In the City

Went on a bit of a wild goose chase this evening. It was caused by a problem I have and a problem other people have. I can't eke out coherent directions from a person because I'm not forceful enough to say "Yes, but where EXACTLY" and they're not able to give adequate directions because I don't speak Arabic. Or something.

So anyway, I was looking for a place to change some money as we're off to Kenya tomorrow and we don't have any shillings. After a brief 3km walk and 2 motorised diversions through bits of downtown Jeddah I eventually found the large mall where the money changers were and got the job done. However, the walk up and down the end of Medinah road was the best bit.

It was a pretty busy road, at the end of the main thoroughfare from one end of Jeddah to the other. But, in comparison to K****t, there were actually signs of life around, not just posh shops. It was a bit strange really. There were lots of little souks, like the travel agent souk, the office furniture souk and so on, but interspersed between all of these were some little shops that communities need in order to survive: tailors, butchers, barbers, shops selling hideously frilly baby outfits.

It was quite invigorating to walk along them and get a feeling of life going on around you. I think that living on the compound is quite sterile and seals us off from the real world of Jeddah. There was a bit of a buzz around, not compared to places like London, New York or Truro but it was certainly a different feeling.

I also noticed something else that was different to K****t. The mosques are actually appealing and aesthetically pleasing. There was a very grand one that seemed to be undergoing some renovation but it had columns and an ornate alcove type thing above a very large door. It seemed too big for the surroundings really. Just down the road from that one was another, small one. That one had a barbers built into the walls! That was a nice touch, making the mosque part of the lives of the people around it, not just some untouchable holy place. I might try and get down there again with the camera but I don't know if photos are allowed much.

Yesterday we all went for a walk along the Corniche. I'll put some pictures up later but it was pretty disappointing, at least in the bit that we saw. On our meandering way back from that area we passed the historic district and saw a lot of buildings with the old wooden balconies that Jeddah is famous for. There seem to be some sort of efforts going on to preserve them and make people aware of their importance but I think that photography is definitely a no-no down there so I might just have to look on the web for stuff.

Right then. Merry Christmas to everyone. As I said, we're off tomorrow so I may not be able to post for a while. Have a happy New Year if I don't.