Given the cooler weather and that Mira is now a bit older and easier to bring along, we're finally going out of the house and exploring Riyadh more. The challenge is to find interesting places where we can also bring the kids, aside from malls. So far, here are a few we have visited:
Wadi Hanifah The Wadi Hanifa (Hanifa Valley) in the Nejd Region, runs for a length of 120 kilometers, cutting through the city of Riyadh from northwest and southeast. From what I gathered, it used to be a wasteland until the Ar Riyadh Development Authority turned it into a nature reserve. We visited on a weekend and really didn't know where to start our sightseeing or what to do. There were many families plopped down on the ground having a picnic, but since we have not yet grown accustomed to this culture, we just walked around. We saw a park with some inflatable balloons, but there were A LOT of families there, we were not really in the mood to join the crowd. Maybe we can visit next time when there are less people and we can also try crossing the bridge (of the dam?). Red Sand Dunes, Thumama I really enjoyed this one! After the New Year's, we joined some colleagues from the Embassy for a morning trip to the Red Sand Dunes. We decided not to bring Mira anymore since we didn't know if there was anywhere we could leave her with Ate Vangie. We left our meeting place at around 630AM. The sand dunes were only about thirty minutes away from our town of Irqah, but it was still necessary to arrive there early to take advantage of the cool morning air. The trip was a great breather from the city. During the drive, I enjoyed the scenic desert views and rock formations. Again, I was reminded that we were in the Middle East. Upon arriving in the area, I was a bit disappointed there was litter everywhere. Pretty sad that it is not well-maintained. However, once you drive farther out and up, the sand dunes become cleaner and you are left with these magnificent desert views. Pretty surreal. We rented two bikes for 30SAR per hour each, with Elise riding with Von. The drive was fun alright, but I was still very cautious as I didn't wanna end up tumbling down the sand dunes. And yes, in case you haven't noticed, too: no abaya! Yey!
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Oftentimes, I see comments describing Riyadh as a boring city. Yes, I do miss the cinemas and the nightlife... occasionally. But I find that the city has also a lot to offer culture-wise. We have yet to visit the other big parks scattered around the city, the famous Edge of the World, the Saudi National Museum, the modern skyscrapers with amazing views such as the Kingdom Tower, the heritage villages, the horse and camel races... the list goes on. Given that the country remains closed to tourists, I remain grateful we were given the chance to live here, and experience the very unique Saudi culture. * * * Read: My other articles about our diplomatic life here in Riyadh: Pinoy Fiesta in the Kingdom House-Hunting in Riyadh: Fantasies and Realities Welcome to the Kingdom The Start of our Diplomatic Journey Also, do check out pictures from around Riyadh in our Saudi Arabia Gallery. Thanks!
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