Monday, January 26th.
We left Medina this morning at 9 and headed west to the coast. The scenery was mountainous and interesting. At one point the mountains ended and we saw an area of large sand dunes that were formed by the wind blowing from the coast and being blocked by the mountains. We drove for about four hours to reach the coastal town of Yanbu. The temperature was much warmer here and we headed to the sea. We boarded two, 250x2 horsepowered boats and headed out for about twenty minutes to a shallow sandbar where we stopped for a swim. The two boats were tied together so we could stay in the same area. The warmth was a nice temperature and it felt good to get wet. After our swim the two captains set out lunch for us consisting of a few spreads to put on a pita, (including one with the delightful name of foul, made from fava beans, which actually tasted very good) and an assortment of fruit including mango, dragon fruit, grapes, and melon. There were also some fresh juice drinks. Then we continued on until we got to an area of coral reefs. We were provided masks and snorkels and in we went. I saw lots of the colourful fish you would expect to see and some healthy corals including a vibrant red one. After about an hour we headed back to port with the boats still attached together side by each.
We got back on the coach and continued our drive to Janbu, the industrial port city. We got to our hotel at about five and I had a shower to remove the salt and then some of us met up in the lobby with Yannis and we walked to the old town area. This is not really a touristy area so much of the old town has been destroyed or not restored. However, there was an area that was and we walked through the narrow streets and checked out the shops and cafes. Here the buildings are made from fossilized coral bricks and the balconies are made of imported wood and have intricate lattice work. We saw a house where Lawrence of Arabia apparently lived for a couple of months. We visited the information centre that outlined the history of the area from ancient times up through the incense trade routes to the modern era. Yannis took us to a fish restaurant where Darren, Mariuz, David, Wendy, Marge and I ate. The food was good but the method of serving us was different. We ordered and paid at the reception desk and were given a receipt. Then we went up onto the patio roof and found a table. Shortly after our waiter came and collected our receipts to find out what we’d ordered and took them downstairs. He returned shortly after and gave them back to us. When the server showed up with the food they checked our receipts to make sure we got the right food. It all seemed unnecessarily complicated and a lot of work for their staff. Anyway, we had a good meal and then walked back to the hotel for the night. Early start tomorrow.
Joe keep up your EXCELLENT blog
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