I don’t want to end this gallery with the sandstorm in the previous image, so am posting a shot of the entire tour group to Mada’in Saleh (I am hiding on the right). I think we were the only Americans in the crowd, which was composed mainly of British and South African expats working in the kingdom. There was even one Saudi woman who you’d never recognize in this photo, and a German couple visiting their son, who works in Riyadh.

It’s not so easy to travel here on your own, with complications for us in particular with public transportation (which we can’t use) and for foreigners in general with hotels (they can reportedly only stay in five-star hotels), so this tour really worked out well. We’re planning another trip to a different part of the country soon, so hopefully will have some interesting pictures from there, too. I wouldn’t have believed it before moving here, but there is just so much to see, and so little time to do it since summer, with its 120 degree F (50 degree C) temperatures in the daytime (and only a little cooler at night), makes travel near impossible any time except October through May.

Anyway, thanks for all the comments and votes on this gallery! I’m glad I was able to show my Pbase friends yet a different side of Saudi Arabia.