• Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The coolest cat in Jeddah, no teeth but fluent english!
    Non muslim "turn-off before Mecca, no Christians allowed there!Jeddah 70kms along the red seaThe traditional picture: women covered in black, separate from men in white24-hour cream cars on the crammed "empty plot" we spent the night.Friday night, cruising cars, picknicing families and ice cream ALL NIGHT!Pilgrims on "Umra" the small "Hajj" to MeccaFirst signs of the city coming to life on Friday afternoon.Suddenly the market springs up.I think this truck has a weight problemFaces, faces, facesThe ripest fruit you can imagineWashing for Friday prayer

    Jeddah: multi-culti on the red sea

    March 9, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌬 31 °C

    Jeddah is Saudi Arabias trading port and a melting pot of ethnicities, endlessly long along the red sea.
    We arrived on Thursday evening, the beginning of the moslem weekend knowing that this would be tough.
    On an empty lot next to the sea, families picknicked all night with ice cream vans cruising between them joined by the classical Saudi "cruisers" in their loud cars after 1am and going through to 7am when the first families starting arriving again.
    Forget sleeping!
    We fled into the old town in the morning, famous for the shutters in front of the windows so that women can look out into the streets without being seen!
    We discovered deserted streets.
    It was Friday!
    And then, around midday, a switch was flipped, and the streets filled with markets and stands with the freshest fruits and vegetables imaginable.    Read more