checkin desk. A big group of passengers with excessive amounts of bags created a bottleneck, but a member of the Saudia staff noticed I was traveling alone with one bag and quickly processed me. Nearly every passenger was purchasing a case of Zam Zam water to take home.

Quickly I got through immigration and suffered the next hour in an airport that makes a US airport seem luxurious. Jeddah is building a new terminal, but currently they have a large waiting room with nasty ceilings, limited dilapidated seating and one paltry eating option.


Saudia


Hajj terminal


I would never transit JED without a visa or access to a lounge

Eventually, boarding was called and everyone mobbed the gate only to take an escalator downstairs for a bus ride. At the bottom of the escalator a room should have held 30 people, but they tried to fill it with an entire plane load. Other passengers didn’t think it was problematic to stand at the base of the escalator while others had to avoid being trampled on the escalator.

We finally boarded (Jeddah doesn’t have any actual jet bridges and all gates are remote) and relaxed comfortably for the two hour flight to Cairo. Following a prayer we pushed back and quickly took off. I didn’t have high expectations for Saudia, but they certainly were slightly better than average. Friendly enough staff, nice clean plane with IFE, leg rest and an acceptable economy meal.


Interesting stair placement


Fish


Plenty of content, but limited in its relevance

We landed on time at T2 in Cairo and it was nice to see the new terminal building. Very clean and comfortable. Bags took forever (understandable given every passenger had a box of Zam Zam) and while I waited I got to enjoy the relentless offer for taxis or any other help worthy of baksheesh.

As I exited the arrivals hall to walk to the Le Meridien Cairo Airport a kind Egyptian offered me a ride for $10 to the hotel two minutes walk away. We both laughed at the stupidity of his offer and I continued on my way. I was feeling pretty awful at this point and the hotel staff was rather unwelcoming. She asked how I wanted to pay for my prepaid stay and I had to correct her.

I promptly fell asleep and felt a bit better in the morning. To checkout there was a line ten deep. I was really frustrated and just set the key down and walked out. I’m not sure I would stay at this property again given an Uber to much cheaper (and arguably nicer) hotels in Heliopolis is so easy.


Le Meridien Cairo Airport

rivlinm

I made the quick walk back to the terminal and was surprised how refreshingly cool the weather was. Before I could get to the check in desk the Cairo airport had confiscated my rechargeable battery pack since it was 3mm too thick. A second security checkpoint took interest in my five camera batteries, but quickly was distracted when they noticed the fat stack of 115,000 Somalian Shillings. Eventually they realized it was worth less than a stack of immigration cards but proceeded to still touch everything in my bag.

The lounge was a bit of a hike and required some expert level navigational skills to find the proper room in the back, but once I was there, it was comfortable enough. The food didn’t look very appealing so I just zoned out for a bit before heading to the gate. I’ve never had a great experience in a Cairo lounge. Being a BA flight to LHR security was tight and required an additional baggage search to ensure you hadn’t acquired another battery pack or liquids. One passenger had to check his iPad but the only bag he had was a flimsy backpack. I hope that worked out for him. I was asked not to take photos of the plane by security as that apparently poses a threat.


Cairo Terminal 2 Lounge

On board I quickly made myself comfortable in the old BMI throne seats. I still was blowing my nose and a fellow passenger offered me some tissue thinking I was leaving a loved one behind in Cairo and was sad. There wasn’t much to say about this flight other than the food was utterly repulsive and the crew equally as disappointing. The food was so disgusting I even asked if it had been catered in London and been sitting around all night. Nope, Cairo just has awful catering. I was craving something sweet and the only thing remaining in the club kitchen was some stale popcorn. Other than the private seat (can’t say it’s the most comfortable though) everything about this flight was awful.


Throne seat


PDB for a sicko


Starting off with a tea


Worst meze paired with a salad sans lettuce


Herb Crusted Hake


The only tolerable item on the menu


Stale

In London I just sat in a daze in the T5 Lounge while I waited for my flight to BWI. A nice elderly woman tried to engage in conversation with me, but I just wanted to be a hermit. Luckily I was soon onboard and claimed my bulkhead Club World seat tucked away in the window. BA rightfully gets a lot of flack for their seat in business, but for my sickness and desire to not be bothered, this was a great flight. Before takeoff I asked the flight attendant if she could hold my meal for later in the flight and she said the food would spoil and that wouldn’t be possible. Later she suggested if I wanted to choose the chicken salad entrée she could keep that cold for me and serve when I woke up. Sure, it’s no dine on demand like Qatar, but I was thankful for her willingness to work with me.


Soup in the lounge


Perfect cocoon for the eight hour flight home

I passed out for about six hours and when I awoke I was presented my meal. It wasn’t all that fresh, but considerably better than my food out of Cairo. Just before landing I had the typical BA westbound pre-arrival tea service. I was thankful, given my state, that I could just sleep the flight away and upon landing dozed off for most of the flight from Baltimore to Tampa on Southwest. I lucked out with an exit row seat with an empty middle so all in all, not a bad day of flying home to conclude such a memorable experience.


BA dine on demand style


Cheese plate


Afternoon tea

rivlinm

It goes without saying this is one of the more unorthodox trips I’ve ever taken. It didn’t take the form I first expected it to, and knew certain aspects of the trip involved risk, but through my travels I’ve learned those make for the most memorable and culturally engaging experiences. Regularly the moments I first recall when talking travel, are these very experiences. The four nations I visited are, for their own obvious reasons, seldom considered spots worthy of tourism. For Saudi Arabia in particular I felt there was a fine line between tourism and religious pilgrim.

Kuwait
A bit of an after thought in the planning, I almost opted to stay airside for the day. I’m certainly glad I didn’t. I’m sure I would have had great things to say about the country without the hospitality of Kareem, but he really helped showcase a country stunted by political selfishness in the end of the 20th century. I’m glad to see Kuwait is beginning to thrive again but wonder what the city would have become without outside interference and the emergences of the other Gulf States. I wouldn’t hesitate returning on a layover, but I also see the limited opportunities for any regular or extended visits for an outsider.

Somalia
Where do I begin?! What marvelous and brave people are the Somalians. It’s utterly heartbreaking what has transpired over the last three decades in what was such a beautiful and prosperous African country. However, it’s also really heartwarming to see the slow progress being made. For every awful and devastating sight or experience I had while in Mogadishu, I saw so much potential. The people (like in most nations) are what make Somalia such a prideful place. The corruption and terrorists continue to plague the country, but the fact that so many of the diaspora are returning with so much optimism is fantastic. Looking at photos from 1989-2011 shows just how awful Mogadishu was. Construction and technology are really alive and well across the city. I still regularly see such tragic stories about terror across the country on a weekly basis and know that isn’t going away overnight, but through strong honest governance and education the country has the potential to emerge from the years of war, terror and famine. I’m not sure it’s a place I should return anytime soon, but I hope in ten years I can revisit and see hotels where crumbled buildings once sat, traffic lights where armored checkpoints were and more and more civilians freely walking the streets as opposed to being confined to an IDP camp.

Djibouti
I can’t begin to say how disappointed I was with Djibouti. In general, many locals were very welcoming and kind, but the paranoia regarding foreigners is a major concern. On paper the citizens appear to have freedoms, but I question in reality how much latitude they truly have. It quickly became obvious how poor of a country Djibouti really is and how much it seems to rely on support from others. It would take some major change for me to consider returning. Besides not having too many unique attractions, (sure there are some inland parks and natural resources) it just was a place I always felt on edge. Not necessarily for my safety, but just making sure I didn’t cross an undefined line in the sand. There are very few nations I’ve visited where I don’t wish to return or can’t praise, but unfortunately Djibouti is one of them.

Saudi Arabia
Leaving out my wonderful opinions on the Holy Sites of Islam, I can’t say I was overly impressed with the Kingdom. Not surprisingly, it has a long way to go to opening up and welcoming visitors. Tourism just isn’t a priority yet. I was really disappointed I couldn’t work out a visit to Madain Saleh, but the resources just aren’t there. My encounters with locals were a mixed bag. I often encountered plenty of friendly people (many of which were not Saudi) but there were equally as many reclusive people. I guess it could best be compared to visiting NYC followed by a stay in rural Texas. Night and day different personalities and lifestyles. Politics and religion aside, I had a much richer and more cultural visit to Iran than Saudi. Iran (a major political rival of Saudi Arabia) hands down offers its visitors a more rewarding experience, better food, more engaging historical understanding. It’s not to say Saudi isn’t capable of all that, it just doesn’t seem to focus on history and its past. The new leadership, including the Crown Prince, seems to have the right idea for the future of the country, but it’s going to take time. I’d consider returning for work or tourism, but hope one day, inshallah I can experience my Hajj.

seyewest

Wow... What an educative and insightful post... everything about your visit and travel is top notch... Thank you for this, I will have to do a trip this year.

tennislover9

Absolutely fascinating and fabulous report. Thanks for sharing RivlinM and providing sights not often seen by many people.

palmanfr

This is a great report with fantastic pictures, and very good writing and explanations (especially for the non-muslims). Which camera and lenses did you use ? Especially for the portrait pictures ? Those are just amazing. (Although I have to say I got food poisioning just looking at your pictures of the Mogadishu fish market)
That was certainly quite a ride and I will never be that adventurous to reach such destinations. Thanks for sharing this experience ! Medina airport looks soooo much nicer than JED (I was there this month and was happy to have lounge access !)

Annalisa12

Wonderful trip report. Love your writing style.

GSBtravels

Fantastic report and great pictures. I feel that I learned a lot through the insightful writings as well. While I have no desire to visit some of these places anytime soon, you made them feel more approachable.

Uncle Nonny

Awesome detail. Your photographs, particularly the portraits of people, were great. Any settings on the camera you were sticking to or were you all over the place with your settings?

lamphs

I echo everyone's positive comments. I'd like to add that having a summary of your experience, at the end of the report, was an excellent idea with useful information!

isaifan

Wow, what a wonderful report. I've been visiting this report in the last couple of months, I appreciate the effort you put into it. I especially enjoyed your reflection of Madinah and Makkah. My experience in those cities were similar to yours. I especially enjoyed leaving everything in my hotel, other than a few riyals and heading out to the mosques. The simplicity and lightness really help with spiritual aspect of visiting those mosques. I'm glad you made it home safely, even though very tired. I look forward to your upcoming adventures.

chicagodesi

Mashallah an amazing TR with absolutely stunning pics!