D-Day -1

[Hash]

OK, so in a bit more than 24 hours, I'll be leaving Saudi Arabia for good after 10 years. OMG.

I've got some Riyadh pictures from this morning if anybody is interested

[Colin]

Good for you. Time to get out of that wasteland.

[MODU]

Have a safe trip, and enjoy your time over there.  I had a friend stay there for a year or two and absolutely enjoyed it.

BTW . . . post the pictures!

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Where are you going?

Knowing what I know about Saudi Arabia I couldn't imagine staying there for more than 10 minutes without breaking..

[Hash]

Ottawa.

Note that pictures are kinda officialy forbidden in Riyadh

First, there's rich Riyadh (here Al Mamlaka center). Al-Mamlaka (Kingdom Center) is a huge western shopping mall (welcome to the United States in here). It's also the home of Four Seasons hotel. The second tower, Al Faisalyah



Then there's Dirah (or Batha'a), the slums (original mud houses from the 1960s and 1970s pictured here). We were the only westerners (although far from the only foreigners) that day. Saudis find it dirty and want to destroy it all. Pakistanis, Indians live there.



Also in Batha'a, for history lovers, the palace where King Faisal was assasinated. Sadly, the palace is empty (according to sources) and there's no memorial. On a sidenote, Faisal is burried in an unmarked spot in the desert (nobody knows where). Apparently not to get people going worship his grave.



The King (Abdallah) and Heir (Sultan) in a MUCH earlier picture, in their 40s. Both are now 70 or around that. Although people might think that there's a personality cult, there's not much of one except the regular three musketeers (+Ibn-Seoud) portrait in public places (inside). Not much posters outside though.

[Hash]

Oh, it's 6:50PM here about, leaving for the airport at 9PM. A list minute swim and packing, and we're off.

Flights from Riyadh leave (due to heat) in the middle of the night (1AM in our case) and arrive in Paris 6 hours later. 6 hours in Paris. 7 hours to Montreal. I can't wait... to arrive.

[CPT MikeyMike]

Have a safe trip!

[MODU]

Thanks for the pics.  Have a safe flight!

[Hash]

Off in 15 minutes to Riyadh airport.

[Kevin]

Have a safe trip and are you moving from Saudi Arabia back to Canada? 

[Hash]

just dropping in from paris airport to say hello.

[AkSaber]

Ello to you!!!

I noticed something. Why are the buildings painted to match the color of the desert sand?

[Hash]

If you're referring to the mud clay buildings, the answer is simple- it is made of sand!

oh, i'm here in montreal. we got a 20year old shaky B747 on the CDG-YUL run, real scary i'd say

[AkSaber]

If you're referring to the mud clay buildings, the answer is simple- it is made of sand!

Ah. Now it makes sense.

[Colin]

oh, i'm here in montreal. we got a 20year old shaky B747 on the CDG-YUL run, real scary i'd say

What airline were you on?

[Hash]

oh, i'm here in montreal. we got a 20year old shaky B747 on the CDG-YUL run, real scary i'd say

What airline were you on?

Air France