BEST SAUDI DAY; Mountains, Hospitality, & Mosques скачать в хорошем качестве

BEST SAUDI DAY; Mountains, Hospitality, & Mosques

Day 338. 83km (71754kms 6 yrs) I slept very comfortably on the couch in an otherwise empty rooftop room. A knock on the door brought an invitation to eat so I rushed downstairs but found the motorcyclists all still to be asleep. Instead I drank tea on couches arranged outside the front of the building with a small group consisting of Arab, Pakistani and Sudanese locals. I began to get anxious the the day was getting away from me but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye and thanking my hosts. At last once the bikers began to emerge a breakfast of foul and dhal was served which I gladly wolfed down (the foul could’ve used some salt though 👩🏻‍🍳). After photos and goodbyes I got away a little before 11am. This part of the country is surprisingly (to me at least) gorgeously green and mountainous! I had thought that Saudi Arabia was all sand all flat, but no! Furthermore, a choice of roads winding up the valley meant the gorgeous ride was made all the more beautiful by the absence of the noise and danger of heavy trucks. 30kms into my ride I was invited to coffee through a car window by a man driving past. I followed him to some kind of official building where I was presented with a cappuccino before the men apologised that they must leave to pray. Conscious of my late start I was eager to get going again. But this simply wasn’t acceptable, my repeated declinations fell on dear ears; I MUST have lunch with this man’s family. And so I gave up my protests and followed the car and a handful of young boys on bikes to the man’s home. Seated inside a tent in the yard, I met the whole family including - memorably - a frail old lady who gave me a weak but determined hand clenched to a fist over the head salute. After coffee and dates I was brought a staggeringly large tray of food before the family retired inside the main house to eat. I wondered whether they were eating the same, if so why weren’t we eating together? I suspect this food and been bought especially for me and they were eating something else. Again it was a battle to be allowed to leave without staying the night, only possible when I explained my visa was running out. I was handed gifts of incense and shown the way to the edge of the village by a car bursting with children hanging out the windows waving. My heart is overflowing! How could I have been so eager to leave just a week ago?! Since giving my stalkers the slip back in Jeddah, my experience of Saudi Arabia has been soooo much richer now that I’m able to explore without the constant presence of a security vehicle. And so at 3pm having travelled just 30kms I now set about making the final 50 before sunset. Despite the gentle climb and thanks to a tailwind the going was easy. I stopped briefly at a tumbled-down village of dilapidated and abandoned stone houses but otherwise rode straight until, just on sunset as if by magic a roadside mosque offered tent-free shelter for the night. I’ve been asked how locals feel about me sleeping in their mosques and I must say it seems to be actively encouraged in remote areas. Saudis much prefer that a solo woman sleeps safely locked inside a mosque than wild camping, and that suits me just fine! And so despite my concerns about delays, the timings worked out beautifully. All day I felt so happy and grateful to be travelling here, I think this must be my favourite Saudi day yet. If you enjoy my vlogs, blogs, and photogs please consider joining me on Patreon 😃 https://www.patreon.com/helsonwheels?... #saudiarabia #biketouring #travel