FOGGY DAYS OF RAMADAN - Al Baha, Jeddah and Madinah, Saudi Arabia

.......previously a mammoth blog about our time around Abha and Jazan in Saudi Arabia's southern regions ..........

Incredible Thee Ain village, Al Bahah, KSA

A series of lifts got us out of Jazan and on the road to Abha. We had previously visited Abha and would spend a couple more nights there to break the journey north. Our first ride was with an electrical engineer who gave us small gifts from Jazan as he dropped us off, then two laid back students heading for an exam, and finally a quiet PE teacher going home to his wife and son for the weekend. 

After our rest in Abha, we were raring to go again, and looking forward to hitch hiking through the mountains to our next destination, Al Bahah. 

It was an epic day, the first half enjoyable and successful and the second quite difficult, compared to our other hitching experiences. 

Two different lovely Sudanese boys took us a great distance to a town roughly halfway to Al Bahah, which was a huge bonus. The scenery was almost indescribable. Everywhere we looked there was soaring high mountains, with ancient stone villages tucked away. Beautifully terraced hillsides had green crops growing and stone towers sprung up on virtually every hilltop. We were amused to remember how excited we had been in Rijal Alma to see a stone tower- there were hundreds here! The road was twisty and we sat in awe as we gaped at the magnificent spectacle outside. We couldn't communicate verbally with either of these boys, but we could tell they were kind souls, and were sorry when we had to leave them. 

Our lovely Sudanese lift towards Al Bahah, KSA

We then found ourselves by the side of the road in a bit of a situation. We had climbed so high into the mountains and appeared to be in quite a remote area. The weather had changed intensely, and a severe fog covered the whole area. We could hardly see five meters in front of us, and we were afraid cars wouldn't be able to see us to pick us up. Added to that was the fact that there was very little traffic, and the temperature had sharply dropped. 

Many people stopped, some of them curious to talk with us, others not understanding what we were doing and others asking for money. We ended up paying one guy what seemed to be a reasonable amount of petrol money in order to get ourselves out of the cold, foggy situation, and slightly further along the road. The people here were so different from those we had received lifts from down south. Perhaps they were mountain people not used to seeing outsiders?

Bit by bit, we inched closer to Al Bahah, the poor drivers leaning over their steering wheels, peering into the fog, mostly driving extremely slowly and carefully due to poor visibility. To be honest, we were quite afraid at the dangerous conditions.

                                                                         Slightly scared driving in the fog!

On the final stretch we were saved by two wonderful Turks, father and son, again with no English, but very compassionate souls, who could see how cold and tired we were. We sat in the backseat of their warm work car and at last became close to our destination. As the fog cleared slightly in the final part of the trip, we could see more villages appearing, the scenery similar to the outskirts of Abha, many dilapidated stone buildings and picturesque towers.

Unknowingly, we had booked an extremely swish apartment in Al Bahah, the fanciest yet for us in KSA. It was the perfect place to dump our bags, turn on the heating (!!), have a hot shower and rest our weary bodies. It had, after all, been a eight hour day hitching!

A hot drink in our posh apartment, Al Bahah, KSA

Rich overwhelmed by the beauty of the living room!

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We couldn't believe how cold it was in Al Bahah! The fog persisted for the next two days, and provided a contrast for us from the hot and humid weather around Jazan.

Local Al Bahah lad rugged up, KSA

Rich wearing all the clothes he has!

Our explorations saw us heading up a hill close to the town in order to see a view down the valley. It was a strange abandoned part of town, with only a few workers around. That is until a carload of local hoons puled up, screeching their truck to a stop besides us on the deserted mountain road. Of course, Saudi hoons are relatively harmless, and these young boys only wanted to take a couple of selfies with Richard before driving away. How they stood the cold in their bare feet was curious!

Rich with some excited local boys, Al Bahah, Saudi Arabia

The views were gorgeous, across deep valleys with more stone towers, mist obscuring some of the outlook.

Looking down the misty valley, Al Bahah, KSA

Views to die for, Al Baha, KSA

Stone structures in the distance, Al Bahah, KSA

Trying to arrive back to the centre of Al Bahah by foot included running across three lane highways, jumping over bollards, finding shortcuts through fields and back gardens, even climbing down a rickety ladder at one point- these Saudi towns are really not designed for walking!

Discovering some Aussie wattle! Al Bahah, KSA

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Our final day was the best by far, and one of our favourite things we have done so far in Saudi. Having loved the old villages we had seen around Abha, we were interested to investigate a different style of place just outside Al Bahah, the abandoned village of Thee Ain.

The road to Thee Ain was an engineering wonder. Descending incredibly steeply down from Al Bahah, it consisted of a series of bridges, tunnels and sharp hairpin turns, twisting back on itself many times in order to arrive down at the plains. Our faces were pretty much glued to the window the entire journey. 

After being dropped off in the tiny village, we walked to a bridge to get a glimpse of Thee Ain from a distance, and our breath was literally taken away. The village was immensely gorgeous, set in front of craggy mountains and merged into the enormous rocks. Surrounded by banana plantations, it rose beautifully like something out of a fairy tale. 

First glimpse of Thee Ain village, Al Bahah, KSA

Stunning view of Thee Ain village

As we walked up the path to see the place close up, we were taken with the scale and intricacy of the architecture. A stone village, the buildings were meticulously put together - the many large slabs surrounded by tightly packed tiny stones placed just so. It must have been a huge amount of work, and the end result was stunning. Structures were perched on the sides of white granite rock, perfectly square and facing outward with few windows. We could see some of the village must have been renovated, and other parts were still standing strong after the reputed 400 years it had been standing. 

The site was completely deserted, apart from us and a few workers collecting rubbish. We were so happy the weather had turned sunny and bright, and we felt blessed to be visiting on such a beautiful day. 

Looking its best in the sunshine, Thee Ain village

Our first stop was down at the natural spring, a charming, cool and shady area with small paths leading over the water flowing out and feeding the small plantations of bananas and other crops. It had been tastefully turned into a small cafe/sitting area for people to relax, and no doubt take a drink during normal times (ie. not during Ramadan, and not first thing in the morning). We tiptoed past a worker sleeping so peacefully by a waterfall. Again, we were amazed to think this was Saudi Arabia!

In the garden at Thee Ain, Al Bahah, KSA

Sleeping soundly, Thee Ain, Al Bahah, KSA

Shady path near spring, Thee Ain

Little urn in a corner, Thee Ain

We then slowly climbed up the paths leading to the top of the village, enchanting by the isolated and serene feeling. It certainly wasn't tizzyed up for tourists like some other sites we had visited- it felt hidden and remote. Apart from the many birds singing and tweeting down in the bananas, there was only the sound of the wind, and the occasional calling of the workers. We were pretty much free to wander wherever we felt like, some of the houses open and very dark inside. Most had internal stairways leading to different levels- some were two floors, others four, and there were huge stones over the top and bottom of the windows and doors. 

Fantastic stone structures at Thee Ain, Al  Bahah, KSA

Banana plantations below, Thee Ain

Looking out to the mountains around Thee Ain, Al Bahah, KSA

Narrow streets of Thee Ain

Intricate stone work around doorway

Inside one of the dark houses, Thee Ain, Al Bahah

Gorgeous stone steps, Thee Ain village

Sweating in the heat, we descended the many steps, and returned to the bottom, turning back to survey the stunning sight. 

Thee Ain in all its glory

Final glimpse of Thee Ain village, Al Bahah, KSA

                                                                                   Glorious birdsong in Thee Ain oasis 

There must be a time when Thee Ain becomes busy- there is a huge visitors centre, picnic area and car park there, but we were very happy to have seen it in such a quiet time. 

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Another long day hitch hiking took us from Al Bahah to Jeddah, although this time the difficult part was the heat, rather than the fog and cold! The first lift was with a military guy, who took us a long way towards the main coastal highway. We have been lucky with members of the police and army, maybe they feel an obligation to see us safely to our destination? 

The mountain scenery was lovely until we hit the main highway on the coast, then there was miles of nothing but desert, a few scraggly makeshift shelters with sheep and camels, and a gigantic solar farm.

Next, a couple of young guys heading to Mecca picked us up, and took us a fair way along the highway towards Jeddah. One was super excited to meet us, being in his final year of English studies at university. He immediately rang his friend living in Adelaide, who we chatted with for some time, before enjoying the conversation and learning about the boys in the car. As well as umrah, they were going to Mecca from Jazan to buy a new 4WD! Quite a trip! When they dropped us off, we took advantage of the huge service area mainly used for umrah people (pilgrims) to use the toilet and we had a sneaky drink of water. Saudi was a couple of weeks into Ramadan now, and we had so far been able to not eat or drink in public. This hot day hitch hiking was our biggest challenge in that respect. 

Lovely students gave us a lift part of the way to Jeddah, KSA

The final, and most uncomfortable part of our journey was with a Pakistani delivery driver, who had been on the job since 9 pm the previous evening. Heading to his base in Jeddah, he was at first animated and speaking constantly to us in extremely hard to understand English. When he stopped chattering, we felt relief, until we realized he was so tired he looked as though he was about to fall asleep. Trying to engage him in more conversation we spoke with him very loudly. Seeing he enjoyed annoying Tik Tok videos, we encouraged him to watch and scroll, even though it meant him not concentrating 100% on the road. We spent a tense final hour driving into Jeddah in the traffic, before he thankfully dropped us at our hotel and went on his way. We hoped he would have a big drink, something to eat and a long sleep when he arrived at his digs.

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Jeddah is Saudi's second biggest city and capital of Hejaz, the region of Saudi Arabia that includes Jeddah, Madinah and Mecca.

Situating ourselves in a hotel by the railway station, we had only planned on a short stay in Jeddah. Even though we had enjoyed exploring Riyadh with our friend during our stay there, massive cities are not really our thing, and the biggest draw here was taking the new train onward to Madinah. We're sure if you had a purpose, one could no doubt find lovely parts of the city to enjoy, but we didn't really have the energy at this point.

First time seeing street cats treated so well! Jeddah, KSA

Streets of old Jeddah, KSA

We did, however, spend an absolutely charming afternoon/evening in the Al Balad suburb, the oldest part of Jeddah. This historic centre was much better than we had anticipated, the traditional Hijazi architecture unique and engaging. The main characteristic was the wooden shutters and screened windows of varying sizes on many buildings, which gave a graceful atheistic. Some of the structures housed shops, and other larger homes had been renovated and turned into museums. Being Ramadan, they were all shut, but we still gained enjoyment admiring them from the outside. It seemed a complete "beautification" process had been started, and hopefully in the future this area will be tastefully done up, as the Al-Turaif section of old Riyadh has been.

Colourful doorway, Al Balad, Jeddah, KSA

Historic street corner, Al Balad, Jeddah

Mosque decorated for Ramadan, Jeddah

Quiet part of Al Balad, Jeddah, KSA

Wooden window balconies, Al Balad, Jeddah, KSA

A touch of blue, Jeddah, KSA

Keen for a pic! Al Balad street, Jeddah

We wandered aimlessly, before arriving just at the right time at at an open square area filled with hungry people and food vendors selling various goodies for iftar- the meal to break the fast during Ramadan. The atmosphere was brilliant, everyone sitting together with food and drink, waiting for the first sound of the evening call to prayer in order to tuck in. Some had blankets spread on the ground, some on crowded tables, and other just sitting on the curb. We got ourselves some of what most of the stalls seemed to be selling, a deliciously vinegary bowl of chick peas and loaded potatoes, and gulped down some cold water we had been offered on the street earlier. As we walked to a main street in order to find a taxi home, we came across yet another, bigger, even busier area with dozens of food trucks, and hundreds of people lined up to eat and enjoy the atmosphere. 

Getting ready to break the fast, Jeddah, KSA

Great atmosphere, Al Balad Ramadan, Jeddah

Happy, hungry vibes, Jeddah Ramadan

Iftar snack, Jeddah, KSA

It was pleasing to see such a mix of people, all sorts of ethnicities, men, women and families together, and a wide range of clothing, not just all black abayas. Quite cosmopolitan, for Saudi! We even spotted a handful of tourists, something we had yet to encounter in KSA. 

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We could hardly believe the gigantic size of the palatial-looking train station in Jeddah. It absolutely dwarfed the stations at Dammam and Riyadh, and was more like an sleek new airport inside than a railway station. Everything was so well organized, with staff members standing everywhere to assist with directions, and probably the cleanest public toilets we've ever seen. There are only two rail destinations from Jeddah train station, one to Mecca (off limits to non-Muslims) and one to Madinah, where we were going. 

Modern and palatial Jeddah railway station, KSA

Covering nearly 400 kms in less than two hours, the train reached speeds of 300 kms per hour- definitely the fastest train speed we've ever experienced. Most of the trains we are used to travelling on you could run faster than!

Arriving at the elegant Madinah train station, we followed the crowds outside to where the polite, yet over priced taxis were waiting. We once again turned to our trusty Careem taxi app, and found a reasonably priced lift to our digs. 

A funny old hotel, it suited us just fine, having the basics of AC, a kettle and a fridge. We had struggled to find somewhere cheap to stay in Madinah. Usually an affordable destination, it seems to be visited by umrah (pilgrimage) people during Ramadan, inflating the prices. 

For the first time, we struggled with the Ramadan opening hours. Madinah was the one place we looked forward to visiting a couple of "sights", namely a date plantation, of which there are plenty, and Madinah is famous for, and a look around the date wholesale market, where deals are done in bulk. After making a bit of an effort to reach these sights, we found them all closed. 

We did spend some time cautiously looking around Al Masjid an Nabawi, the second most important place for Muslims, built by the Prophet Mohammad and containing his tomb. We knew we were not allowed into the mosque itself, but were slightly unsure which areas we were permitted to enter freely. Of course, we were respectful, and covered up, and mostly people didn't seem to care what we were doing- everyone was just concentrated on their own thing. After we had already spent a couple of hours admiring the huge, beautifully designed mosque and people watching, we were stopped by a policeman. Seemingly tired from fasting he half-heartedly asked us if we were Muslim, and pointed at Richard's camera. After a quick glance, he waved us on our way, not really bothered. 

The different types of pilgrims at the Masjid an Nabawi were fascinating. Coming from every part of the Islamic world, we saw Africans in their bright outfits and Indonesians in their little caps with wispy beards. Uzbeks seemed to be over represented, distinctive with their rosy and smooth faces. We saw Afghan hats, multi-coloured abayas, Malaysian lungis, men in white umrah robes and Pakistani shalwar kameez. Every type of robe, and every length of beard was represented! A few glamourous women could be seen, but mostly they wore black abayas and it was the men who stood out. We simply sat and watched, entertained by the ever changing line-up of thousands of people from all over the planet. 

Some of the Uzbek contingent, Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

Gorgeous entrance, Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

Mixture of looks amongst the umrah pilgrims, Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

Simply observers in the crowd, Masjid an Nabawi

The organization was incredible, with multiple separate toilets, washrooms, prayer areas and entrances for men and women. Hundreds of workers whose job was to answer questions and give directions stood around and hordes of workers cleaned and swept and generally looked busy. We also couldn't believe the lack of beggars, scammers, postcard sellers and even taxi drivers in the vicinity- something most religion's major pilgrimage sites would be awash with. 

Well organized, Masid an Nabawi, Madinah, KSA

Magnificent Masjid an Nabawi, Madinah

The Quba Masjid at sunset was a much more casual affair, and during our visit we watched with interest as everyone prepared for the end of fasting for the day. Hundreds of prayer mats were spread out by workers in huge roped off areas, then closer to the time, pilgrims were allowed in to these areas to sit and receive free boxes of food. After eating, people stayed on to pray, while we set off home with the call to prayer in our ears and the sun setting over the city. 

Quba Masjid and pilgrims, Madinah, KSA

Early men, keen for upcoming iftar dinner, Quba masjid, Madinah

There must be many of these! Madinah masjid

Sun down at Quba Masjid, Madinah, KSA

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We really dislike eating late, and simply couldn't adjust to the Ramadan hours. We would try to buy food from the small supermarkets to eat in our room during the day, but there wasn't a great deal of choice, and we craved a hot meal and some meat. If we were organized, we could purchase a takeaway from a restaurant from about 4.00- 6.00 before iftar (meal that breaks the fast at the end of the day, about 6.30pm), but it was difficult always thinking ahead to what we need to buy to eat in advance. The term HANGRY became very relevant! At the end of the day, it was our choice to stay and experience this time in Saudi, but we discovered it was not as easy and wonderful as our time was before Ramadan.

That old saying about the point of travelling being the journey rather than the destination seemed more than relevant on this latest portion of our travels in Saudi Arabia. Since we left Najran, we felt like we had been having a succession of amazing road trips, with a lot of recovery and a little bit of sight seeing in between. 

Ready for a change of scene, we set off to the desert in the north of Saudi Arabia, and our next destination, Al Ula. 

This part of our Saudi trip, Al Baha, Jeddah and Madina

Our route hitch hiking around the south of Saudi

..... next up the other worldly Al Ula, and north into the desert...........