Day 336. 84km (71598kms 6 yrs)
An unusually loud call to prayer shook me awake at 05:30. Quickly unlocking the door and tidying up my things in time for the arrival of women to pray, no one came. In fact I saw only men in this service station populated by far more trucks than cars.
I took my time over coffee as the sky brightened enough to ride safely. I’ve been able to leave the motorway now but this ‘minor’ road is two lanes and no shoulder. I must still exercise caution, but it is a much more pleasant ride than the highway.
At lunch time I took the opportunity to bludge some wifi at a smart hotel. A nice car drew up, I returned the driver’s smile with a glare suspecting him of being yet another in the string of stalkers matching his appearance. But no! He was the hotel owner who invited me inside, fixed me up first with coffee, then a delicious lunch, when I declined the offer of a room - I was only 40kms into my day - I was given an envelope containing SAR200! (AU$80 enough for a night’s hotel stay in Medina). Astonishing!
But while I’d been resting inside the hotel, the wind had picked up, and though I pushed hard the final 45kms dragged so slowly it became rapidly apparent I would no longer be able to reach my planned beach camp for sunset. So when a motorist stopped to invite me to his home in the next village I accepted immediately. He proudly showed me photos and videos of other European cyclists he’s hosted so I felt comfortable (though I won’t be handing my phone over to anyone this time!)
An hour later I found my host on the outskirts waiting to guide me to his house; a smaller one floor building in a larger block in the centre of town. Once again the entrance contains a reception room and bathroom before passing into the main house. My host dropped me off with the female members of the family and disappeared. A very youthful mother and 6 daughters told me about their family; grandfather had 2 wives one with 9 children, the other 14. I asked if one could choose who to marry in Saudi Arabia. In this instance mother and father are cousins matched by their parents, but my young host tells me she does not want to marry someone with whom she grew up. There are over one hundred cousins in the youngest generation now, most living in this town. My jaw was open but I assure you they were equally astonished to hear I have just two brothers and two cousins.
Together we ate Red Sea fried fish and rice with our hands from a shared plate before a comfy bed was prepared for me in the reception room.
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