Cat and Mouse

Here we are on a very nice camp spot in a large park in the mountains around Al Baha. First thing in the morning, when taking Rexel for his walk, I walk past a car, partially camouflaged by some bushes. I demonstratively look the other way, I mean, who peaks into a car, parked in the bushes early in the morning, even in Saudi.
Later, when coming back, I discover another inconspicuously white sedan, just a bit off the road. Later that day, Steffen goes for a walk; when coming back he says, we were spied upon. I think, he’s a bit exaggerating. But when I walk the dog again later that day, here they are again. Hmm!
Next day my German friends are leaving, calling quite upset later in the afternoon, they were followed by a few vehicles. He had tried to shake them off, a bit difficult when you drive a pink Mercedes Benz truck, but he succeeded. I am still not convinced.
The next day on my morning walk I again see somebody parked around the corner. I sneak up on him, from the back, surprise him, and after the normal greetings I put on a stern face and say in my broken Arabic: “I woman, you man. You looky looky. Not okay!” and he, totally thrown, justifies himself: he was just here having breakfast. Yeah, right! But at least he knows, I know.
Later that day Steffen calls me, they were followed again by several vehicles. When they arrived at a police checkpoint, they pulled over, talked to the police, the police set up on a chase and caught one of the vehicles. After completing a vehicle check, they found out these guys were from the diplomatic police and are following us for our protection.
For the next few days, when travelling, a cat and mouse game ensues. We try to loose them, and surprisingly we quite frequently succeed. But then this game gets a bit stressful, so I decide on another tactic and stop those guys. Telling them we wouldn’t really appreciate their following us. That we’d prefer they let us know who they were. It was their duty they are telling me, to protect the visitors to their country. Sometimes, when we are traveling separately, they would stop me and ask, where the big, pink van was. Sorry, I don’t know!
After cold nights we would go and bring them some tea or coffee and something to eat. I start to feel bad for those poor guys who have the boring job to follow us. But soon they would learn, they have to come with 4 WD and fully equipped to spend the night with cooker and tea pots and blankets. And keep unobtrusive distance.
In the meantime, they are not following me anymore. First I thought perhaps I just don’t see them any longer as I had decided to ignore them. But they are really gone. But they are still following Steffen and Birgit. We assumed they are more worried about the family with three children, than a crazy woman with dog. That’s okay by me.Read more