Dhahran

This weekend Lenny, Kay and some of the gang decided to go to Dhahran. Really they had all gotten visas to go to Bahrain--but somehow I got forgotten about so I didn't have a visa to visit Bahrain. Lenny and Kay told me not to worry they would stay with me in Dhahran--which made me feel good. Bahrain is about 20 minutes from Dhahran so the expats will sometimes stay in Dhahran because it's cheaper (for us it was free).
So off we went on Wed. Now I like a good road trip. There's always road signs to read, small towns to go through, etc.. Not here. The only thing that changed was the color of the sand. There are no small towns to visit between Riyadh and Dhahran. We did stop at rest stops--they were pretty run down and sad looking. I never actually went into the bathrooms. Kay did and every time she also came out and put lots of nati-bacterial soap on her hands.
Lenny and Kay like to listen to books when they have a road trip--I feel asleep.
There was traffic--trucks with camels, sheep or horses in the back--actually lots of trucks. The truck drivers all looked kind of sad--maybe bored since there's nothing to see.
I did see camels in the desert and that was cool. They look like they're gliding and somehow elegant--but up close--ugly.
I also saw house--some of them looked gorgeous. But then who would live there? I also saw projects that were started and not completed, projects completed but the buildings are empty and signs for projects that might take off one day. All in all--not that exciting and the trip was about 4 hours.
We get to Dhahran. I was in this town 13 years ago. It was a sleepy little ocean side town. Not today. It's grown. It's nice. It's actually peaceful and the drivers don't seem as impatient.
We checked in at Jadawel East--the compound owned by Royal Saudi Air Force--just like ours. We got keys to a villa. I got keys to a villa and a room--someone else was staying at the villa too but I had my own room with tv and bathroom and never saw the other people. The villas in Dhahran are smaller than the ones in Riyadh.
That night we all went to the Carlton Hotel and ate Mexican. It was ok. Some were saying it was the best--but to me it was ok. Now the dessert! Wow! There was an international buffet and there was plenty of dessert left so the manager let us have free dessert.
I had a Boston Creme Pie type dessert and then a delish white cake with a blueberry glaze and some sort of light filling. They were both incredible.
The next day the rest of the gang went to Bahrain while Lenny, Kay and I stayed in Dhahran. We went to a store to buy silverware--the only mission Kay had. Then we went to Jarir--a bookstore and computer store combined--with English books. Then to a mall--a huge--huge mall. Then it was noon. At noon it's prayer time and all the stores close--at least in Riyadh--until 4 pm. So we went back to the villa and rested.
At 5ish we left and went to the beach. Wow! I loved the smell of the salt air--hearing the waves lap against the wall--seeing people fish--families having fun. Then we walked the corniche (I don't know what that means unless you're talking about a Rolls Royce--all I know is that this is an area that you can see the ocean and you walk around)--maybe it was cornice. Families walking, families eating, soccer playing--it was almost "normal" feeling. It could have been Long Beach CA (I have good memories of 2nd Street and awesome blonde with blue eyes walking with me--eventually she decided to marry me--yah me!). It was just so incredible.
Lenny told me that when they were planning to build the new Intel Center that Kay suggested it be built in Dhahran. Lenny brought that up to the General--who chuckled and said Kay was probably right--but it's being built in Riyadh.
The wind was blowing, the night was a cool 98 degrees and there was the smell of the ocean. It really was incredible.
We ate at TGIF--which is right on the beach. It was TGIF--just like the States only no alcohol. The food--delish--we even got ice-cream sundaes--delisher. This time I treated since Lenny and Kay have treated me a lot--and they've been super nice to me.
We got up on Friday morning. Met everyone in the Central Facility. Had breakfast. Talked about what we did the day before. Then got in our cars an came home--in a sand storm (I'll write about that later). But talk about a white out--and wind! I thought Dorothy and Toto were going to show up.
Next beach town to visit--Jeddah! But it'll still be Saudi Arabia (no movie theater--sigh).