Trips Out ... Jubail

Not much knitting done again but on Sunday we went to one of hubby's work colleagues tent in Jubail. It had originally been arranged for the weekend (Friday) when the family would have been there too but it had to be rescheduled and only hubby's work friend was able to come.
However, his wife still cooked and prepared 'all' the food which was amazing. The hospitality is sencond to none and you really are treated well when you're invited to go along and it really is a privilege to go to one of these invitations.

There were 2 women (me and another wife) and 2 girl children... we would normally have had to go into the 'family' tent away from the men but we were allowed to stay with the men on this occassion as we'd have been all alone in the tent.
Some pics of our trip up to Jubail which doesn't give any idea of how weird driving is out here. We even ran into some young saudi men drag racing along the road. Initially I thought they'd lost control of the car by accident until it was pointed out to be that its a game, an adrelalin (oh spealling again ? er spelling even) rush.
On arrival was found we had gone to the wrong place and you might laugh but a desert camp site is pretty much like any other desert camp site and it took around 10 mins to realise we were in the wrong place. Long cut short we eventually got to where we were meant to be and were greeted with the arabian cardamon coffee, and then the food, and then more drinks, this time very sweet arabic tea.
The tents are so luxurious and we want one to go camping in The New Forest.. maybe not though as it rains too much and it would get very wet. But the work that goes into the material is astonashing and a real luxury after only camping in a canvas tent and mainly in terential rain at that in the UK.
It was beautifully peaceful with a slight breeze and with the double glazed window (!) open and the double glazed door, a very tranquil time. Double glazed ... amazing as there are no walls to speak of, only a cement brick work of about 2 foot and then some steel poles to hold the material in place oh and then the windows and door. Needlenss to say it doesn't keep the noise out... but then there's not too much noise going on out here in the desert.

We were shown the outside oven which was a huge hole dug into the ground and a lid to cover it when the charcoal has been lit to keep the heat in. Our host went on to tell us that when he stayed in the UK a few years back he decided to make one of these out door ovens in his garden. Once completed the family sat down to having a family bbq when the fire brigade turned up and he got a bit of a telling off as its just not done in the UK without planning and safety checking... and to say that he'd almost gone thru some gas pipework and was dangerously close to some. Not something the neighbours would have been too pleased about I'm guessing !
The kids had fun too...how big a sand castle can you build ? Ok it looks more like, 'be quiet, it'll come back out the hole in a minute and I'll get it this time'... I would like to add that no animals or insects were harmed on this trip ! PS: Just thought I'd better add to this pic as a friend believes the pink thing is a dead animal.. its a pinkish paper bag ! Promise ! My son would be squawking like a girl if it was a dead animal lol!

Heather, very pleased with her plate... eyes bigger than belly maybe !
On the way back I tried to take some sunset pics but its very difficult from a moving car which is where most of the pictures are taken from.