There's No Party Like a Saudi Party

Myself, Yazz (left) and Mido (right)

Part of getting to make local friends is having the opportunity to join with them in some of their important celebrations. It has been a real honour to attend two weddings and another big celebration. These events are flavoured and shaped by the cultural norms of the country, which, while very different from my own experiences in the UK, make for some rich and warm times with family and friends. Attending these events was a real treat, and they will be times that I will always remember. It was also a real honour to be accepted into what is often a very closed, social event among a family or community.

One of the most interesting things I find about living in Saudi Arabia, is the gender divide. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that there are religious and cultural reasons for this, however it is still something that leaves me quite bemused at times, as it is so counter cultural to my experience in the UK.

This gender divide also leads to interesting ways for people to celebrate these important occasions that usually take place with men on one side, and women on the other.

Even at work, after Grade 3, we teach boys and girls separately, with the boys being taught in the women's section until then. Male teachers are not allowed to enter the girls' side, and female teachers on the whole, are not allowed to enter the boys' section.It makes life interesting when we are trying to work collaboratively, and need to offer a pretty similar curriculum to both the boys and the girls. It is even more challenging when the majority of the school management are female, but somehow or other, we manage.

I have managed to make a good number of Saudi friends. Some speak English, but there are some who only speak Arabic, so we work away on Google Translate and the international language of Shisha.

Mido and I at his brother, Akram's wedding

I find it bizarre however, to know a guy really well, but to know that if he got engaged or married, I may not ever meet his wife. I may never meet his mother or sisters, even though I visit their homes. It isn't always the case, but is more the norm than it is exceptional. It isn't even that I think it is wrong. These are the cultural values of the society here, and whatever I or anyone else may think, it is the way it is. Yes, there are the religious police 'Hai'a' who ensure that the strict gender divide is enforced in public. Cafes and restaurants are divided into single (men) and family sections. Even some supermarkets have serving lanes for families and separate ones for single men. The fact remains however, that many women here choose to cover their faces, or to avoid contact with any men who they could 'potentially' marry.

It doesn't mean that mothers do not take an interest in their children's friends, or even make an effort to get to know them in other ways. My friend, Mido's mother will often  send over food when he comes to visit, and will often ask about me. When I had my car accident last year, his whole family were asking for me, even though they had not met me. There is real and genuine compassion shared from these ladies towards me, and they themselves are also touched by the way in which I have become involved in their family celebrations.

Mido with his usual huge smile.

Apparently the reasoning is (and please, my Muslim friends, correct me if I am wrong), that the Q'ran states that men are weak when it comes to sexual matters, therefore the responsibility is placed upon the woman to ensure that they are not tempted into sinful sexual behaviour. This flies right in the face of modern, cultural thinking on the rights and responsibilities of men. I myself think that we are all responsible for the choices we make, regardless of the temptations we face. While a man may be attracted to a woman, he has it within himself to stop himself from acting upon these feelings. It is not a woman's responsibility to be accountable for the behaviour of the men who look at her. At the same point, I do not think that this gives men, or women, free reign to go around dressed in a way that may cause undue offence. We need to be aware and conscious of cultural sensitivities, both here in Saudi, and in western cultures.

'Parties' are generally held in large halls. They are often referred to as wedding halls, but I guess that any large celebration could be held there.


The first two times I attended such events was to go to weddings. My friend, Mido, has a large family  (16 brothers and sisters in total), so it isn't uncommon for him to have a brother or sister getting married, or another nephew or niece being born. It is great, as there is always something to celebrate. He first invited me to the wedding of one of his brothers, and then, a few months later, to one of his sisters.

It has been great getting to know Mido, as I now know many of his family and they consider me a friend also, even though we can rarely communicate in English.

Someone dancing at the wedding

The first time I attended a wedding, I went along alone, just me and Mido, who obviously had other family responsibilities. Guests arrive at around 10pm and the wedding will often go on into the early hours of the morning. The large hall was filled with big, comfy chairs and sofas, with coffee tables. After greeting the groom and some of the other family members, we sat down and were waited on by the usual Filipino waiters who poured us gawa (traditional arabic coffee with cardamom). It is served in tiny cups without handles (about the size of an espresso . If you were to allow them, the waiters would continue to fill your cup again and again. I love gawa, and now enjoy making it myself when friends come round to visit. It is always poured from the jug in the left hand, into the cup in the right hand. To do it the other way around is deemed highly offensive. The gawa is almost always accompanied by dates which come in many forms and ways here. Usually at these occasions they come in an over ripened state, soft and sticky and very sweet. They are a perfect accompaniment for the unsweetened gawa.

When we weren't drinking gawa, we were also offered chai nana (tea with mint). This is sweetened but is also served in small glass cups.

At the first wedding there was little music or entertainment as such, but we did step outside into a large courtyard with many carpeted areas for people to sit and chat. At the far end, a fire was blazing, and there were some traditional musicians who banged away on drums while the men danced around, waving large sticks in what appeared to be quite a tribal fashion. This came as a surprise at first, however for many people in Saudi, it isn't long since their families were living nomadic lifestyles in the desert. It is much easier to picture the same image somewhere in the desert than it was in this fairly modern wedding hall.

Me with a big stick. The man is holding what looks very like a bodhran

Saying that, I think that most of the people present were what is known as 'Hijazi', the name of the less tribal, city dwelling people of Jeddah and Makkah (also known as Jeddawi and Makkawi). These people are often mixed in their ethnic origin, Jeddah being the main port and place of arrival of pilgrims and visitors from around the globe. It isn't uncommon to meet a Hejazi person who looks as white as myself, or perhaps as a Syrian. At the same point, I have met Hejazi Saudis who are undeniably African in origin. As a Scot this isn't anything unusual, as we have many people who are Scottish, who are from many different ethnic backgrounds. What makes this more interesting is that Saudi Arabia does not allow people to become citizens. I'm not sure if this has always been the case in its roughly 100 year history, or whether this is more recent.

These kids looked so cute in their little thobes

Many of the men were fascinated to see this strange, white, freckled face among them, looking very conspicuous in a white shirt and black tie. It wasn't long before Mido had grabbed a hold of one of the sticks and had me running round in circles feeling quite ridiculously conspicuous in front of the other guests. I was also amused to see the very cute little boys running around in their tiny little thobes (traditional Arab dress) with their little headscarves (shemaghs and guthras) which often sat lopsided on their heads as they, like me, hadn't quite mastered the art of keeping them in place simply by posture.

Look, I'm really getting into it :)

Mido spent some time introducing me to various friends, uncles, cousins and brothers, and we stood and chatted, then went back to wait for the meal. When it was ready, it was quite an experience. We were led into another room where there were many, many large plates on the floor. These were filled with kabsa (rice prepared in a local way), with large portions of lamb and goat on them. The meat was incredibly tender and tasty, but I must admit that I still found it challenging to eat it at times because it wasn't prepared in the way we would eat it back home, but rather, it was still very much 'on the bone' in large pieces. The plate that myself and Mido and some of his brothers ate from also contained the head of one of these animals, so as I ate, I had the poor thing staring back at me.

Traditionally, Saudis will eat with their hands, though usually just the right hand. They may use the left to help tear at bread, but otherwise it is just the one. They may pour over a hot sauce, or a watery, tomato based sauce to add flavour to the rice before picking at the meat and mixing it with the rice in the ball of the hand and putting it into the mouth. This can be pretty messy while sitting on the floor so people will usually sit cross legged, or on their hunkers, and the floor is covered with a plastic sheet to catch any mess.

The drink of preference these days is usually Pepsi (Bebsi as the Arabic language has no 'P' sound), but may also be also Sbrite / 7-Ub or other soft drinks. There is usually a large amount of water available also. Of course, there is no alcohol, as in general, Muslims do not drink alcohol, and it is illegal to bring alcohol into the country.

It is also considered polite for the host to pick off some of the meat and place it in front of the guest to eat. This is exactly what Mido did, though he was under strict instructions that I did not want any brain. I still find these things challenging at times. I don't have a huge problem eating with my hands, but I do not like the feeling of grease on my palm. I am also far too used to butchered cuts of meat that give little clue as to the source of the meat I am eating. I am also not used to such huge quantities of rice. The Saudi way of eating however, is very sociable and is a real leveller.

For the next wedding however (Mido's sister's), I made the decision to go dressed in traditional Saudi clothing. This made an incredible difference to be experience. I also went with two other friends.

Myself and Abadi

A few days before the wedding we went to the tailor and I was measured up for the thobe. It was one of the usual times where through a process of circumstances, we were running late and the shop was about to close for prayer time. Thankfully we made it so didn't have an extended wait. I chose the fabric, the buttons, and the shape of the cuffs and collar. I went for a collar that remains slightly open and is curved at the corners. My cuffs matched and I had them designed to take cufflinks. A few days later we returned to find it all ready and prepared. A perfect fit that conveniently disguised my paunch. We then had to go and find a coifia (like a knitted prayer cap) and a ghutra and egal. The ghutra is a large square piece of fabric, usually white or cream in colour and is worn in place of the red and white shemagh that is more recognisable in the west. The egal is the black hoop that sits on top of the head and holds it all in place (in theory). Having the undergarments already, my outfit was complete.

I arrived with Yazz and Nabil. Nabil had chosen to wear shirt and trousers, while Yazz had opted for the thobe with nothing on his head. We arrived and introduced ourselves and waited about to meet someone we would know. Thankfully it wasn't too long before Abadi (Mido's brother in law with whom I have been camping several times) arrived. He helped me to put on the ghutra and egal and organised it into an interesting design on my head. Needless to say, it did not stay like this and needed fixing many times that night. It was all part of the fun however, and I really got into trying to do it myself. Apparently spray starch is one of the key contributors to keeping the shemagh / ghutra in place. There are many different ways of doing it, and I look forward to mastering a few of these over time. The following link gives some handy ideas to start with (http://saudijeans.org/2009/09/07/how-to-wear-a-ghotra/). Preferably I would love to try 'The Cobra'.

Apparently I look like a proper prince
sipping on my gawa

It was amazing how different the evening felt when wearing the traditional outfit. The Filipino waiters were quite bemused by this 'Arab' who spoke with a Scottish accent. One in particular just lingered around and kept me filled with gawa, chai nana, and dates. He would shout out to his friends on occasion also, telling them to come and listen to the Arab who wasn't an Arab.

What it did however, was make me feel much less conspicuous. While wearing a kilt, even in Glasgow, attracts attention, the thobe has no such effect as it is such a part of the local tradition and is worn more so than even a suit for business and leisure. My students have even commented on how their fathers have special ones for wearing at home to relax.

It meant that I felt much less self conscious as I wondered around, as fewer people were watching me. It also meant that when I was introduced to many of the family friends, they were surprised when I did not speak Arabic.

Lots of swords and sticks

The evening consisted of more dancing with sticks, and there was a 'band' playing traditional music and dance performers who would loop and spin in their brightly coloured clothes. Most of the event took place indoors however, so the majority of the guests could sit and enjoy the performance while enjoying their gawa. Again, I was dragged up to join in and took a turn with the stick as I marched around the groom.

After the food was served, most of Mido's friends and brothers went and sat outside. It was still warm but it was nice to sit out in the fresh air. The children ran around and some of the guys also had their young daughters with them.

Traditional musicians

The females were celebrating in another hall, and I am afraid I had no idea what went on there, except that late on, around 0100, Mido and his brothers were sent for. They were allowed to go in and dance with their sister. I am told that at this point, most of the ladies will have to cover up, except for the relatives of the men who join them. I don't know how much this happens these days, and I think that some discretion is left to the individual, or at least the family of the individual.

A whirling dancer

The party went on until around 4 or 5 in the morning, however I eventually left at around 2. I had work the next day and although I had tried to get some extra rest that morning, knew it would be wise to go and get some sleep.

The final such event that I have been to (so far) was a much less expected incident. It was a real honour too, as I don't imagine many non Saudi people will ever be invited to such an event.

Late one Wednesday afternoon I received a text from my friend, Khalid, who I had helped out a while back with a few conversational English classes. We had met a few times with another of his friends 'Meshal'. They were both mutual friends of Faisal, a guy I met fairly soon after I arrived in Saudi. He had put me in touch with them, and we had had some good evenings stumbling over our Arabic and English with a good Shisha. Sadly, Meshal was transferred to Riyadh, and we stopped the classes. It was a surprise, therefore, when months later, I received this invitation out of the blue. It had clearly been translated on Google Translate and took me a while to decipher. Essentially, he was inviting me that evening, to a celebration of his father and some others, at being promoted to Major General in the Saudi Army. While I sat at my desk debating whether I could really abandon another late night planning, I knew that this was an opportunity that would never come again.

I asked Ali to contact him to check what I should wear, and whether I could take another friend as I expected I might have a challenge with communication. This was all good, but I then had to find the location. Jeddah does not have a system of building number, street, district and post code, so when I was given the name of the hall and the general area, I had to try and figure it out for myself. The difficulty was then to choose which spelling (using English letters) I should use for the Arabic name of the hall. In the end, I contacted my friend, Turki, who had moved to Oxford, and Faisal, who was in Australia, using Skype. Eventually, with a few phone and Skype calls with Faisal, we got there.

Myself and Alistair

I had invited Alistair along. Alistair is a fellow Glaswegian who I met, along with his wife, through a mutual friend just before moving to Jeddah. They both came to teach at a different school at around the same time that I did. Alistair has had a very different experience of Saudi from me as he has come with his family. He was keen to come along and see how such an event would unfold.

As we walked up to the door, Khalid turned to face me. He took a second glance as I said his name, and he realised that it was me, once again, in my thobe. I shook his hand and then introduced Alistair. He quickly led us to the front of the hall and introduced me to his father and a group of the other men who had been promoted. They were all so kind and welcoming, and did what they could to communicate with me in English as I spluttered out my few English words. He then took me to find a seat and found some of his friends to introduce us to, thankfully, many of whom, spoke English.

Tucking into some hashi

These people, from my understanding, were mostly Bedouin. This means that they descend from the traditionally nomadic families in Saudi Arabia. These people consider themselves much more 'real Saudis', and are generally the people who have positions in the National Guard, Army, Police Force and Coast Guard, as they are deemed to be more loyal to the monarchy here, which also comes from a Bedouin tribe.

These people were incredibly friendly and happy to chat away. In the background was the rhythmic sound of Arabic poetry being recited. This was the primary form of entertainment as particularly conservative Saudis will not generally listen to music, and dancing is also discouraged. I asked on several occasions if the poetry was Q'ranic, or based on the Q'ran, but I was told that this was not a time for the Q'ran, which honestly surprised me as so much of Saudi life is infused with the Q'ran, and the words of the Prophet. The poetry generally focussed on the theme of promotion and success.

We were sat opposite an Imam, which in Sunni Muslim tradition does  not necessarily mean that he is attached to a mosque, but could be a recognised scholar of Islam also. He would regularly ask questions which his friends would translate, trying to give us information about Islam, and sharing with us the respect that Muslims have for followers of Christ, which they rightly assumed I was. It was interesting conversation as the mention of religion is a tricky one here in Saudi, and I would generally not initiate a conversation with a Saudi person I didn't know, about my Faith. These men were very keen however, to share with me about Islam. Yet they did not push it, and were very quick to say that whatever our belief, we are all people, all brothers and sisters, and that that was the most important thing. I was warmed to hear such an attitude in times when this fact seems so easily forgotten.

The plate was HUGE

Eventually food came, and this time it was in the form or 'hashi' (baby camel), still served with kabsa, but we got to sit at the table. There were also some huge plates resting just off the floor, that had entire baby camels on them, surrounded by acres of rice. There was also a large display of desserts that the guys were very keen for us to try. Two, three, four desserts. They just kept handing them to us, full as we were, and insisting that we tried. The most traditional of these was 'Om Ali' - literally translated as 'Ali's Mother'. This dessert is made with nuts, raisins, and coconut, with cream and puff pastry.

After dinner, many of the men left. It is considered rude to leave before eating, however it was interesting to see how some of the men were getting agitated as the serving of the food had become particularly late. Once you have eaten, you are free to leave, and many of the men did, leaving a few of Khalid's friends and some others remaining.

Posing with the swords: Myslef and Alistair with Khalid and his friend

It was interesting speaking to some of the younger guys. They seem to find the social constraints here quite difficult, and were quite open about talking about some of their 'misdemeanours', more so than I would be, for certain. Those who spoke English had generally left the country to study for a while. While they spoke of being quite open, and of a desire to meet girls and go on dates or have a relationship, I still wonder if, when they do eventually get married, if the will simply continue with, and reinforce they same cultural norms that they grew up with. I suppose this isn't uncommon, even in the UK. Many teenagers will have their rebellious years but later will return to the standards and expectations of their parents as they grow up. The interesting thing is that these men were no longer teenagers, but many of them had not had to deal with the responsibilities of adulthood yet, as it is very uncommon to leave home until you marry. How much of our behaviour as adults is simply dictated by our upbringing and cultural norms, and how much is based upon our own thinking and the freedom to choose for ourselves?

Alistair showing us his moves

We remained chatting for a while as we had been offered the opportunity to get to play with some swords. These had been given to Khalid's father and his friends, as gifts to celebrate his promotion, so the guys wanted to wait until the majority of guests had gone before we took them out. They were pretty impressive gifts. Real swords, with beautiful decoration and engraving on them, and presented in display cases.

It was nice to spend the last 20 minutes of our time with these guys, fooling around and posing like warriors. We had once again managed to make some new friends and it was nice to feel so relaxed around them.

Crossing swords

I have really enjoyed and found these events a real eye opener. I have had a fantastic insight into life and family celebrations here. I have discovered a country that, while it has had incredible opportunity due to the discovery of oil, is ferociously holding onto its roots and traditions. I admire this greatly and know that I also feel that Scotland should have a similar attitude. I can understand to some extent, why some aspects of life are policed here. While I don't agree with it, I do understand that when Saudi does open up and become a freer state, many of these traditions and ways of doing things will be lost forever. Weddings and parties may become the way they are in so many other parts of the world, and that would be a tragedy.

Lunch Aboard the Ghost Ship

It had been our plan since our trip to the Al Fahad a few weeks ago, to return and have lunch with Ibrahim and Mohammed, our new Sudani friends. We had hoped that we may have met them before, in Jeddah, as they had expected to get some time on land, to come and deal with their affairs. As it turned out, the call never came, and we wondered if our chance for a second visit would happen or not.

We had spoken with several friends about joining us, but through a sequence of different events, in the end, it  turned out to just be myself and Ali.

That morning, Ali texted to say we would be going, and Mohammed called back. They were excited about our coming, and amazingly, even asked how we liked our fish cooked. 

I don't know how to describe how we felt as we drove the hour and a half's journey down. It isn't often one attends a lunch invitation aboard a shipwreck, so there was a real sense of excitement to see the guys and find out more about them, as well as uncertainty as to what to expect of our meal.

Approaching the Al Fahad

This time, we also went prepared, with Ali's GoPro, and in the absence of a decent underwater camera, we took a pouch that will keep a mobile phone dry while in the water. We were set for the return voyage.

The guys told us that the Al Fahad had been a passenger ferry to Jeddah, bringing pilgrims from Sudan for Hajj and Umra. On board are many life jackets however, providing much nesting material for the pigeons who have made it their home. It is difficult to know therefore, on first impressions, whether the ship was purposefully grounded, or whether it was a genuine accident. Whatever it was, it seems that the lifejackets and lifeboats were left intact. We wondered if perhaps the proximity to the shore meant that these things were not required.

We climbed down over the ancient coral edge of the land that must, at one point have been under water, but now formed a low cliff, about the height of a man, and in some placed cantilevered out over the water. We found an area where there was a broken off piece that we could use as a step down. You don't really want to be sliding off this, as, unlike rock near the shore, it is very sharp, and a wrong move will result in a nasty scratch or graze.

As we walked over the coral shore we were conscious of the damage we may cause, so snorkelled as much as we could, and when we walked, we followed each others' footsteps. It is pretty impossible to reach the sea proper on many parts of the Red Sea shoreline. Many of the private beaches actually dig out a swimming area and fill it with sand for bathers. You certainly can't walk out over the shallows without a pair of hard soled diving boots.

As we placed our heads beneath the water  we were, as usual, astounded by the incredible amount of life just under the surface. Tiny fish teamed about us, and dotted all around were the strange, black sea cucumbers. We paddled out until we came to an area where the coral had risen up and formed a natural barrier from the open water. We removed our fins and waded through the narrow strip of seaweed to the point where the waves broke over the edge of the reef.

It is at this point that we always get the best treat. Putting on our fins again, with our masks over our faces, and occasionally being knocked beneath the waves, we would catch random glimpses of the life below the water line, on the edge of the reef. The colours were astounding. It sat there like an underwater garden, literally teaming with life. Once again, I wished we had brought our diving gear as there is so much to be seen here. Our mission however, was to go for lunch.

I did hope that perhaps a sea turtle might come and join us, or we might catch a glimpse of a shark or dolphin. This time, I was to be disappointed again, but at least it meant we could continue onwards quickly towards the boat.

We swam outwards, and watched the reef sink away beneath us as we reached the open water. The seabed below us became a blurry yellow, where we would occasionally make out indistinct shapes darting around. We stopped occasionally to stick our heads above the water to ensure we weren't thrown off track by the current.

As we got closer to the ship, another reef appeared. We began to see schools of silver fish darting around in front of us. They were later to entertain us as we sat and drank our tea and watched as they broke the surface of the water. We glanced up and saw the guys, giving them a wave before swimming towards the gaping side of the ship, where we had our own, personal barnacle clad, jetty. It was quite difficult to berth there as the water threw me back and forwards quite forcefully, and there was no way that I wanted to be going home with a chest covered in scratches from the barnacles, so I tried to work with the waves and allowed them to push me as I used my hands to keep my front off the surface, until I ran aground and spun over to sit.

I'm certain I felt a tiny pinch on my bottom as I did this, but there was no evidence of a squashed crab as I looked to inspect.

Ali got himself aboard also, and we then began to explore, though this time we had much more fun with the cameras as we photographed the funny angles we seemed to be standing at. The rust also helped to create some quite interesting shots in itself. So we gradually made our way up to meet our friends.

It turns out that the Al Fahad was built in 1966, in Holland, for a British Company, 'Townsend Brothers Ferries', which became 'European Ferries' operating as 'Townsend Thoresen' in 1968. I had secretly hoped it had been a Clydebuilt ship. There is a wreck near Yanbu, called the Iona which I can find little information about, and I haven't yet dived. I always wonder if it may be a Clydebuilt ship. Hopefully I will dive it soon and learn more.

It seems that the boat was initially known as the 'Free Enterprise III' but was renamed when bought by The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, when it became known as 'Mona's Isle VI'. It covered Dover - Calais routes as well as Dover - Zeebrugge. This was followed by Cairnryan - Larne, Portsmouth - Cherbourg, Heysham - Douglas.

In 1986, Mona's Isle VI was bought by Egyptian owners and renamed the 'Al Fahad'

It is quite difficult to move on the boat as it's tilt is quite extreme, however Ibrahim met us as we approached the end of the dark, unlit corridor. He kindly took our fins, and Ali's mask. It was only as I looked at the photographs afterwards that I spent the journey upstairs to their living area with the mask on my forehead. He moved so nimbly around, well exercised in walking on such a tilted surface. It isn't the tilt so much as the angle of the walls, and the often smooth, laminated floors. The dizzy feeling caused by the strange angle, combined with wet boots on linoleum means that it is very easy to fall. The guys can literally run around the ship however.

We laid down our things at the area where we had first seen our friends staring down at us as we snorkelled past a few weeks ago. It is still amusing to think of the fright that I got, and to remember my thoughts of it being a ghost ship. Now, we sat there comfortably, as Ali chatted away, asking questions and translating mine. Sometimes chatting with a translator can be frustrating, but this was just fascinating. The guys were friendly and interesting and were keen to learn more of us also.

It turns out that both of the guys come from the same town in Sudan. They have invited us there once they return. They had been supposed to visit Jeddah in the previous week, but their boss had been ill and was unable to collect them. At this point, they were unsure if they would be able to return to Sudan when planned. They were nearing the end of their tenure and were keen to return to their families.

As we sipped our tea, we watched the cockroaches milling around our feet. These of course had been on board the ship since the day that the ship launched, but they had had a very long time unhindered, to multiply, and although we hadn't noticed them on our first visit, we noticed they were a very real feature of live onboard this sad vessel.

We were curious to know what brought these guys to be living on a shipwreck off the coast of Jeddah. Apparently the guys both have degrees, one in Economics and the other in Electrical Engineering. They had struggled so long to find work back in Sudan, due to the political situation there, that when this job became available, they jumped at the opportunity. It is humbling to think about how difficult things must be for someone that they would be forced to take a job like this to survive. While I suppose their daily life isn't entirely stressful, they are surrounded by cockroaches and pigeons and live on a crumbling iron hulk, and are not allowed to go on land for the majority of the time. It certainly brings some perspective, and shows how differently life can turn out for someone, purely based upon their country of birth.

They are from North Sudan. They tell us that most North Sudanis are closer to Arabs in their appearance and are mostly Muslim. We asked about why Ibrahim was so dark, however it seems that while most are ligter in skin, there is still a large mix and that to differentiate between colours Ibrahim would be known as 'green'. It amused us to see how they differentiated between skin tones, but when asked whether there was any kind of segregation or abuse associated with being a particular colour, they said that there was not. Ibrahim even showed me a photograph of himself and his class who had completed a 'River Safety' course with the British Council, before coming over. I pointed to one of the guys who I assumed may have been involved in running the course, a long haired, very European looking man. It turned out that he, himself, was also Sudani. It never occurred to me that this part of Africa would also have a white population.

We took another tour of the ship while we waited on lunch being prepared. They had told us that after they had spoken to Ali that morning, they had checked their nets to find two large fish waiting there. One was Najil, a popular fish in Jeddah.

This time we worked our way down, passing a sign that demonstrated information on preparation and ablutions for Umra. We then descended a steep staircase (made even steeper by the angle of the boat, until we reached a lower deck, and worked our way along the side of the ship. We found our way into a dining room area with long tables laid out and attached to the floor and through to the other end of the ship before wandering back up to our friends.

When we saw our meal we were astounded. It was reminiscent of going to a grandparent's house as they had clearly pulled out the best tablecloth which looked like a fluorescent orange blanket. They had levelled out a section of the deck with some sheets of plywood, to be able to create a level surface to sit a table and chairs on.There was a delicious looking salad and some Saudi bread, and in the centre of the table was a huge plate of grilled fish and kabsa (Saudi style rice). Along side all this was a plate with some strawberry jam and halva (an arabic sweet made from tahini which is a tasty sesame butter).

The fish was cooked to perfection and was even seasoned. We ate there using our hands and the bread to pick up our food. I had to make sure to use my right hand only as in Muslim culture, this is the hand used for eating.

After eating  we retired to the other side of the ship for tea. They used an interesting root to flavour the tea. It provided a unique flavour and was very tasty. After this, they took us on a tour.

First of all we popped right down to the bottom of the ship where we stood above the garage which was now filled with water. We stood there, right on the water level and watched as the waves crashed against the side of the boat, and peered through the holes in the floor at the slate blue water below.

There are no cars on the boat as apparently she developed engine trouble in 2004, and was anchored in Saudi waters where she now sits. It was reported that she was later found partially submerged, so how, exactly, she came to be resting on top of this reef is still unclear.

Another source states that she was wrecked in 1998. I guess that local accounts may give a clearer idea of how long she has been there. However, from the sea level, we worked our way along the westerly side of the ship, up to the bridge. When we got there we found that some of the important instruments, such as the compass, were missing, however we looked around and found the periscope, sadly, covered in grime from above, therefore showing nothing of any significance, and a control desk with an old Bakelite telephone, and a microphone. Beside this were several maps and a newspaper. This is where thinks get confusing, because the newspaper was a copy of the Egyptian Gazette, an English language newspaper dated Sunday 30th April 1995. It seems odd that a boat, abandoned in either 2004, or 1998, would have a newspaper left sitting on the counter, dated in 1995. I suppose there will have been many people who will have come and gone from the wreck in the intervening years, but if anything, you would have expected them to take the newspaper instead of leave one sitting out on the counter, apparently untouched.

We continued on the the rear end of the boat to find a ladder leading us up one of the towers. It contained a mast that had long since lost it's own ladder so we couldn't climb any further, but it gave us a good view down over an open space of deck at the rear end of the ship, and as we turned around we also saw, on the mast at the other end, near the crow's next I assume, what looked like some kind of bird of prey. It is hard to make out what it is from the resolution, but looks like it may be some kind of kestrel.

We headed back down from here and back to the dining area where we passed round and they led us to the area where they sleep. It was strange to see two beds perched up at such an odd angle, but of course this was merely to make it possible to sleep in them without dropping off into the sea. There was a large are where, once again, they had levelled out a floor to provide an area to sit and while away the long, dark evenings, listening to the radio.

It had been our intention to return to the water and snorkel round the boat, but as we made this suggestion the guys reminded us that sunset was near once again, and that if we wanted to make it to land safely, we really needed to head straight back. It was a disappointing thought, as I would love to see around the reef. Occasionally the area round the wreck is visited by dolphins, and there is also a small shark that visits now and again. To be able to see these would be a dream come true, however we had a great time visiting with our friends and will simply have to return again to visit.

So there are still a number of mysteries associated with this ship. It is an interesting tale, to find that the ship has sailed on routes between the UK and parts of Europe, but what exactly its role was in Saudi, and Egypt still remains a mystery. Ibrahim and Mohammed tell us that it was used to ferry people from Sudan to Jeddah on their way to Makkah. There are certainly posters on display to suggest it was used for pilgrimage  Searches online however, suggest that it was sailed between Suez and Jeddah, down the Suez Canal. This could also have been involved in pilgrimage I suppose. The greatest mystery for me however, is why an Egyptian owned boat is allowed to be abandoned in Saudi waters to disintegrate, and still, why they are allowed to have people living aboard these vessels in such inhospitable conditions.

I'm not complaining however. It has made a great story for me to tell, and had brought me some new, and unexpected friends.

So as we swam back to shore, we made a point of stopping and catching a glimpse of this mysterious ship, as it looked quite majestic, silhouetted against the sunset, hiding the years of battering by the waves, the only clue to its situation being the strange angle at which it sat.

Watch Ali's video of our adventure here:
http://youtu.be/Oxa2gu-3r_8

Some of my sources for the historical details:

http://www.mareud.com/mysteryship1.html

http://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=6611461&lang=en

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/FE3.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Free_Enterprise_(1966)

How Many People Can Say They Have Snorkelled in the Desert?

In August 2012, my friend Ali (with whom it seems I have most of my adventures) told me that he had discovered a cave near Riyadh, that not only went deep underground, but that also had a mysterious underground lake at the bottom. His suggestion was that after our Eid break with his family in Bahrain, we should drive back and explore this interesting phenomenon.

We researched the spot online and found that the place had previously been explored by a number of people, but the last recorded visit seemed to be around 10 years ago. The cave was supposedly made up of several chambers, the first of which was a steep decline down to a point at the bottom where there was a small opening in the rock, through to a secondary chamber. Passing through this chamber into a third, brought the explorers to an underground lake around 100m wide, by 30m deep. The cave had been explored and dived before, but this only slightly deflated our desire to go and explore what we initially thought may have been a previously unexplored area.

Myself, Ali and Mido drove through the night from Bahrain and arrived in Riyadh in the early morning, where we met Tariq, who had been visiting family there. After some early morning tea, we hit the road again to find the cave.

The cave was called Ain Heet, 'ain' being the Arabic for eye. We had found the coordinates but as we drove, it seemed like we possibly wouldn't find it, until, as we turned a corner, we saw a magnificent cliff face in front of us. Excitedly, we got out of the car and jogged over to take a closer look. Sure enough, as we looked down towards what should have been the base of the cliff, we saw that it didn't meet the sand, but instead curved inwards to form a large, wide opening, shaped, interestingly, like an eye.

Apparently the cave had been subject to quite a number of geological surveys as it contains a layer of the rock (ahyndrite) that is commonly found when looking for evidence of oil. My understanding is that it is this kind of rock that provides a kind of 'cap' that seals the oil underneath, so if you find it, even without there being actual oil present, it is likely that there will be other areas where oil can be found in the locality.

Oil had already been discovered in other nearby parts of Saudi, but the discovery of the ahyndrite reignited the search for further deposits, leading to more discoveries.

We climbed down over a lot of loose rock, taking notice of the garbage around us. Mostly old plastic water bottles, and the graffiti on areas that just seemed unreachable. How do people manage to spray pain areas that seem humanly impossible to reach? It was sad to see, but thankfully did not deprive us of the sense of adventure that had been building up in anticipation of the trip. We could not see the bottom of the cave as the descent was so steep that the roof of the cave obscured our view.

As we continued on, we noticed that many pigeons seemed to have made this cave their home. We were hoping for bats, but it was nice to see that the cave was not entirely devoid of life. They seemed to have a pretty localised roosting section because we passed an area that was covered in bird faeces. We navigated around it and continues our descent.

Eventually we reached a point where we noticed that things were much darker and we could tell that there was a flat, black surface below us. We could see the water and negotiated our way down to its edge.

We were surprised to find it so soon however. The information had said that the water was to be found through several chambers, but we were still in the first. We considered that if you can find an underground lake in the middle of the desert, then it isn't at all impossible that the water may have risen. It was also possible, we thought, that cave had collapsed slightly, opening a way to the lake without having to negotiate the chambers.

The first thing that we noticed was that the surface of the water was covered in what looked like a fine dust. We couldn't be certain what it was and at first it deterred us from continuing further. If the roof had collapsed, then it wasn't impossible, we reasoned, that this could be left over from such an event.We also noticed man made debris floating on the surface of the water. As we discussed it, we were anxious that this meant that the water was not as pure as we had expected. We managed to clear some of the 'dust' to discover that below, the water looked crystal clear. Ali and I made the decision to go in.

We quickly changed into our swimming gear and got our masks, fins, and underwater torches ready. Ali was first in and he took the gradual route, wading from the shallower end. I sat, perched on the edge and pushed myself forward into the cool water. Tariq stood by the side debating with himself as to whether to join us as he was suspicious of the dust layer on top.

What we saw below was incredible. The water seemed to disappear down for a surprising depth. Our torches could not shine light so far. The area that I accessed the water from was a massive boulder that was perched against the wall at the side. It was an inviting route for exploration but required us to return with diving gear and an experienced cave diver. There is no way we would have risked free diving down and underneath, with the possibility of being trapped under the rock.

Tariq's resolve soon gave in as we told him that the water was so clear beneath. He was keen to join us and quickly was swimming around and gazing at the fascinating sights below, all anxiety gone.

We swam around for 10 minutes, had our photos taken by Mido who stayed on the side. We talked about ways we could go back to explore some more, finding a cave diver friend and taking some equipment to clean the place up. We were truly fascinated and we were excited about our return visit.

At this point we dressed again (well most of us), and began the climb back out of the cave to make our return trip to Jeddah, a 9 hour drive away. We talked and joked about the return visit.

Prior to making the trip we conducted some online research, however there was apparently very little information on the cave. Saudi people, in general, do not explore terribly much, unless it is to find a camping spot to stop and eat. This is a huge generalisation, but what it means is that there is not a lot of information on places such as this, and what there is, seemed hard to find.

We talked about taking water samples, but didn't know who we could find to analyse them. We discussed caving safety and took some ropes with us, but in the end did not need to use them as we remained in the main chamber. We were simply a group of friends, interested in trying new things and looking for adventure. The experience has made me keen to look into caving as a potential pass time. There are apparently a number of places in Saudi that are ready to be explored. The challenge now is to find the people who can help me make this a reality.

What I have also discovered now though, is that research is invaluable. I must say however, that I was not expecting what I found, when I was looking for the previous sources of information to list in my blog.

It turns out that in 2011, a team explored the cave, having heard about the rise in water level themselves, and keen to find out more for themselves. They discovered that the water had risen about 27m. Apparently a lake had been formed, 7km away to the North, on the outskirts of Riyadh. It seems that water from the lake has found its way into the cave, through something called a karst, resulting in the rising of the water level and what it turns out was not a dust layer, but rather a bacterial slime as the lake near Riyadh is in fact filled with sewage.

Needless to say, that it is unlikely that we will ever be diving in this fascinating underwater lake again. It adds to my sense of dismay, that beautiful, unique places like this however, are subject to such destruction by man.

http://www.saudicaves.com/hitvideo/index.html

http://www.splendidarabia.com/location/riyadh/heet/

http://www.sgs.org.sa/English/earth/Pages/CavesExploring.aspx

http://www.saudicaves.com/sewage/index.html

The Land Between Two Sea

I never knew much about Bahrain before I came to Saudi. I knew it was a relatively rich country in the Gulf, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. Once I got here I learned that it is a popular bolt hole for Expats and Saudis who are looking for a drink or perhaps a night out of partying. I did neither of these things while there but left with a strong desire to go back and learn more of this quite unique place.

Meeting my friend, Ali, helped me to learn of a different side of Bahrain yet again. A place that in so many ways is like Saudi Arabia, but in many more ways stands apart as a nation in its own right. Ali invited myself and our friend, Mido, to visit there during Eid, after Ramadan, and the weekend before my return to work after the summer break.

Traditional Bahraini bread oven

Bahrain is located off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, about an hour's drive from Dammam. It is made up of an archipelago of islands. It is often seen as simply being one island, but in fact there are 3 main islands and many smaller ones, making 49 in total. The main island is home to the capital city, Manama, and a number of smaller cities and towns. A large area of this island remains unpopulated, however a reasonable proportion of the coast line is subject to land reclamation. The next island, Muharraq Island, contains the city of Al Muharraq, and is also home to the Airport. On the other side of the main Island is a smaller one yet again, which I am told belongs to one of the Sheiks and is not accessible to the general public. A section of it however does provide a base for the 25 km (16m) causeway that links Bahrain to the Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia. The other Islands host a few resorts, or are home to sea birds and other local fauna. Some of these islands are tidal as well, so are only accessible or visible at low tide.

The name Bahrain literally means Two Seas (Bahr - Seas; ain (ithnain)- two). There is some debate as to whether this refers to the different waters surrounding it, or to the mixture of fresh and salt water caused by the natural underground springs.

Looking back towards Manama from the archeological site beneath the fortress

What struck me most about Bahrain is the eagerness to hold on to and celebrate its past. It openly acknowledges its pre-Islamic past and is home to a world heritage site, upon which over 4000 years of human civilisation can be traced. Old and new sit comfortably side by side, and the city, with its towering buildings provides an impressive backdrop to ancient ruins.

Even when visiting some of the smaller towns it was bizarre, yet encouraging to see that houses are built amongst ancient burial mounds. While not all of these mounds remain intact, it is now illegal to destroy or steal from them. Even more impressive about this is that there are over 180,000 of these mounds which are home to the remains of the ancient Dilmun (Dilmoon) People.

These people worshipped very differently and offered snake sacrifices, which are now often displayed in small pottery jars.

The land of Dilmun was famous throughout the ancient world as a place of great bounty. It is even considered a site of the original Garden of Eden. Even today, fresh water springs are used to water farms where a great quantity of crops are grown. These springs, under the sea bed, have been crucial in the pearling industry also. The land of Dilmun also features in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a story about a man on his search for immortality.

A section of the Portuguese fortress

The islands have been occupied many times over the centuries, and each brought a taste of its own culture and built over the remains of what was there before. This is why, under the mound where the large Portuguese fortress is built, there are the remains of no less than another 3 cities to be found, one on top of the other.

Looking back through time.
The layers of cities built on this one site.

Bahrain, while an Islamic State, ruled by a Sunni Muslim Royal Family, is home to people of many religions and they are free to worship as they choose. The largest proportion of Muslims on the island are Shia, however in general, there seems so be a good relationship between both sects. While the Arab Spring has affected the area, the complaint is not against the fellow Muslim walking down the street, but to the autocratic nature of the Government, and the desire to choose, or be represented as the majority people group in the area. While I am not fully familiar with the ins and outs of the situation or political status of the country, or the Arab Spring I am unqualified to make comment. I can relate in some way however to how some back home may feel about being in a nation ruled by a political party they did not choose.

Mosque and Church side by side

Inside the Church

The fact seems to be that people can worship as they like. We visited a Church building where services were held daily, in multiple languages, and regardless of denomination. The Church Building was beside a Mosque. I am told that Bahrain has a Christian Ambassador and a Jewish one also. It is great to see that in this nation, people are able to live side by side in peace, with respect for one another. We pride ourselves in this in the Western World, but I do not think I have seen it working in quite the same way as it does here. It was quite beautiful.

The Grand Mosque

We visited the Grand Mosque and were given a tour, which was a fascinating experience. This incredible building which had clearly been build to the Glory of God was a place of intense peace, and was a sign again, of Bahrain's ability to bring the world together. Each of the materials had been sought out from across the globe. Hundreds of glass lights from France, a huge carpet from Scotland, and stained glass from Iran I believe, with many materials from other countries also.

Calling the Addan

We were guided by a lady who was very keen to help us to understand the reason and the purpose for what we saw, and was eager that I left with a deeper understanding of Islam, though not in a pressurised way, simply out of a desire to inspire unity. She encouraged us to take photographs and to walk around and explore. Up until this point, I had not been into a Mosque (though having lived in Saudi for a year). There has always seemed to be a sense of forbidding, that I wasn't seen as clean enough. This Mosque went to great lengths to make sure I felt welcome.

Breathtaking Chandelier

Elsewhere, it was also great to find artists' and craftsmen's cooperatives. There is a great desire to hold on to traditional skills. Pottery, chest making, weaving, amongst other things. Bahraini people seem proud of these skills while in Saudi Arabia it often seems (though I could be wrong) that many of these tasks are beneath them. It was even great to see some beautiful art work and paintings. There is a real recognition of the creative gifts and talents that we have been given, and a desire to use them to enhance our lives.

Local Pottery

In Bahrain, people dress as they choose, worship as the choose, pray as and when they choose, and nobody is offended. People live with a mutual respect for one another and their beliefs and choices. It was great to simply go for coffee and not be afraid that we might be asked to leave, or be locked in at prayer time, and it was encouraging to see women, wearing abaya and niquab, walking down the street with women in jeans and a tshirt or blouse. Women making the choice to cover their hair but dress comfortably, yet modestly in conventional clothes.

It was great to be driven by a Bahraini taxi driver (as you have to be Bahraini to drive a taxi there), and to see Bahrainis washing cars and waitering in restaurants. People realising that for their economy and national identity to flourish as the oil diminishes, they need to all pull together and play their parts.

After a year in Saudi Arabia I must say that I love the country. I think there is so much potential here, and that the hospitality and friendship I have received has been outstanding. When I visited Bahrain, I realise it was for a brief moment, and that the country is not with out its problems (yet neither is Scotland). But what I did see, was a people who are willing to reflect, see another point of view, and who realise that diversity and different opinions are not a threat, but are in fact, a strength.

Bahrain are proud of their ancient past, their Islamic past, their cultural heritage and their vibrant, modern nation. It was a pleasure to visit and I fully intend to return to learn more about this fascinating place.