Winter at Tantora: A Magical Mystical Tour

Winter at Tantora is an incredible event like none other ever before here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Amidst the stark picturesque beauty of the city of Al Ula, an official UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Winter at Tantora Festival started on December 20th and will run through February 9th.  Each weekend concert over the eight weeks features a different theme high quality entertainment spectacular followed by a magnificent feast matching the theme of the evening.

The venue for the concerts is a brand new stunning concert hall named Maraya (Arabic for "mirror"), built among the unusual and ravishing natural landscape of Al Ula. Set amidst the gigantic sandstone rocky mountain formations and drifts of soft sand dunes, the beauty of Maraya lies in its simplicity.  The visible exterior surface of the structure is encased in large mirrored panels, which create a wondrous illusion reflecting its breathtaking setting.

The concert hall seats only 500 and the seats are comfortable and cushy white leather chairs. There are no bad seats in this theater, as the aisles between rows are extra wide, and the acoustics, audio and lighting technology are state of the art. To the right, left and in front of the stage, dramatic digital imagery is projected onto the walls and floor, creating a magical experience for the audience.  Behind the stage is an enormous window revealing the backdrop of huge sandstone rocks behind the building. The rocks are lit with colored lighting during the show. The overall experience is one of undeniable wonderment. 

I was fortunate to attend the truly magnificent performance of Lang Lang, a supremely talented and gifted world class concert pianist.  Seeing and hearing Lang Lang perform the amazing pieces he played was an incredibly moving experience.   It was as though the music was actually coming through him to the piano.  He is an animated performer, with tremendous depth and precision.  His concert was flawless perfection.

An additional ongoing fine art exhibition at Maraya during the Winter at Tantora Festival is a visual delight featuring the artwork of Van Gogh. It is a show in itself with his masterpieces projected onto the walls in the large gallery, engulfing the entire hall.  It's almost as if the paintings come to life with imagery and movement.

Van Gogh Exhibition at Maraya, Winter at Tantora - Model: @ParisVerra 

Among the other amazing talents still left to participate in the festival are: Um Kulthum (Jan. 25th); Andrea Bocelli (Feb. 1st); and Yanni (Feb. 8th).  If you are interested in attending any of these events or to learn more about Winter at Tantora, CLICK HERE.  For the Yanni event, you can get a 20% discount by using this code:  BlueAbaya7   Hurry!!! Availability is limited.

Packages are available for just the one day of the concert or for the whole weekend, including cool tent accommodations (with all the comforts of home!), a variety of inspiring tours, transportation, helicopter rides and hot air ballooning over the amazing landscape of Al Ula, and much much more.

Thanks to my awesome pal Laura / @BlueAbaya, we had an incredible time we will never forget. She knows more about places to visit in Saudi Arabia than anybody I know. You should check her out on Instagram and Twitter - @BlueAbaya, or on her blog Blue Abaya.  I'll be writing more about our adventures from this past weekend so stay tuned!

Laura has also written a fabulous comprehensive guide and history of Madain Saleh, the historical archaeological site outside of Al Ula, with lots of fantastic photos - CLICK HERE to access it.

Trip to Waba Crater

 I recently took a day trip to Waba Crater, a 363 km jaunt from Jeddah.  We left at about 3am so we would arrive early morning and enjoy the area before the heat of the day was upon us.   I enjoyed seeing the Camel Crossing signs along the way, and yes, we did see camels on the loose.  By the way, you can click on any picture to see an enlarged image. 

It took over 4 hours to get to Waba Crater.  Our first sighting of it was a Thelma and Louise moment - the road just leads right up to it and luckily our brakes worked!  The early morning sun rays created a magical effect on the spectacular scenery before us. 

Originally thought to be a meteoric crater, it is now believed that the crater was formed by an underground volcanic eruption in which the hot lava mixed with an underground water supply and the result was this enormous sunken hole - "a massive steam explosion generated by molten basaltic magma coming into contact with subterranean water."

The white substance in the bottom of the crater consists of crystallized salt and the delicate lacy edges formed when the remaining groundwater eventually dried. 

The diameter of the crater is about 2 km wide.  Volcanic rocks of all sizes line the sides of the crater and there is some visible vegetation in places on the interior of the crater. 

There is a rocky path that goes down to the bottom of the crater, but care must be taken because of the loose rocks that one doesn't lose her footing.  The trail begins on the north side of the crater.  The sides of the crater are quite steep.

The weather was clear, but the wee hours of the morning were briskly chilly and the winds were strong.  It was delightful weather for me but my companions were cold.  We were the only visitors to the site up until our climb back up when we came upon a group of American visitors who had driven from Riyadh. 

The patterns made by the salt crystals against the volcanic rock and the sparse vegetation made for some very artistic looking scenery.

There are several tour companies that provide all inclusive trips to the crater, or you can opt to do it on your own.  We traveled by sedan to the isolated site.   You can also camp near Waba Crater.  There are not really any facilities, so be sure to bring sleeping bags as it can quite chilly at night especially in the cooler months.   I read that the best place to camp is on the south side of the crater just above the palm trees.  

It is recommended that at least three people do the hike down and back together.  Experienced hikers can probably reach the bottom in 20-30 minutes and make the climb back up in 45 minutes to an hour.  Take plenty of water with you.  Arrive early morning if you can to beat the heat. 

There is not a whole to see along the drive up and back besides desert landscape and some hills and mountains in the distance, but we did see many bedouin tents, herds of goats and sheep, and of course, camels. 

To view some more amazing photos of Waba Crater and the surrounding area, CLICK HERE for the Amusing Planet post about the site.  CLICK HERE for a map of where Waba Crater is located.

Mad Traveler's Quick Look at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Toni Riethmaier, manager at the beautiful Il Villaggio Restaurant here in Jeddah, sent me this video which he had a hand in producing. 

It is a lovely short film shot around the city of Jeddah, showing the Corniche area which runs along the Red Sea coastline and the old part of Jeddah called Al Balad. 

The video also shows a few of the sculptures around Jeddah, which I have highlighted many times on my blogs. 

It's interesting to note that the guide of the video is a man dressed casually in a T-shirt and shorts - acceptable attire for men here, while women must cover up everything but their faces and hands.

It's a great quick look at the city I live in. 

Microlighting in Jeddah

A group of my friends recently enjoyed microlighting along the Red Sea coastline. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go along, but they all had a fabulous time, soaring into the sky, feeling the wind against their faces, and soaking up the amazing views of the city of Jeddah and the Red Sea from up there.

Here is a short video called "Microlighting Over Jeddah" from their excursion. You can really get the feel for the experience itself by watching it. Because of the size of the group, the individual flights were shortened to about 10-13 minutes each.

Microlighting in Jeddah has been around for over a decade now. And guess what? Women are not barred from participating in this delightful adventure! This is one outdoor activity, though, that is definitely not for those with a fear of heights or a fear of flying.

Jeddah is the perfect place for ultralight aircraft because of several factors – the weather is consistently warm, the land is flat along the sea coastline and there are relatively low winds.

There are many companies that produce their own version of an ultralight aircraft, but basically it is like a hang glider with an engine similar to a lawn mower engine. Micrlight aircraft accommodate one or two persons, are inexpensive to own, and are mostly used for joyriding. The earliest versions of ultralight aircraft used to be called “flying clotheslines” because they were completely open.

Knowing the take-off weight is extremely important to have a successful flight, with careful consideration given to the weight of the aircraft itself and the one or two people who will be taking flight. The flying altitudes over Jeddah are about 500-700 feet.

Microlighting expeditions can be arranged in Jeddah through the Jeddah Aviation Club and take off is at the Western Region Aviation School, which is off of Al Malek Road, directly across the street from the Red Sea Mall’s Gate #2. The cost is about 200-250 SR per hour, with special negotiable deals for groups. But of course, with groups, the flying time is shorter in order to accommodate everyone. A trained and qualified pilot accompanies each flight.

Good Karma on the Red Sea

SCORPION FISH - Photo Credit: MANSOUR FAIRAQ

Since I wrote about my snorkeling adventure out on the Red Sea last month, I have since been out snorkeling two more times.

EXPLORING THE RED SEA - Photo Credit:  TRINA EPSOM

A couple of weeks ago before sunrise my husband and I went out on a boat with our niece’s husband Mohammed and his brother Sultan, so I consider them family, even though in this culture, we are not. The first two spots that we anchored at were fishing spots. We all tried our luck but the fish just didn’t seem to be biting that day.

AMAZING COLORS OF THE RED SEA - Photo Credit: TRINA EPSOM

The third place we went to was a coral reef where I could go snorkeling. The reef was absolutely enormous. While Adnan stayed on the boat hoping to catch some fish, I went into the nice cool turquoise waters to snorkel with Mohammed and Sultan.

CORAL and CLOWNFISH - Photo Credit: TRINA EPSOM

I watched in amazement through my goggles as Sultan swam several meters down to the sea floor and brought up a gigantic sea turtle, just like Crush in Finding Nemo! It was so cool to see him rising to the surface, almost as if in a dance with this splendid creature. Adnan helped him get the sea turtle on to the boat, and then we continued snorkeling. After a while the waves started getting really strong, so I told the guys that I was going to back to the boat, but they still wanted to keep on exploring the sea.

CLOWNFISH SCHOOL IS IN SESSION - Photo Credit: TRINA EPSOM

The shell of the sea turtle had to be about 3 feet long by about 2.5 feet wide. Adnan had set up some big coolers around him to contain him on the boat. I watched the turtle in wonder for a while as Adnan continued in his vain attempt to catch some fish. When I asked what we were going to do with the turtle, Adnan told me that he thought the guys might be planning to kill it for its meat. I was devastated upon hearing this and set about trying to talk Adnan into letting him go.

GIANT SEA TURTLE - Photo Credit:  SUSIE OF ARABIA

Almost two hours had passed and Adnan and I were becoming concerned because we could not see the two brothers snorkeling in the sea. We didn’t have binoculars with us and there was no apparent response at all when we honked the horn of the boat several times. Adnan still hadn’t caught any fish, and I was feeling rather anxious about the possible fate of the huge sea turtle we had board with us. At last Adnan lifted the gentle giant up and tossed him back into the sea. No more than five minutes later, we finally caught a glimpse of the two snorkelers. They had gone around the entire massive reef!

RED SEA SPOTTED STINGRAY - Photo Credit:  MANSOUR FAIRAQ

Feeling much more at ease now that we knew the brothers were all right, Adnan dropped his line back into the sea and within seconds pulled up a nice plump more-than-a-foot-long fish - his first catch of the day! We were astonished when he caught another identical fish as soon as he put his line back into the sea again. All I could say to Adnan was “Good Karma!” The guys were fine when they learned that the turtle was safely back in his watery home, and I got to drive the boat most of the way back to our starting point, which is rather ironic since as a woman I’m not allowed to drive a car here in Saudi Arabia…

CLAM CLOSE-UP - Photo Credit:  TRINA EPSOM

Most of the photos in this post were taken on the third snorkeling trip I went on a week ago. They were taken by two scuba divers in the group – and seeing their beautiful photos has really got me thinking about taking scuba lessons ... hmmmm.

TONS OF FISH!  Photo Credit:  TRINA EPSOM

Click on any photo in this post for an enlarged view.

My Niece Louisa in the Sahara

My niece Louisa, a university student, is spending part of this summer in Morocco taking an intensive Arabic language course. She started blogging about her experiences on her blog called "On the Streets of Fes."    Her latest entry, "A Trip to the Sahara," is an interesting account of a trip to the Sahara with great photos which I thought you would find interesting...


This weekend turned out to be the most amazing weekend of my life. It was the Sahara Trip, which was organized by the school so about 30 students all went. We drove about 7 hours through the Moroccan country side which was amazing in itself. Our destination for the day was a luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere. At this point in the program, everyone was hot, tired, and a little bit sick of their homestays. This hotel was absolutely amazing. It had two pools, a disco, and real showers. The food was amazing and we pretty much had the hotel to ourselves. After a night of drinking and swimming, we were able to sleep in and then the next morning we took off again for our second destination. We stopped at the Kasbah Tombocktu and swam while we waited for the sun to get lower in the sky.

Around 6 pm, we started loading onto the camels. Please take into account that camels are not the most beautiful animals and they also make odd sounds. Once I put one leg up onto my camel, it immediately stood up, which caused me to lurch forward to the top of its back. Finally I was settled and I tried to ignore the camel behind me which was slobbering on my leg. Camels are extremely uncomfortable to ride and they are roped together in groups of 3-5 with a Berber man walking in front.

The Sahara is amazing. The red and yellow sand in huge dunes around you for as far as you can see. There are snake and scorpion tracks in the sand and when we stopped to watch the sunset, we climbed one of the dunes and took in the beauty around us.

We reached the Berber Oasis shortly after sunset and were welcomed to rugs laid out on the sand with tents in a circle. The Berbers served us tea and a few of us climbed up the huge sand dune behind the camp in hopes of sand skiing. We ate dinner at ridiculously short tables and then listened to some of the Berbers drum and sing. Since we were in the middle of the desert, there were no lights except for the candles set up around the camp. This way, we could see thousands of stars. The entire Milky Way was visible and there was no moon, which made it especially dark. We started dancing to the Berber drums and I was extremely happy. After, a few of us sat down with some of the Berber guys and started to talk. I realized they all spoke Spanish so I was thrilled that I could communicate with them. I met Asou, who was 21 and lived in the larger town near the hotel. He has been leading camel treks for 10 years in the Sahara and knew about 5 languages just by listening to visitors in the desert.

My friend Gabrielle and I made our way out to the “bathroom” and on our way back, we ran into Asou and another Berber guy. They explained that they were about to climb the dune behind us which was about 600 meters and made completely of sand. Gabrielle and I looked at each other, shrugged, and followed these guys up the side of the mountain. At this time, it was pitch dark, none of us were wearing shoes, and the dune was just about as steep as possible. Every step you took, you slid down another step. After about an hour or an hour and a half, we reached the top. The view was absolutely breathtaking. Since this was the tallest dune for miles and miles, you could see everything. To the North, there was a small town with lights. To the South, hundreds of meters below us, was the camp, which was impossible to see because it was very late at night and all the lights were out. To the East, you could see the black mountains that made the Algerian border and to the West, you could see the dunes going on and on for hundreds of miles.


It was the most incredible experience being able to stand on the very tip of this dune, by ourselves and get caught up in the Sahara wind watching hundreds of shooting stars. We spent the entire night up there, walking on the ridges of the dunes and learning words in the Berber language. At 4:20am, the mosque in the town to the North announced the call to prayer. This consisted of a flashing light from the mosque and the call which you could faintly here through the wind. Around 4:30 am, the guys had to head down the mountain to start getting the camels ready because the sun was about to rise. We sat up there as other students from our camp slowly made their way up to where we were sitting. They were amazed and jealous that we had spent the night up here and watching the sunrise was incredible sitting there with all of our friends. After the sun rose, we quickly jumped and slid down the mountain so that we could get back before the heat set in. I was so tired on the camel ride back that I actually fell asleep at one point, which I thought was impossible. We arrived at the hotel, showered and ate, and then started the long drive back to Fes. As I am writing this, I am sore everywhere, dehydrated, and exhausted but I am extremely lucky to have had this experience and I will never experience my night on the top of the dune for as long as I live.

To see more photos from Louisa's trip and to read more about her experiences so far, please check out her blog, "On the Streets of Fes."

Courage

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose."
Tom Krause

I've been surprised at some of the emails and comments I've received over the past two years that call me "brave" or that say how "courageous" I am for moving here to Saudi Arabia. Surprised because I've never really considered myself particularly brave or courageous.

But when I read the quote at the top of this post, I began to look at the concept of bravery or courage differently. I have many friends back in the states who would never even consider making a move to a place like Saudi Arabia for any period of time, much less to come here indefinitely, sight unseen.

Living here is not easy for someone raised elsewhere, but it is not altogether miserable either. Crazy as it may sound, I moved here without ever having visited this country before. Sure there is loneliness and boredom and a glaring lack of things to do. It is definitely not for everyone, especially not for females from the West who have been raised in societies where women have equal rights, or where women have freedom of speech and where women can drive and are free to go wherever they want to go, and where she can dress the way she wants to. There are so many sacrifices I have had to make to be here, so many freedoms I used to take for granted in America that I don't have here. It's a totally different culture, a different way of life, different language, different customs, different religion, different attitudes, different foods - heck, just about everything about life here is different from what I had known all my life.

But I am not alone here. There are many other Western women who came here way before I did, who gave up their former lives as well, sacrificed plenty, all for the sake of love. Some of them have been living here for over four decades. Now THOSE women - THEY have courage! I really don't know how they did it. I still can't envision myself being here long term, but it's only been two years.

One thing that makes being here particularly difficult is that I have nothing here that reminds me of my past life, except some precious photos on the computer. But even those only go back as far as the day I finally went digital. The rest of my photos are in storage and I hope at some point to be able to scan them so I will have them too. Another thing that makes my life more lonely for me is my stateside family members' reluctance to get with the program of 21st century technology. We could see each other and speak through the computer on Skype for free every day if we wanted to, but my family members really haven't acquired the proper equipment to do this. So if I want to speak to them, I have to call them long distance. It's expensive and frustrating, when it could be free and easy. And then there's the apartment that we live in here - I don't feel as though it's mine because it's not. I had no input at all regarding it. My mother-in-law purchased it for us and kindly furnished it for us before we arrived, but it's not mine - not my taste, not my style. It's where I live, but it's not MY home.

Yes, I took a big chance moving here. I gave up everything that I thought identified ME and represented ME, a lifetime of possessions and memories and "things" that I had accumulated. I came here with two suitcases and that's it. It's almost as if my life's slate has been wiped clean, free of clutter, free of material things. And if I've learned anything at this point, I guess it's that "things" don't really identify me or say who I am.

The jury is still out on whether this place will ever feel like home to me, and if it never does, well, some will say that I have failed. Even South Florida took an awfully long time to grow on me. But at least I can say that I have tried - and we never know unless we try, do we? In the end, will I have given up everything - for nothing? Either way, I now know in my heart that it actually WAS a brave thing for me to do by moving here, and that I DO have courage. And I should be proud of myself for that. Proud that I am giving this place a chance, standing beside my husband, and keeping my family together - even if there's a chance that it may not work out in the end. And I can live with that.

Caitlin Needs Your Help!

Through blogging, I have made many wonderful cyber-friends. One of them is Caitlin. She is a tremendously talented individual and she could use YOUR help to land her dream job - LITERALLY THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD! (Mine too, if only I were a few decades younger!!!)

Caitlin is originally from Australia but has been living in London for the past four years. She's a professional freelance food and travel writer whose works are published in newspapers around the globe. Caitlin has lived in several countries and traveled to many many more and she is a true adventuress.

Caitlin is applying for a blogging job on gorgeous Hamilton Island, in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

Can you imagine living in paradise, blogging about it, AND getting paid for it? I was blown away reading the website about this job she is applying for - it's incredible!

All you need to do is to view her video (and it's only one minute long!) and give her a Five Star Rating.

CLICK HERE for the link to watch Caitlin's video and to give her a FIVE STAR RATING so she can land her dream job! Thanks for your help!

Adventurous Women Blog

I  am thrilled to announce that I have been interviewed on another blog that is near and dear to my heart called the "ADVENTUROUS WOMEN BLOG." Published in a two part series starting on January 7th and concluding on January 8th, you can read my interview which covers why we moved here to Saudi Arabia in the first place, to how I feel about, among other things, what I have to wear now whenever I'm out of the house.


The "ADVENTUROUS WOMEN BLOG" features quite an array of various types of adventures for, by and of women. Several years ago the blog's author Michaelle and several of her friends started an adventure club for women. They organize and plan four trips a year, free of husbands and children, and just about anything under the sun is considered an "adventure."

The "ADVENTUROUS WOMEN BLOG" is loaded with a wide variety of informative articles, ideas, giveaways, and tips on on a wide variety of interesting topics. You can read about women who have made a difference in our world. Or you can get encouragement to finally try baking that homemade pie totally from scratch. You can sign up for women's only ski trips or get some ideas on how to buy the perfect gift for an adventurous woman.

Michaelle's subject matter knows no bounds. From women ghost hunters to women building homes for Habitat for Humanity, "ADVENTUROUS WOMEN BLOG" has it all. From recipes to belly dancing to solar-powered bras (yes, you heard that right!), Michaelle's blog has something for everyone. And don't let the name fool ya! I would even go so far as to say that I think Michaelle has a number of closeted readers of the male persuasion as well women!

So please click on over to the ADVENTUROUS WOMEN BLOG" for Part 1 and then here to see Part 2 of the interview featuring MOI, and while you're there, check out all the other great stuff Michaelle has to offer. And be sure to let Michaelle know what you think by commenting on any of her terrific posts.