Sand Roses

Sand Rose digging is one of the things people enjoy doing here.  Sand Roses are gypsum crystals formed with sand over time.  They are hard like a rock and heavy.  The are found just above the water line which means you have to dig for them.  You can dig and not find many or you may hit a hole that just keeps giving. It is a bit like playing the lottery.  There are some places that are known for them and you can see the remains of other digs by the abandoned sand roses laying about.  The sand roses come in all shapes and sizes and are very pretty.  

Abandoned Sand Roses and pit

Sand Roses Left Abandoned

Sand Rose

Sand Roses

Filled in hole

What we found

.Empty hole

Bedouin Camel Camp

This is a typical semi permanent bedouin camp other then the bedouin mobile home.  

Bedouin Camels

While out in the desert along came some camels.  They have one guy on a camel leading the herd along. The man stopped to talk to us and let us sit on the one he was riding.  Very nice man!  

Camels Sand Rosing 

Camel Remains

While out in the desert we came upon a fallen camel.  While disgusting on one hand it was somewhat cool to see the bones so polished white laying on the desert floor.  

 

 

 

 

Typical Saudi's

These are your typical Saudi's.  The majority of men here wear the thobe, shumagh and egal.  The thobe is the white robe.  They may wear a gray colored one in winter.  The shumagh is the checkered scarf and the egal is the black ring that is placed on top to hold the scarf in place.  The ghutra is the plain white version of the scarf that is sometimes seen.   The women wear the abaya, hijib and burka.  The abaya is the dress, the hijib the head scarf and the burka is the face cover.

Wheelie Motorcycle Really???

On the Cornish we saw a motorcycle doing a wheelie.  It passed us on Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque Road and continued to do the wheelie.  I wish I had a better picture!!  You don't see Saudi's on motocycles here.  Might have something to do with the bad driving and not wanting to be killed on one.

Terror is Back with a Bang!

This is from the souk area in Khobar.  It doesn't matter where you go kids seem to like graffiti.  

Soccer Field Readiness

This car was driving in circles getting the soccer field ready for the big game.  Wish I had been able to get the goals in it as well.  If you are wondering what he is dragging that is rolled up chain link fence, I think.

Hofuf Caves

The Hofuf caves are impressive.  The government has built walkways so that you may explore inside and there are guards protecting them.  There is some graffiti on them but not much.  They are worth the drive to see both the inside and the outside.  You can climb on the top of them and get a great view of the date farms in this oasis.  Be careful of the holes that just randomly appear and drop to the bottom of the caves.  

Hofuf Caves 

Ibrahim Palace

Ibrahim Palace is in Hofuf.  It is still in the process of being restored and is now open to the public as part of Saudi's tourism push.  It was very pretty. We only had about five minutes to spend here.  I will have come back to properly see it.  

Ibrahim Palace