Saturday December 20

Today is Steven’s birthday. He has to work during the day, but we will have a nice steak dinner, Birthday cake and presents.

My first trip into Kobar, the Saudi town off the compound. Yes! I had to wear an Abiya.

Lani hires a driver named Shake. He picks us up and takes us where we want to go to shop, waits and then takes us to the next place. He also helps carry the packages. All very nice, but it costs a little over six dollars an hour. All because woman cannot drive in Saudi unless they are on the compound.

We finished up our Christmas shopping and then went to the grocery store called Timmini. It used to be a Safeway. It is big and looks similar to our Safeway stores except a lot of the items have Arabic writing on them. I did have to go next door to get an item from the Pharmacy. They are not together here.

Lani was buying special things for tonight and for Christmas dinner. We looked in vain for the pie crusts we were told yesterday they had, to no avail. It’s “here today, gone tomorrow”. Sort of like Costco.
I was going to shop for my own Abiya, but we ran out of time, so another day.

Back to our trip.

Outside of Petra we stayed in a unique adobe hotel. We could easily have been in Santa Fe. Our next stop was the Wadi Rum. Queen Noor was so taken with its beauty and historic significance she encouraged making it a protected area and sharing it with the rest of the world. I’m so thankful! It was miles of red sand and craggy hills of quartz rock. We traveled in this area by jeep with a special driver as it was most often off road and took lots of skill. You see piles of rocks here and there. The Bedouin’s do this to mark the way through the dessert.

We saw many Bedouin tents out here. They come and spend part of their year here in the dessert and part of the year in the homes the government built them to keep them from migrating to the city. This serves to help preserve this culture as well.

After lunch at an Oasis, Michael and I decided to have a camel ride. My camel turned his head around and looked me in the eye, snorted and screeched. At least he didn’t spit or bite, but he was not happy. The owner helped me on and that camel lurched up first front and then back. Getting off was even worse. First he fell down on his back legs tossing me backwards, then he dropped down on his front knees throwing me almost over his head. I was only stopped by the saddle horn which rammed into my stomach. He was one ornery, mean critter and I don’t care if I ever see another camel. Notice, no picture of

my nasty friend.

Sitting on a huge slab of rock in the middle of the dessert watching the sun set was surreal. Once again I was reminded of the infinite beauty of Gods creation.

This is the night we spent in a Bedouin camp. We had our own tents with cots and wonderful heavy warm blankets. But first we had to eat the barbecued pig which had been cooked underground. Delicious. Then watch the men dance. Soon they started dancing in a line through the tent getting the guests to join the line which then headed outside and danced around the fire. Slightly reminiscent of the bunny hop only there steps were much different. Lani, Michael and I joined the fun.

You’ll be glad to know that the bathroom was close to our tent which I was very thankful for.

Notice the beautiful rose patterned material on the inside of our tent.

More to come if and when the Internet is working. I don't know if you heard a submarine cut the cable in the ocean so we have limited service if any at all.