Over spring break, my wife and I did a lot of cool things. One day, for the first time, we ventured out of the city and took a day trip over to Taif.
Taif is located a little under 200km east of Jeddah in the
Sarawat Mountains. It sits at over a mile above sea level - about 6,000 feet. The drive is about 2 hours, with Mecca along the way. Apparently, every summer, the Saudi government escapes the heat in the capital Riyadh and flocks to Taif. Not a bad idea, as it was much cooler there at that elevation.
It's a very interesting and stressful drive to say the least. Just as it was back in the city of Jeddah, driving on the highways can be madness. Passing on the shoulders, tailgating, and unnecessarily fast driving are not at all uncommon.
As non-muslims, we had to make sure we got off the main road and take the "Christian Bypass" around Mecca. This puts you on a two-lane road where big, slow trucks are often passed by faster moving cars that will hit you head-on if you aren't paying attention - or
you'll hit
them head-on when
you're passing a truck. I think I spent just as much time on the shoulder of this two-lane road as I did in my lane! (A bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point).
Oh, and then there's the mountain I drove up and down. That part of the route was very windy and it never seemed like I was going fast enough for everyone! Crazy, erratic drivers on a straight, flat road are one thing, but dealing with them in tight turns on the side of a mountain is something else.
Anyway, we made it back safely and took a lot of pictures. The best ones are below.
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| We had to take the "Christian bypass" around Mecca. |
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| We stopped a few times along the way to take pictures of camels. |
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| Most were willing to pose for us. |
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| These two had to discuss it before deciding to pose for the camera. |
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| These guys were too busy scratching their humps. Their humps, their humps, their lovely camel bumps. |
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| We got to the top of the mountain and wanted to look back at our accomplishment. |
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| What's down there in the valley??? Let's zoom in... |
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| Oooohhh... A water park! Maybe next time. |
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| It's a long way down... |
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| That's not really Pakistan over there :) |
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| Nice view of the ridges. |
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| Yeah, I'm bad-ass. |
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| Made some new friends. |
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| Bought some lunch, including some tasty chicken cooked on these stones. |
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| We found a gazebo on the side of the road to have lunch at. Then we played on the swings. |
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| Cool view... |
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| There were lots of these amusement parks along the roads approaching and around Taif. I swear I saw a Ferris Wheel every few miles. |
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| The fruit stands around Taif are second to none. |
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| Another guy and his camel. Okay, time to head home... |