I have made numerous references to the less than edifying experiences with road travel in the region, but I knew in my heart of hearts that it was something I had to experience for myself, under my own steam, so a recent period where travel between the country’s two major cities was needed meant the …
Highway to Hell (or at least a shortened lifespan) – Part IRead More »
One evening, at a loose end as is the norm, my curiosity was piqued by an advertised comedy evening in the capital. The mind raced, well it ticked over at a pace partially greater than the usual “injured tortoise” lethargy….. What would an Arabian comedy night hold? Would there be any jokes surrounding sex? Or …
I have written a volume of words already on taxi-related capers from my time out here in the Gulf region, but the first trip in Saudi Arabia was different gravy entirely. It occurred some time ago now, Q4 last year, but will live long in the memory, filed under the section entitled “nearly kicking it”.After …
Marhabaan. Been a while…..So, turns out the weather is bloody lovely out here from October to April. I had been advised of this, but was sceptical and thought 4 v 8 months on the good/awful front was more accurate, but seems a half and half situation.Some things that amuse me greatly on this topic:1. There …
A lot of time is being spent in airports now and a major feature of any visit to the facilities is the (bizarrely) gainfully employed toilet loiterer. This applies to airports and the lounges. This isn’t a quality nightclub where – at a total stretch – you could justify having someone in the shitters dispensing …
Really not sure what it is that causes this phenomenon, but it appears a significant percentage of folk lose the ability to put one foot in front of the other as soon as they find themselves on a moving walkway or an escalator. The clue is in the name in the case of the former, …
Half-inched from Blackadder, but grand for illustrating this tale of accent nuances. This journey, not too long back, saw the need for a relatively short trip to the Saudi visa centre and posed no directional difficulties. The journey there was an uneventful 15 minutes with only the need for an occasional glance at Google Maps, …
First time here was eight years ago and I vividly recall the taxi ride from the airport, mainly because I thought it might have seen me shuffling off this mortal coil. The driver seemed vague on the destination – standard, now understood – but shot off and reached 140kph within a blink of an eye …
Whilst some of the general ineptitude out in the region can become wearing, there’s no disputing that being here opens up a host of new experiences. So it was last night as I ended up playing round the clock (darts) with some bloke from Bogota and his special friend, from India. Neither of them had …
A prize if you can name the film! Ok, it’s not at Terminator levels of time confusion, but I am constantly losing track of what day it is out here. Perhaps not too much of a shock given my head was often lodged up my posterior at home, but it is worse here. So today …
