Blue Hearts

While I was sitting in the car one day waiting for my husband, this old gate decorated with blue wrought iron hearts caught my attention.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Here are some elegant and luxurious yachts parked along the Red Sea shoreline north of Jeddah.  In this oil rich country, wealth abounds among successful businessmen and within members of the rather large royal family.  This posh area has been developed with stately villas and enormous mansions, as well as top notch resorts.

Typical Mosque

A typical neighborhood mosque – this one has two minarets with green glass windows.  Most mosques here have minarets with green glass or green lights which make them highly visible, although some are lit up in white or possibly another color.  I was told that the green color originated in Turkey and caught on here [...]

Cheesecake Factory

In the food court section of The Red Sea Mall, one of Jeddah’s newest and spectacular malls, is a Cheesecake Factory offering a limited menu of drinks and desserts.  The cheesecake is just like the Cheesecake Factorys that I am familiar with in the states, only not as many varieties to choose from.

Middle East Toothpick Plant

Called “Khella” in the Middle East, the proper name of this plant is Ammi Visnaga.  In appearance, Khella resembles another member of its family, Queen Anne’s Lace.  Native to the Meditteranean region and the Nile Delta, Khella was found to cure a multitude of ailments centuries ago, such as angina, asthma, kidney stones, and sterility.  When [...]

Jet Skiers on the Red Sea

Water sports are popular in Saudi Arabia, especially in Jeddah which is situated right on the Red Sea.  Unfortunately women rarely participate in any water sports when out in public, and if they do, they must be modestly covered from head to toe in proper loose fitting Islamic attire, nothing too clingy.   There are many resorts [...]

Mobile Phone Ad

Every Saudi is born a Muslim.  Islam is the only religion permitted in the Kingdom.  Therefore, religion permeates this society on every level of daily life, like conversation, business … and advertising.  This banner style ad for a mobile phone company hangs from a lightpole in a center median separating four lanes of traffic on each side.  [...]

Thatch Hut Resort

As we sailed the Red Sea past this charming thatch hut beach resort north of Jeddah, I was reminded of similar looking establishments I have seen in Tahiti and Fiji.  The structures appear to have a modern edge to them.  Maybe I’ll be able to talk hubby into a weekend stay there sometime in the future!

Wrought Iron Vendors

Many of the homes in Jeddah sport wrought iron gates and windows for privacy and security.  In this business section of town, wrought iron vendors sell their wares.  Similar businesses are grouped together for blocks on end to make it easier for customers to comparison shop.  This practise is so totally opposite of the US, [...]

Fancy Water Truck

I am fascinated by the water trucks here in Jeddah.  All of them are handpainted with colorful flowers, verses from the Quran, or scenery.  Each one (and there must be hundreds of them) is different.  Since much of the city does not have water piped in directly from a main source, these water trucks work night and [...]