Across Riyadh Desert! (Part 1)

Camping for my mother’s family is a tradition. Every spring they set 3 big tents for men , 6 ones for women, one kitchen, one toilet, a big tank of water and there is a dynamo to lighten the camp.


My mother used to take my younger brother and sister there except me , I hate these places for many causes .The weather usually is severe cold and dry by the reason of Riyadh’s location which is surrounded by three deserts. Also, it has some scary animal and insects such as wolves, foxes, snakes, locust and beatles .Moreover, being dirty and sitting in a place full of sand is making me feel disgusted. All these reasons are made up by my imagination and others people experience,i have never tried going to a desert .


In 2008 spring, my mum forced me to go with her and wanted me to try a unique trip, to overcome my fears and my false thoughts about camping in a desert. I accepted going with her and started to pack my back and travelled from Jeddah to Riyadh.

There, at King Khalid airport, we were welcomed by my mum’s cousin, Sarah. She took us from the airport to the camp directly with her own driver, in our way to the camp we were chatting and laughing on funny incidents that had happened before we arrived. Then she stopped at a supermarket to take some food, drinks, firewood and fuel as well. After that we continued driving to the camp.

We were close to arrive, Sarah asked her driver to get off the car and keep walking to the site on foot. She started to drive herself and I was so scared, because it was the first time to get a car with a woman driver, not only this, she was a crazy driver. She was driving in sandy way from right to left and the other way around until the car got stuck. Consequently, she asked us to get off and push the car. I was laughing all the time and couldn’t believe that I came from Jeddah to Riyadh to push a damaged car.


To be continued...