The next day I started early and drove the 250 km to Riyadh. My first major city I entered. It was a magical feeling. You have no idea what is awaiting you or where you have to go. But that doesn't matter as you are so excited to enter that strange and new place. Around midday I installed myself in the Kingdom tower. Riyadh is a vast capital that seems to extend endlessy in all directions. There are however very few high buildings, of which the Kingdom Tower is one. It is a clear landmark in Riyadh, so that was where I headed to, waiting for my host, David. I had made arrangments with him through couchsurfing to stay at his place . I met up with him in a nearby shopping mall.
Arriving at his compound I had my first cliche on Saudi confirmed. The compound was a fortified place, walls, barb wire and several gates, checkpoints with armed guards, pick ups with machine guns mounted on it in front of the gate... ("A kind of a prison, not to keep people in but to keep people out" as David stated, and he could know as he lived in one of the compounds that was attacked in the 2003-2004 assaults). David and his wife, Charmaine, welcomed me in their home, this was better than any hotel room.
Arriving at his compound I had my first cliche on Saudi confirmed. The compound was a fortified place, walls, barb wire and several gates, checkpoints with armed guards, pick ups with machine guns mounted on it in front of the gate... ("A kind of a prison, not to keep people in but to keep people out" as David stated, and he could know as he lived in one of the compounds that was attacked in the 2003-2004 assaults). David and his wife, Charmaine, welcomed me in their home, this was better than any hotel room.
The next days I spent in riyadh. I visited the bridge on the kingdom tower, strolled along the streets and the soucqs of Riyadh, tried to visit Old Diriyiah, the old center of town where Riyadh was originally founded. Unfortunaly they are rebuilding the entire place and so it was pretty much close to the public. I also needed to go to the National Museum, in order to obtain my permit for visiting Mada'in Saleh, in the north of the country. So on wednesday afternoon I went there to arrange the permit. My mistake! The person, issuing the permit, did only work until 2 pm. Thursday and Friday are the official weekend days in the Kingdom, so I would have to wait until Saturday for my permit. Luckily I could stay with David and Charmaine as long as I wanted. On Thursday night I had my first and only taste of a Saudi party. A friend of David was leaving the country and threw a party. So I ended up have a great time and tasting the home made beer, wine and whisky.
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