Kate in Arabia Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I was determined to take pictures on our annual trek and I'm sure I annoyed my dh and just about every one of my in-laws making them stop while I snapped a photo, lol, but I was finally able to get the better pictures put together into a travel blog.. if anyone is interested... http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/filfilfilfilksq/1/1250271631/tpod.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Thanks! I love the idea of adding maps. What a great blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 I love the idea of adding maps Me too, it's built in to the website. My only beef with it is that you have to use their pre-determined map pins, and there were places we traveled through that didn't have a pin. So, for example, although we followed the coast road to the Saudi border then across, there was no way to indicate that on the map you had to go with their pins. So it kind of looks like we flew. I thought it was odd they had some city names on their map but no pin for that city. Oh well, for my first time trying it out it was ok. I don't know that I'm chatty enough to have a regular blog, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 That was really interesting! Thank you for sharing, I loved the photos. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 jeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Those are great photos, I love your travel blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Wow! Thank you for sharing. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 How neat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Kate, Thank you so much for sharing. I love the pictures and your words of Jeddah. I miss that place so much. The Cornishe looks the same except for a few more interesting structures. Is the "Thumb" still there? I could almost smell the Souk, esp. the fish Souk but yum. There was a special nut and coffee stall at the entrance to the old Souk that I always got my Turkish cashews at, the best in the world. The bread, I miss the bread. When I arrived in 75 they were still using the old, old airport and our water was brought by donkey cart. When I left King Abdul Aziz International Airport was in full swing. I used to ride my horse out by KAIA at Wadi Abu Habaline (sp). My parents later relocated to Riyadh after the American Embassy moved, but Jeddah will always be my hometown. Did you have a chance to get up to Tiaf? One of my favorite memories when entering that city is sight of the gold dome on the summer palace; pure beauty. Thanks for the memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Did you have a chance to get up to Tiaf?Going and coming we avoid actually going into Ta'if by taking the Sayl road. One year by accident we ended up on the Hada road, had no clue what we were doing, and suddenly we were at the top of this enormous mountain and the road started winding slowly down.. baboons, super-scary bridge to cross, etc. It was in the papers this summer that they have just re-opened that road after a renovation.. I wanted to try it, but it will have to be on our way to Jeddah (not from Jeddah, as our car is usually heavily laden with goodies to take home). Couple years back some relations from the Saudi part of my in-laws invited dh and I to visit them at their vacation spot in Ta'if on our way home. Beautiful and the weather was *fabulous*. They had a house on top of one of the hills, large screened in porch, it was great. They still have the thumb-thing, also the huge bicycle.. the cube with cars sticking out... I can't remember which of the remaining are the oldest.. they had a plane roundabout which no longer has a plane, I think they're changing the whole intersection there... I started visiting when I got married, about 15 yrs back, but sounds like you got there shortly before my dh did -- I think his dad started working at KAA Univ Hospital around 1976-77? He talks a lot about how much things have changed over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 That bridge and road up to Ta'if (:)) used to be very, very scary. I actually used to own a baboon from one of those tribes of there. His mother was hit by a car when he was an infant and by means of a vet I ended up with him. His name was Bender (I know not very original). Of course this was back when the old Al-molk-a tar (sp) on Medina rd (I think) had a tiger and a lion at the entrance, before it burned down. I'm sure your husband would remember. The bicycle was nice but the cube with the cars was one of my all time favorites. :D Your posts now have my mouth watering for shawarmas, broast w/garlic sauce, kupsa, goat..... I've been trying to remember the name of one of my favorite dishes. It was a type of omelet with philo dough, meat, spinach and green onions and you squeezed lemons all over it. It was baked in a big outdoor oven and moved around with a huge pizza type shovel. It was one of my favorite dishes and I can't for the life of me remember the name. Do you know? Do you have the recipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 It was a type of omelet with philo dough, meat, spinach and green onions and you squeezed lemons all over it.Is it Mutabbaq? The same guys making the omlette parathas in my pics make mutabbaq at night. It sounds the same, except they didn't give any lemon and they cooked it on the same huge iron pan, not in an oven. Here's a recipe I found online, see if it looks right to you: http://fitdv.myrecipefriends.com/recipe/7227.html?PHPSESSID=bef1cf21408d47a60889d0bbf5f337d6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillieBoy Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Yes, yes, yes! Thank you I thought it sounded like that but my family kept telling me I was confusing the word Muc-tab-ba (sp)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 That was fun to read, thank you for sharing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwka Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Oh...we lived in Jeddah for a short time...never got to Makkah (we are Christians) or Riyadh...but my dh thought in Taif...Jeddah was interesting... Sometimes I miss the sand dunes and the sky overcrowded with the stars, while in dessert... Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Loved reading about your trip, enjoyed the pics. I thought that was so cute about your dd and the ladies in the restroom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Hi Kate, I want you to know that we are still looking for the perfect item to send to Arabia. When we find it, I'll let you know. Have I mentioned lately how wonderful that Turkish Delight was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 For anyone who's interested, I added a few more pictures to the blog entry on Makkah: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/filfilfilfilksq/1/1248802498/tpod.html?view=preview I didn't take my camera inside the Haram (the masjid where the Ka'ba is) because it's kinda heavy and they unfortunately have problems there with pickpockets, but my dh took pictures with his cell phone that he just sent to me to include. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Kate, Thanks so much for posting this. I really enjoyed looking at your photos. I shared the anecdote about Starbucks with my ds. I recently read a book about a woman doctor working in Saudi Arabia. She describes her hajj experience. It was very cool to see your photos of the Ka'ba! Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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