"Riyad, SA" Riyad by alexane

War. That is why I came, and why I stayed. I would have never traveled here otherwise. But it wasn't all misery. I was lucky. I got to go shopping in town. I went to eat in a real restaurant. Otherwise, we ate at local "chicken shacks" as we called them. You got half a broasted chicken for like a dollar. And it was great. We weren't supposed to eat there, but we got sick of military food QUICK! I studied Arabic in CA. I knew Arabs and some of their customs and habits. It made my transition there a lot easier.

When the wind blew, it raged. Thanksgiving Day was the limit for me. Another sand storm. We went to the mess tent for dinner. They had the whole nine yards. Turkey, potatoes, stuffing....etc, etc, etc. Taking great care to cover my plate with another and wrap it in napkins, I headed back to my tent. Halfway there, my package ripped open and was pelted with sand. I was heartbroken. I ate an MRE instead. I never bothered with dinner on Christmas.

It was the beginning and the end of our trip. The first place we saw as we disembarked. The first few days all we did was drink water and try to acclimate to the heat. (We had come from NY in the winter). On our way out of country it was the last place we stayed. Sitting in the Port cleaning our vehicles for transport home. It was great being so close to the ocean after being in the sand so long.

• Pros:No Snow!
• Cons:Was there during wartime.
• In a nutshell:I would like to visit again during peacetime.