Saturday, January 24th.
Today was a very emotional day. Sometime during the early morning we heard several claps of distant thunder… After breakfast I climbed a hill beside our camp for a beautiful panoramic view and to sit and reflect. John was a long time friend and my most serious, introspective and interactive blog follower. He loved to read about the places I went and when I visited him in British Columbia in 2023 he often reminded me of things I’d written. I was hoping to see him in the spring in Victoria. I will miss him a lot.
We all gathered and drove back to Alula to see the old town. On route I listened to John’s favourite band, the Strawbs, and my favourite album by them ‘From the Witchwood’. Great memories and the last song on the album is appropriately and unbelievably titled ‘I’ll Carry on Beside You’ (lyrics below). People who know me know I am not spiritual or religious at all, but somehow I know if John could, he would; and I’ll carry him in my heart as I continue this extraordinary journey.
At the old town we had a local female guide who showed us around the reconstructed narrow streets of the old town. Alula was a vibrant town for hundreds of years on the trade routes through the Arab Peninsula. The houses were all built together in a seemingly haphazard way and were separated only by the narrow alleys; this helped keep the sun and wind out and the town cooler and provided defense as it confuses invaders. We climbed up two hundred steps to the old fort on a promontory in the middle of town for the same reason that they did years ago: it is an amazing vantage point to oversee the whole length of the oasis valley and to see who was coming and going. Today from that view we could see how much of the old town has been rebuilt and the extent of the village ruins that have yet to be. Local people were evicted from the town in the 1980’s and now it has become a tourist destination with a long promenade lined with a few shops and cafes. Brad and I also found a Tim Horton’s kiosk, which was interesting (apparently they have 300 shops in the middle east, who knew?). After the tour we went to the Pink Camel Restaurant for lunch. This is a trendy place popular with the young locals.
After lunch we went out into the desert to an area of beautiful rock formations. This visit was not on the itinerary but Yannis knew about the Desert X Art Show and asked if we’d like to go. We all bought our tickets and away we went. This is an American/Saudi joint venture that is hosted in the Grand Canyon on even numbered years and in Alula on even. This is the 8th version. Ten artists were commissioned to create large pieces of modern art that were inspired by the natural beauty and meant to enhance or compliment the surroundings. They are spread out in three canyons and we could either walk from one to the other or get a lift from one of the little golf carts. I was much more impressed with the natural environment than the art but that’s me. It was a beautiful warm day with plenty of sunshine and blue skies to make the visit more amazing, and for the first time since being in Saudi Arabia, I walked around in a t-shirt. At one point one of the golf carts came by filled to capacity with six of our women passengers. There was no room for me, so I asked the Saudi driver why he had all of the women and he laughed and looked a bit embarrassed and even more so when I said ‘Oh right, you’re allowed to have six wives here!’ He laughed and shook his head saying ‘no no!’. To which I replied ‘oh you’ve already been married,’ and he laughed again and said he only had one wife. The local guides and people are all very friendly and approachable. Then we loaded up in the coach and drove to see ‘Maraya’ the world’s largest mirrored building (it holds the Guinness record for that). It is situated in another canyon of high rock formations and the mirrors reflect the mountains and the building almost becomes invisible. It was built very quickly as a temporary structure for some special event but people liked it enough that they decided to keep it. Inside is a very nice 500+ seat theatre for concerts of both Saudi and international talent.
Our last stop for the day was a visit to the iconic Elephant Rock, another large formation that resembles, you guessed it, an elephant. Darren couldn’t see it and I said that’s because Australian’s see it upside down. We arrived just after sunset and we noticed that there were a lot more cars and people there than any place we’ve been in the country. It turns out it is a very popular hangout for Saudis. There are a couple of restaurants and cafes and plenty of places to sit and interact with the spectacular backdrop of the illuminated rock as the sky gets darker. Finally we reboarded the coach and drove the hour back to camp. Our host was waiting for us with a delicious chicken bbq. We made a wrap with chunks of meat, onions and tomatoes. No one was interested in sitting out by the fire tonight so they didn’t light it. Off to my tent by 9.
I'll Carry On Beside You
(copyright Dave Cousins and the Strawbs 1971)
Short is the time
Though eternity long
Life is but part of the journey
While you've the faith to carry on
I'll carry on beside you
But your feet have wings
Sharing the weight of your burden
While you've the strength to carry on
I'll carry on beside you
Dark is the night
Yet the road shines clear
Lit by the souls of believers
While you can see to carry on
I'll carry on beside you
Deep is the grave
May you rest in peace
Preparing yourself for the next time
While you still need to carry on
I'll carry on beside you
What a beautiful tribute to John. The lyrics to the song are very moving. Your friendship will live on in your heart filled with memories..
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