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Michael Spies
Michael Spies

Michael Spies

📍 Mauritania Read more🇩🇪Icking
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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Hunters with guns. Was this the end of the teaming wildlife of this desert?
    Early Morning chillWe arrive at a permenant water hole where caravans have passed for centuries....and a new image appears, GUNS! See on rightAntilopes being confronted by dogsLarge herd of antilopesThe first ostriches!A whole herd of ostrichesHunter with gun shooting at flying birdsBeautiful Orynx, now only living in captivityHunters with guns everywhere!Two men from Sudan walking to the spring to fill up waterLater on we passed their camp

    A different era of Rock engravings

    March 21, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Today we passed a water spring in full desert. This was surely a stop over for caravans on the "incense route" over centuries and so the rock engravings have changed. Accompanying the old cuneiform writing we see Greek letters. Also the motifs have changed with Hunters with guns appearing. In the period BC, documents mention teeming wildlife in the desert. Could the guns have been the end of this wildlife?Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Soft sand delights
    One more stone for luckThis one broke all records, everyone got stuck, half a day of digging out!And suddenly a small lake from the last rain. Disappearing fast!Our first rock engravings, a desert Orynx antilopeZoom-in: desert lion attacking an antilopeA hunter with Bow and arrow aided by dogsDogs chasing antilopesDesert lion has got a hunter by the ellbow, while lady throws arms up and schrieks (authors comment)

    Deeper and deeper into the sand

    March 19, 2023 in Saudi Arabia

    We are driving deeper and deeper into the sand and break the record at one hill where everyone digs themselves in. After hours of digging and using sand tracks to get out, some of us promptly get stuck again. What a day!
    Finally, we arrive at a rock in the desert next to a small, fast disappearing perennial lake carrying the water of the last rain.
    While walking around the rocks, we make a huge discovery, rock engravings depicting desert Orynx antilopes, lions, and hunting scenes.
    WOW!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Some people hug trees, others hug rocks, really big ones
    It rained recently and the whole desert is green and covered with flowers, for a few short weeksA green desert for a few weeks where all life explodes scrambling for some of the rain that fell.Under normal circumstances, this is dry sandEndless landscapes

    and the desert is calling.....

    March 18, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    From the craters, we drove to the North, getting deeper and deeper into the desert again, this time with deep loose sand between huge bizarre sandstone structures formed by millions of years of wind and water.
    On this first day back in the sand, we all get stuck at least once, with us digging in until over the axles and needing the whole team to dig us out. How good to be driving with others.
    The rains of the recent weeks have let the desert explode with grass and flowers everywhere. This will all disappear again in the next weeks as dryness sets in again. What a privilege to be here at this moment.

    Thousands of years ago these deserts used to be teeming with antilope, in particular the orynx which are now virtually extinct, as well as desert lion and wild camels (these were only domesticated around 3000 years ago), and so it is not surprising to again and again discover rock etchings of these various animals in hunting scenes.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Further neighbours
    Long track entering the region of 140 volcanosFirst encounter with lava flowA camel train passes by like in ancient arabiaThis morning we are going g to climb this "boy"Fine slippery gravel, sliding down constantlyHuffing and puffing our way up in the early morning lightThe rains of the last weeks have made the desert explode in a sea of flowersOne of the neighboursNearly thereLooking I to the craterThe "black" volcano in the distance that has poured out its lava over the whole region.Another neighbourThe white volcano dominating the region despite attacks by "darth vader". (Black lava field visible)On top of the whiteOn to of the white. The crater looking like yin & yang1

    The land of 140 volcanos

    March 15, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    This region is one of 140 volcanos and huge lava fields. The fascinating thing is, they all vary in colour, from black through white and red.
    On top of it these last weeks, there have been several rainfalls, and the desert has exploded with flowers and grass.
    Sooo beautiful!

    We are drive into the region of the white volcano, amidst a sea of black ones,
    and get up at sunrise and 10 degrees centigrade to climb the one overlooking it. The slopes, while not looking dramatic, consist of a fine gravel that slips away as soon as you step on it. After much swearing and intensive use of our sticks, we reach the top amidst a 30-40kph wind, which adds to the chill. So we immediately returned down again, took a rest, and then confronted the white volcano in the afternoon with the same fine gravel constantly sliding.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    One of the six fortresses surrounding Khaibar
    Camel herd herding his camelsFancy location with great food but no visitorsVisit in the oasisOne of the fortresses from below

    The oasis Khaibar

    March 14, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    As we travel north, we pass through the oasis Khaibar in a basin of a huge volcanic area with ample water and fertile soils. For thousands of years this has been a stop on the frankincense route bringing the latter together with silk and spices to Europe. Today, the abandoned ancient mud city built on 6 hills surrounding the oasis is a very high-end tourist venue with hundreds of employees and few tourists but we had a great time being driven around in a golf cart, with an excellent restaurant to go with it.Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The courtyard in front of the mosque
    Huge hotels surrounding the mosqueThoisands entering for evening prayer through 16 gatesThousands praying, these are those in the courtyard who didn't fit in the mosqueComing out of late afternoon prayer.Entering for evening prayerComing out from evening prayerWhat a pleasure seeing this woman placing her order at the men's windowHundreds of identical suitcases from indonesia

    Medina; tomb of Mohammed

    March 13, 2023 in Saudi Arabia

    Mohammed, born in Mecca, was kicked out when he started preaching a new religion. He fled to Medina on a she camel, and where this camel kneeled down, god told him that this was the place to build the first mosque.
    This building was rebuilt again and again as the importance of Medina grew. What never changed was the room in which he died which, later on had a sealed building of black stones built around it.
    This is the tomb that approx 2 million pilgrims from around the world visit each year on the "Umra" not to be confused with the "Hadsch" to Mecca which 3 million per year.
    For us, Medina was a glimpse at the multitude of nationalities and ethnicities of this world. I have never seen so many different faces and clothing styles in my life; Arabs, Africans, central Asians, Chinese, Indonesians to name just a few, all spending a fortune to do this journey and a "money printing machine" for Saudi Arabia.
    Unlike Mecca, non-muslims are allowed into the city, but as Margot and I tried to enter the outer courtyard of the absolutly huge mosque (for 1 million worshippers) we were blocked by a security guard and very clearly told this is not for us. So we observed thousands and thousands rushing to the late afternoon prayer which was broadcast throughout the area, and then 30 min later rushing out again to their hotels or hundreds of busses with thousands of identical suit cases brought from the other side of the world.
    Half an hour after sunset, they all streamed in again for evening prayer.
    What a crazy world!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Where turquoise becomes blue the coral reef drops to 20 meters

    And so we fled back into nature

    March 12, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Cities are always stress, here in Saudi all the more, due to the "cruisers" showing off their big engines, exhaust pipes or sound systems around 02:00 in the morning. We were longing for silence and sleep and headed up the coast to Rabigh beach, a huge sand bar which on Google satilite showed a clear line between turquoise sand and dark blue sea. This indicates a steep coral reef. And so it was, 50 meters off shore was the most beautiful coral reef I have ever seen. We snorkeled twice in the warm water, simply marveling at the millions of fish of all sizes and colours. It was a celebration of the beauty of creation and the universe. We just couldn't stop shouting look!, look! like excited children, as large Puffer fish eyed us, a large sting ray sailed by, followed by a turtle and huge schools a shiny sardines. On the coral reef Angel fish, parrot fish and a thousand other species went about their busseling business.
    What a gift to be here!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The maritime version of a ferrari
    Families gather for picnic on the pier of the inletWhile we enjoy our proudly acquired Heineken alchohol free beer, the first beer in monthsWhile the cool-cats put on a show for the spectatorsBoats as another form of "cruising"In the.middle this guy is roasting maize on his wheel barrowThen suddenly the voice of the Muezzin calls and all men pray, on the pierWatching the parade of boatsAs it gets darker, the boats sail home and are replaced by cruising cars.

    Sleepless nights while "cruisers" cruise

    March 11, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Having not slept the previous night, in the afternoon, we drove north to the edge of the city on an inlet from the sea in the hope of finding a quite place.
    Exactly the opposite happened!
    As sunset approached we arrived at a long pier on a dead end road. As it was Friday, many families had gathered for an evening Picknick. While on land the atmosphere was wonderfully calm, on the water it was like on a highway with boats of every size parading up and down the inlet relishing the looks they were getting. In between, jet skis were racing around with screaming engines doing antics to attract the attention of the spectators. As dark set in the boats dissapeared and the families left and we thought we would be alone. But the opposite happened, the car cruisers arrived, driving in, stopping for 5 minutes, revving their engines and leaving again.
    Then, after 2am, the real chaos set in as the really rich came out of their holes cruising around with their Ferraris, Masaratis et al making enough noise to get Muhammed to turn in his grave. The next morning at 06am the families arrived again.
    We were exhausted!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The muezzin calls and the whole city goes to prayer
    The Muezzin calls and everyone runs to the mosqueMosque im the middle of broken buildings being renovatedMidday prayer completed and they all go in the same direction, we followWe follow them into the most beautiful authentic old quarter under renovationThe shutters serve that the women can watch the streets without being seenRenovation complete

    Jeddah: midday prayer and the day starts

    March 10, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    While strolling through the old city centre, we had the pleasure to participate in the friday midday prayer because it was broadcast via loudspeakers in the area. Hardly had the last thanks to Allah been spoken, when hundreds of men streamed out of the nearby mosque, all heading in the same direction. We followed and were led into the most beautiful and authentic streets where fresh rooti bread was being baked in Tandoori ovens and a multitude of very basic restaurants were serving curry chicken and rice to Pakistanis, Arabs and whatever else happened to come by (like us). Then all plodded off to a large courtyard nearby where chai was served on chairs that no longer deserved this name.
    What a beautiful afternoon!    Read more

  • 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

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The BOSS! silver back
    Baboon troop trooping byDe-fleaing the bossPiggy back is simply the bestMmm- now which piece of rubbish do I fetch out next?The wonderful mother of the familyTwo daughters, and three sonsLunch starts with fruits of all sortsThen we admire the beautiful coffee jugThen the huge pot of rice is emptied in the middle of the plastic "table cloth"And all dig in with their right handTour of our "sprinti" to round off the mealOur place for the nightThe African cleaning the site only goes up to the wall, don't dare to look on the other sideAnd yet the view is breath taking

    Ash Shafa-a true Saudi picnic

    March 8, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today we are in Ash Shafa, 2200 meters high, and the place where the Saudi King has his residence when the government moves to Al Ta'if in the summer months.
    For hours we watched troops of baboons playing around, squabbling, de-fleeing each other, and collectively taking the local rubbish container apart. When Margot went for a walk she was promptly invited for lunch and ordered to bring her husband along, and so we experienced a real Saudi picnic.
    A huge pot of rice, chicken, spices and lots of chili had been cooking all morning and was now poured out onto a single very large plate, everyone gathered around in a circle and with their right hand, scraped the food into a ball and stuffed it into their mouth.
    It looks a mess, but that is how it is done here.
    In between, with great excitement we were questioned about our journey while the mother proudly showed Margot her jewelery and the multi-coloured cuff of her shirt under her black hood. BUT NOTHING MORE, the face stayed covered!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    A "christmas tree" with plastic bags as decoration
    A rubbish container amidst the rubbish with dead sheep lying all aroundDesert scrub filled with plastic for hundreds of kmsGrass feed for sale along the way for sheep and camels

    Today, under the sign of RUBBISH

    March 7, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We are on the way to Jeddah, near Medina and Mecca and it is aparently time to remind us of the reality of the arabian peninsula concerning the topic of rubbish.
    As we travelled through huge regions of desert scrub and bushes along the highway, we noticed that they were full of plastic bags. Cynically we called them "christmas trees". Worse still, lining the highway, again and again there were decaying dead animals and near a rubbish container people had deposited numerous dead sheep. A strange feeling amidst this endless beauty of desert.

    In the evening we parked-off at a city park in At Tarif, a small mountain city where the Saudi government moves with 150 thousand officials each summer.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Al Wahba crater, a hole blasted out of the ground!
    700km of highway with 200m visibility in sandstorm!Sand on the highwayCamels ploughing through the sand storm in the distanceEntrance to a petrol station on the wayIn Germany they are pushing snow, here they push sand!After the storm these flowers are still thereAl Wahba crater - flat desert and then suddenly a 300m deep crater blasted out of the ground!

    700km to Al Wabah crater

    March 7, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    700km through a desert sand storm, that is not an experience to be repeated! Our "Sprinti" was jumping across the road like a feather while sand took over the highway.
    When we arrived at the Al Wahbah crater in the dark the sand storm had developed into a massive electric storm with huge lightning flashes creeping through the sky. Fascinating, until the lightning hit a transformer station 10m away from us on the parking lot at the edge of the crater where we spent the night. There was a loud ZZZZZT and the transformer went up in flames.
    Oh my oh my!
    We woke up the next morning looking straight into this 300m deep crater and thought we would do a short walk around it. Well it turned out to be three hours in searing heat. Not quite the morning stroll expected!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    "Edge of the world"
    other vehicles of our groupDesert flowering after short rain

    Back to Nature, "Edge of the world"

    March 5, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We fled Riad after a night awake, as Lamborghini and Ferrari raced from one side of the city to the other demonstrating their sound and power, to the escarpment, called "Edge of the world", where the center of the Arabian peninsula drops down to sea level. Peace once again entered our souls as we hiked along these amazing barren cliffs.Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Driving 500km to Riad
    Valet Parkers. When you arrive in your Ferrari, they park it for youEntrance to the renovated Diriyah

    Riad, capital of Saudi Arabia

    March 3, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Riad was a disappointment!
    8 million people living in the middle of the flat desert, of which a small part is endlessly rich, living in huge palaces and racing around at night in lamborghinis while a large part of the population from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan is doing the work in the streets.
    The whole city is one huge big building site. Among other, the ancient seat of the ruling Saud family, Diriyah, has been dug up and restored to a unesco site. It's the center, the Bujari Heritage, is an area of restaurants and walks, and seems to be the meeting place of the Upper society. We went there hoping to spend the evening but gave up when €50 per person were asked as entry fee.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    This is what a car looks like when it spends its life off-roading near a salty lake. RUST!Al Asfar lake, lost in the desertA mixture of sand and salty mudThis looks serious, which way do we go?Back in the desert sand againAl Asfar Lake in the distance, but in the wrong place!

    Back in Saudi, looking for Al Asfar lake

    March 1, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today, we crossed the border into Saudia Arabia with the typical border problems of no one knowing what is really needed. We then headed off into the desert, looking for Al Asfar Lake near Hofuf. Well, the lake is not where it is supposed to be! When we found it, we got totally lost in a mixture of sand dunes and salty mud flats that look firm on the surface but sink in as soon as you put pressure on them. And the problem is, if you sink in, there are not many people that will pull you out!
    In the end, we gave up and are now sleeping in the desert overlooking the lake in the distance.
    Tomorrow is another day!
    Hasta Mañana!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Pillars with inlay work using semi precious stonesIncredible inlay workA team of three workers pushing mops to polish the huge courtyardChandelier of mother of pearlPrayer hall with the qibla Wall facing Mecca with inscriptions of the 100 qualities of AllahClock indicating the the various prayer timesThe huge hand knotted carpet.

    Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

    February 27, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    What a beautiful building, even if it is the biggest in the world!
    Full of aesthetic materials from all countries of the world and carried out with incredible craftsmanship.
    All designs are done with semi precious stone inlays.
    The huge woollen carpet of 5400m2 was hand knotted by 1200 artisans in 2 years.

    When I look at this incredible work of art, I only sense praise and thankfulness to Allah; none of the heaviness, the threatening and violence of the Catholic church which shocked me so much during my camino to Santiago.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The "corniche" along the water front. Relaxed
    These sky scrapers seem modest vs DubaiRuler's palaceSun set at the cornicheModest Emirates Palace hotelWhat a modest skyline1:30am and they are still cruising in circles revving their enginesI suppose some people need to be like Batman

    Abu Dhabi, so much more relaxed

    February 26, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After Dubai, Abu Dhabi seemed very relaxed and quite empty with a beautiful "cornische" along the water front.
    To spend the night, we drove out to one of the many islands thinking it would be quite there, It turned out to be the cruising mile where people drive late at night, probably to run away from their insomnia. At 01:30 am when we fled to a new location they were still driving, bumper-to-bumper and constantly revving their tuned truck or Masarati engines. An absolute nightmare!Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Level 148, about half way!
    What to do with an 826m skyscraper? 3D movie theater!That's what a corridor in Dubai Mall looks like!A gigantic show of illusions!This world has gone crazy!Those small buildings over there are only 400 meters high. Poor buildings!"The Marina": appartments with beach and yacht quayBurj al Arab with own Helipad in the distanceThis is where we fled to for one day

    Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa

    February 24, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates

    We then moved on to the "Dubai Mall", a shopping mall the size of a small city and of course the biggest in the world. Everything shining in marble, so clean you could eat from the floor with an aquarium in the middle of your shopping experience. In a world in the middle of the desert with no-limits money, shopping is about all that is left!

    In front of the door of the mall is the most bombastic musical fountain in the world with laser show, Dolby surround music and integrating the Burj Khalifa, 828m high (the highest) and built in 7 years (the shortest) from the idea to the inauguration in 2010. One floor built each week, working at night because it was too hot in the day.
    The next morning, we went up the Burj Khalifa tower at 08:30 (the rest of the day was booked out by the other 16,5 million tourists per year!) for the most incredible morning view of the city.
    This was followed by the Big Red bus tour around the city and it was here that I noticed I am about to explode and need time out, we cancelled all other plans and went to the beach for a whole day to reground ourselves. But even here the illusion was perfect, while ferraris raced behind us on the highway, no less than 20 helicopters flew over us to land on the helipad at the nearby Burj al Arab building, the symbol of Dubai and housing private luxury apartments.
    A world as fascinating as it is exhausting!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies

    "The frame"

    February 24, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    In a totally spaced-out state we then went up "The Frame", literally a 150m high picture frame through which the Sheikh Rashid ibn Saeed Al Maktoum, could look from the old Dubai to the new Dubai which he had built from the ground in about 20years!
    The floor at 150m is of glass, quite a walking experience! A bit like Jesus on the water!

    While what has been created here is absolutely amazing, it is also a world of total illusion driven by endless money. Everything is the biggest, fastest, highest, craziest in the world, A searing hot, dry desert gives the the feeling of total abundance.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The endless well
    Quietly chugging along the Dubai Creek between the old city and crazy sky scrapersOld Iranian houses with "wind towers" to keep them coolOld Iranian Dhows next to sky scrapersIranian Dhows loading everything they needFully laden Dhow leaving the creekThe perfect illusion on the planet of AYA (in the middle of a shopping mallAm I on drugs?Constantly moving colours and shapesThe garden

    Dubai, land of Illusion

    February 24, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Time to open our hearts for the craziness of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both swimming in oil money with especially Dubai known for having completely lost contact to the ground.

    With a small boat trip on the "Dubai creek" we took up contact to the city and then moved on to the "planet of AYA" a cosmic sound and colour experience in the middle of a shopping mall. At the entrance you recieve a passport from the planet of AYA and then walk through or lie down in a series of rooms on the trip of your life, about the same experience as the magic mushrooms trip I once did!Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Motoring into the morning
    With breakfast on the wayAnd suddenly they appear, smugglers from IranZombies on the move, animals in the hold.Heading into KhassabHuge loadRonny, the man who read every wish of ours from our eyesThe whole team. (Shop owner in white with headdress

    Back to Khasab, as the hornets shoot by

    February 23, 2023 in Oman ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today, we return to Khassab.
    As we motor along, suddenly they appear again on the horizon, the hornets, the smugglers from Iran. (Approx 100-150 speedboats per day). This time, they pass real close, and I can catch a glimpse of their hooded heads and the sheep in the hold of their boats.
    A frightening appearance and yet friendly people waving hello, desperate to make a living and prepared to risk their lives each day in the endeavour.
    We stop off at "telegraph Island" where the colonial British held a telegraph station going to India, and experience a wonderful 2 hours snorkeling among angel fish, snappers, Barakuda and two large manta rays. What elegance!

    As we get closer to harbour, the first Iranian speedboats boats are already returning, totally overloaded with huge waterproof Pacackages.

    Reaching the harbour is a sad. Four incredible days of relaxation go to an end, and we say farewell to the team, "Sprinti" is waiting to take us to Dubai.    Read more

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