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Gypsies on the move
  • Michael Spies
  • Michael Spies

Gypsies on the move

To do a long off-road trip has been our dream for years. To have our house with us in the most beautiful places, To discover other cultures, people and nature. Read more
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  • 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
    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
    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
    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 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 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
    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 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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    Rainbow arch
    Considering how I can climb this thing1Selfie time on historical sitesTwo new game desert reservesWonderful quite night aloneEntering the oasis of AlUlaLuscious greenAnd the most stylish of restaurantsIt is RAMADAN and it seems prayer goes on late into the nightIncredibly renovated oasis town

    Al Ula, oasis on the frankincense route

    March 24, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Yesterday, we arrived in Al Ula, an oasis on the "frankinsense route" and unesco heritage site.
    It reflects the effort of Saudi Arabia since its opening to foreigners two years ago to create a premium tourist industry. A whole town of mud buildings is in the process of being rebuilt, an international airport in the middle of the dessert, premium adventure-and, bus tours, fenced-in historical sites and the creation of a huge dessert game reserve with animals being repatriated into their natural habitat.
    And, what a pleasure, absolutely premium restaurants! Unfortunately without wine!
    To note is that a few days ago RAMADAN began, where people don't eat nor drink during daylight hours. During the day "everything" shop
    Is closed and at 20:00hrs everyone breaks fast and life goes on all night.    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    1A not quite indigenous lady swinging on the swings
    Parhs amidst the vegetable gardens in the oasisVegetables between the date palmsAncient wallsA place for picknic under the palmsResting and picknic areasLocals swinging on the swingsSaudi family having picknic, tha African maid sits by organising the kidsSpecial long ears " so I can hear you better"Just so you ladies know how to schmooze your man !Still hazy air from the sand stormEven the air conditioning on the houses is aesthetically covered

    A wild sandstorm, we stay another day

    March 25, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    During the night and all day long a wild sandstorm has been whipping through the oasis reducing visibility and depositing dust in every corner of our van. So we made a household day, filling diesel, water, cleaning and shopping.

    In the late afternoon the wind had subsided and we decided to walk the "heritage trail" through the oasis.
    In their huge effort to create a nation with an identity and to start a tourist industry, the Saudis have litterally rebuilt the oasis with its mud brick huts amidst these incredible rocky cliffs, have planted vegetable gardens and palm trees, and have created city spaces that are so aesthetic and ingeneous that they must have had the best designers in the world working on this project (as is the case in Riad). While this all carries the taste of Disney land (a little), these are also real living spaces for local population, who go for walks, swing on the swings and have a picnic evening. This gives it a real legitamacy.
    We enjoyed it thoroughly .    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Nabatean grave

    Hegra, city of the Nabateans

    March 26, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    From 600BC-100AD the Nabateans ruled along the Frankinsence route from Jordan to Oman and buried their dead in graves carved in stone. Especially the wealthy had large tombs prepared that were carved directly into huge rocks. Such are to be seen in Hegra near AlUla as well as in Petra, Jordan.Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Driving down from the plateau through bisarre landscapesInto the valleys leading to the WadiOur place for the nightShort walk into the entrance of the wadi27th March 2023, 10 years married, 22 years together! What a morning!

    Wadi Al Disah, Grand Wedding annivesary

    March 26, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary (10 years) and this trip has been the ultimate test, living on 4 m2 for 6 months!
    And destiny has forseen an incredible gift for us, a wadi that beats all we have seen so far, rocks, water, palms and a bird concert of the supreme!
    We spend the night at the wadi entrance drifting into our wedding anniversary with a wonderful, relaxed morning and then head through the wadi canyon    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    And into the Wadi Disha we go
    Bizarre wheathered rocks with luscious green palmsThe reeds announced that water is nearWater appears out of the groundAnd the reeds get higher and higherChecking the firmness of the soil and later the depth of the waterWhen we saw this, we turned around and drove back!

    A more beautiful gift cannot be found!

    March 27, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    A more beautiful gift for our anniversary is not immaginable. At midday, we set off into the Wadi and didn't come out of our astonishment until 3 hours later. The 300m high weathered red rocks, the luscious green palm trees, the tree-high reeds along the water flow, and driving through this all totally alone were like a short glimpse in paradise. It was a continuous "Oh my god, how beautiful!" Between the two of us. And the awareness that this was one huge gift for our wedding anniversary.
    What a privilege to be here, to be able to do this trip.

    When we got to the other side and back onto the road, a loud "NO" appeared within us, so we turned round and headed straight back into paradise!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    We drive back to the middle of the Wadi and spend the night there
    Barbed wire to tow a pickup out of the sandThe two ends wrapped around each other to close the loopAnd off they go!A concert of birds accompanies our breakfastAround lunch the first trucks from the rest of the group arriveThe final crossing

    Too beautiful to leave, we turn back

    March 27, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    When we reached the main road, we said, "OH NO, NOT NOW!", turned around and drove back into the Wadi to spend a starry night amidst the sound of crickets, and in the morning, the sound of myriads of birds.
    On the way, we watch how a land cruiser pulls a pick-up out of the sand, using barbed wire strung through a hole in the chassis. We'll, I suppose that is also an alternative!    Read more

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Al Shaq Canyon as the sun goes down

    Difficult day with beautiful ending

    March 29, 2023 in Saudi Arabia

    After a beautiful, relaxed morning, we decided to shorten the route by taking a shortcut. That was a REALY bad idea because everyone ended up getting stuck in deep sand, with lots of digging as the result. Yet, we arrived into a beautiful sunset as a reward for our hardship.
    Unlike most canyons, which were created by erosion, the al shaq canyon is the result of an earthquake causing a huge crack in the ground.    Read more

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