Our flight was virtually empty. No more than 40 people on board.
I was a bit nervous about this one. I had read that if a woman was discovered to have a tattoo the punishment was time in the clinker. It’s not mandatory but women should be covered from head to toe and in loose fitting clothes to be respectful.
I purchased a used polyester dress that fit the bill in the market in Rwanda and a hijab from a tiny Muslim shop in the same country. While in the shop this kind gentleman off the street helped the shop keeper translate for our transaction. When my purchase was finished the man asked me if I was Muslim and then asked me to convert when he wasn’t satisfied with my answer. We had a pleasant exchange and he tried to persuade me one more time before we said our goodbyes and left.
I put on my new outfit before our flight so I’d fit in as best as I could. I knew in advance that I was going to be in major trouble wearing polyester but I figured the car, airport and airplane all had air conditioning so what the heck.
It was like someone had wrapped me in cellophane and set me by a campfire. Chemicals from the polyester rose like smoke signals. I’m not sure what was worse – a menopausal hot flash or heat stroke from polyester sauna.
When we arrive at the hotel the front desk clerk didn’t have on a hijab so off came mine. Off came the dress the second we entered the room and never left the closet. We’ve left the country and the dress stayed behind.
My cotton and linen clothing was much better. It helped by absorbing sweat but didn’t keep me from being drenched in the 97 degree temperatures. Holy moly the women here have more endurance than the crazy people who hiked to the top of the volcano to see the gorillas.
Jeddah is Saudi’s second largest city with a population of 3.75 million people. It’s located on the Red Sea west of Mecca. In 646 it became a port for pilgrims crossing the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia has always been closed to non-religious tourism. However, in September 2019 they changed that and opened up to international travel from 49 countries aiming to cut their economic dependence on oil. Soon after COVID hit and they closed again for 18 months.
We spent all of our time roaming the old part of the city called Al Balad in the historic part of Jeddah. It is beautiful, reminiscent of the crumbling buildings in Havana, traditional Hijazi houses are adorned with wooden Roshan windows and balconies. Most of them have serious structural issues and are abandoned. In 2019 the crown prince announced a huge multi billion dollar restoration project where now the new and old reside side by side. An ongoing project. I hope they don’t restore everything.
The first day the streets were empty. People were celebrating Eid Al Fitr (breaking the fast) which started the day after the end of Ramadan. The endless shops were all closed as were the restaurants. I wished we got to see it full of people and Bill said he’d rather imagine it full of people and stroll in the quiet!
I wanted to see Al Balad in the evening when all the lights would be on. On day two, we ventured back in the afternoon and walked until dusk. About 4:30 people started coming out bit by bit. A few shops were open and a couple cafes. Coffee is big here. This too was a holiday.
The warm glow of the lights added softness to the evening. Every so often a breeze would add a moment of relief from the heat.
After our little visa fiasco needing a visa for Kenya you would think we’d be smart and check all the up coming countries we wanted to visit but oh no that would be too efficient. Our next stop required four days minimum to be approved for our flight that was in three days that had already been purchased. No getting around it. So we pivoted.
