Saudi Arabia

Sailing west from Mumbai across the Arabian Sea for three days, we had beautiful weather and saw lots of dolphins, flying fish, and even a sperm whale nursery along the way. Before entering the Gulf of Aden, the Viking Neptune crew installed razor wire around the ship, and a number of armed guards came aboard. This protocol is followed for ships entering the Gulf of Aden as a deterrent to would-be pirate attacks. It worked, as the guards left and the razor wire was removed as we made our way north into the Red Sea. We were a bit unsettled at first, but there was a lot of communication, including an announcement from our Captain, and we then understood it was simply precautionary (and, we guess, required by their insurance carrier). Cruising for five days, we passed by Oman & Yemen on starboard (our side), and Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, & Ethiopia on port before docking in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Probably the most different (non) Easter we've ever spent, but interesting nonetheless. Jeddah is located on the eastern shore of the Red Sea and is the second largest city in SA as well as the gateway to Mecca for pilgrims arriving by sea. While now pilgrims drive the 75 km to Mecca, they originally walked through the Old Town. No alcohol allowed to be served on the ship while docked in SA, so I missed my traditional Easter morning Bloody Mary. I had to remove the rainbow band from my FitBit as no LGBTQ logos were allowed (a move wholly endorsed by our gay friends on board); and we had to remove all religious jewelry and/or cover up any religious tattoos - no worries there for us. We thought it was hot, but the locals said it was not. Because it is Ramadan, not much was open. Muslims fast (no food or drink) from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, but we were allowed, and in fact encouraged, to drink lots of water during our visit. Mike participated in a regular tour, while I chose a "for women by women" tour. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they are busily rebuilding. Interesting old buildings and narrow streets with just a few tall shade trees. My female guide provided lots of information and seemed to freely and honestly answer any and all questions our bus load of women threw at her, although we kept our questions on

topic -- no delving into politics. Mike saw the inside of an old home and the Ahel Awal outdoor movie theater, probably for men only, as well as a play area for the kids. Even a bean bag toss game was set up for when everyone comes out to play after sunset. We saw two mosques: Al Ma'amar Mosque (see tall old tower and sign for women’sentrance) and Al Shafei Mosque (beautiful carved wood doors & tall white tower). Mary's guide took her group to her family's bakery for some fresh baked bread. Lucky us. It was a rather surreal day. Glad we got a small glimpse of Saudi Arabia, but don't feel the need to return.