Edge of the World ~ Greetings from Saudi Arabia

What an intriguing name to a place! High on my Saudi travel bucket-list ever since I heard about it, I finally made it there on my six-month Riyadh anniversary in December 2019.

A 90-minute drive through quaint little towns, listening to Arabic tunes, Indian Bollywood and some Filipino pop, we saw the landscape transform from muddy walls and silky roads to a sandy, bumpy off-road. The further we drove; the feels of having landed on Mars kicked in, though the occasional camel sighting kept us in check.

Where on earth are we?!

Our convoy finally made it to a common meeting point, where we set out for a mini trek to reach the viewing point. As you can barely see the cliff until you’re just about 50 meters away, the terrain slowly unveiled the suspense to a majestic climax. Watching our step and dodging the gravel, we cantered to what’s popularly known as ‘Edge of the World’.

Mini hike to the viewpoint

I (for obvious reasons) wouldn’t recommend this place to people with vertigo

The giant escarpment with the sun setting on the horizon and the wind gushing through the cliff was a sight to behold. I simply sat on the edge of the cliff with my feet dangling, gazing into the infinite landscape, and imagining it as an ocean bed some million years ago. I could’ve sat there a whole hour if it weren’t for the (brave) photo enthusiasts queuing up behind me.

As the folklore goes, the shepherds and their sheep couldn’t go any further down the slope so locals decided to call it the Edge of the World. True to its name, it really does feel like there couldn’t be anything beyond that vast expanse.

In case you’re taken back to your Geography lessons from school and are curious as to how this landscape came to be, here’s my simplified version of a wiki explanation ~ the escarpment was formed as a result of erosion that separated two areas having different elevations, thus, forming the steep slope and the sudden drop.

The raw beauty of the Tuwaiq escarpment is indeed breathtaking and pictures don’t justify its magnanimity. It cuts through the plateau of Najd in central Arabia and runs for over 800 kilometers.

Watching the sunset hues transform from bright yellow to orange to crimson, we hiked back and headed to our campsite. A cozy campfire, piping hot Arabian tea and a majlis styled seating awaited us. Switching between stargazing and sitting cozy in the tent, we binged freshly barbecued chicken and soft white rice.

Nothing beats the warmth of a cozy campfire with Arabic music for company

We were then tempted into exploring a (hidden) bat cave near our campsite. Excited, we put on our safety helmets and followed the group into the cave. Damp and humid, and quite contrary to the 11 degrees outside, the cave was full of tiny bats sticking out from the uneven textured ceiling.

Apart from the thrill and excitement, the further we ventured into the cave, I found myself praying that we don’t get attacked by a dozen bats flying into our faces when someone in the group accidentally flashed their torchlight at crystal formations in a dark corner diverting our attention and fading that nightmarish thought away!

After 15-minutes of adrenaline rush and a mild sauna experience, we were out in the cold again, amazed at the temperature difference between the land surface and just 3 meters underground – totally living the Geography lessons here.

Shortly on our way back through the pitch-dark (never ending) dirt road, my hungover state of mind kept going back to the mind-boggling views from the day.

It sure was an ideal end to a super eventful 2019, packed with travels and life adventures. Here’s to many more day trips exploring Saudi Arabia’s raw beauty and culture…

 

 

 

My life in Riyadh (part 1)

“I’m taking up a job in Riyadh”, he said. “Of all the places in the world?” I exclaimed louder than I intended. A few minutes into the call and I found myself saying, “Why not?”

A year later, I was on a 4.5 hour-long flight from Hyderabad (India) to Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The sweet smell of Arabian oud floating in the aircraft, an inflight Arabic prayer before takeoff and off we were on a new life adventure.

Five months have passed to that day and I vividly remember the unique terrain of Riyadh – all sand with no sight of civilization. As we descended further, symmetric clusters of mono-colored houses appeared that almost resembled microchips.

As we landed, I dug out my black Abaya from the handbag and anxiously put it on; looking around to spot fellow female passengers for comfort and noticed only a handful of them in the entire flight.

In transition: I later learned that I don’t need to wear the Abaya to and fro the airport. It now saves me the trouble of carrying it in my handbag every time I take a flight out and in to Riyadh.

Going back to my first impressions, to my relief, the Riyadh airport gave a familiar vibe, with Arab immigration officers and staff that reminded me of my Dubai days. One foot out of the air-conditioned airport, and I was hit by the afternoon heat wave.

Culture shock: The dry desert heat in summers (May-September) is at a whole new level and I fail to describe the intensity in words. You step out of the house at even 10 PM and it’s no different than stepping out at noon.

Although warm, desert sunsets are beautiful

A Careem ride (Saudi’s Uber) to our apartment was a great way to get a glimpse of the city. The Indian in me who’s used to vibrant colors couldn’t help but notice the monochrome of sandy brown as a dominant color of streets, sidewalks, buildings, and stores. The smooth, wide roads and the noise free ride was quite a contrast to the Indian organized chaos.

Having said that, the ‘compound’ premises that we live in are fairly green and I like calling it our little oasis. So what is a ‘compound’, really?

Our oasis a.k.a compound premises

Well, it’s a gated community exclusively catering to expatriate accommodation that comprises of villas/apartments with common amenities like a swimming pool, gym, restaurant, etc. Now, I’ve always been an advocate of integrating into the local culture and making local friends but moving to Riyadh, I learnt that you cannot make friends the same way in each culture – some require going out of your way to build formal connections and eventually finding a ‘close friend’ among them. I’ve made many other friends from diverse nationalities in the compound – my ultimate motivation to strive in a foreign culture while my quest for a Saudi friend continues…

Living in a ‘compound’ means not needing to wear my Abaya every time I step outside my apartment and I need not be conscious of holding my husband’s hand!

Cultural surprise: ‘Segregation’ of the genders is strongly practiced in public places like cafes, restaurants, movie theaters and even some stores. There are separate ‘singles section’ (for men only) and ‘family section’ (for families and single women) in every restaurant. Needless to say, the family section is always the more bustling one and gets better service 😉 However, the following image is an exception.

Can you spot the families dining behind each compartment?

In transition: However, there are new arrangements developing whereby the segregation of men and women is less marked than before and it is not uncommon to see a group of young (unmarried) men and women sharing a table in cafes.

I’ll be honest; the sloth in me never enjoyed cooking until I moved to Riyadh. I’m happy cooking up my limited Indian curry recipes which demand two visits to the grocery store every week. And believe it or not, two hours just fly by when you’re lost in the aisles and spoilt for choice in the hypermarkets.

Spent only 15 minutes looking for a can of refined sunflower cooking oil 

Cultural surprise: What’s interesting is that the stores in Riyadh are open until late hours (1 AM) and are most crowded at 11 PM! Majority of the billing counters are operated by Saudi women who are efficient and greet you with a warm smile.

11:30 PM @ Carrefour

And no, not all Saudi women wear a Niqab to cover their faces although they all do wear the Hijab (the head scarf). An Abaya (the flowy black national attire) is however, a mandate (or at least was until a few weeks ago) for all expat women.

So, do I wear a ‘burka’ in Riyadh? 

I personally have enjoyed wearing the Abaya as it has its advantages.

1. I literally get ready to step out in two minutes – wear whatever I like inside and no one would judge
2. It’s super comfortable, except for the couple times in my initial days when I almost tripped over it
3. It covers all flab (but again, I’m not sure if that’s really an advantage)
4. It’s a great way to ‘fit in’ into the local surroundings

Braving the 46 degrees in my black garb 

It’s safe to say that I’ve come a long way from “of all the places in the world?” to “hey, this feels like home” 🙂 After all, home is where you are, isn’t it?

Coming up next is a post with some more cultural observations as part of my everyday life in Riyadh with an attempt to demystify this fast transforming Arabian culture.