Motown Homecoming

We arrived in Detroit on Monday December 3 at 1:30 pm. This will be my last post on the Rick Joseph in Saudi Arabia blog.

What an amazing trip! Let the learning continue...

The Price of Gas

On the way to the airport we stopped at the first oil well in KSA, which was discovered station in 1938.

Later, we went to a station for gas. We figured that gas in KSA costs about 1.20 a gallon.

On the Way Home

We had our final meal in Saudi Arabia at a golf club in Riyadh, but we didn't get a chance to play!

I took picture of part of a roller coaster from the window of our bus. Too bad we couldn't stop.

I presented our Aramco guides, Tariq and Hanadi with BCS t-shirts as a thank you for accompanying us on our 10-day journey throughout the country.

Last Day in Saudi a Big One

In every hotel room there is a sign on the dresser or the ceiling that indicates the direction of the city of Mecca. Muslims all over the world always face Mecca when they pray.

We visited the Shura council on Sunday (the business week in Saudi Arabia is Saturday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are the weekend days.) The Shura council is the rough equivalent of the U.S. congress or the British Parliament. We met with four members of the Shura council who talked openly about issues related to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the war on terror, the war in Iraq, and the future of relations between the U.S. and Saudi governments. I videotaped many of the responses and look forward to sharing them.

Walking in someone else's shoes

On our last night in Riyadh, and Saudi Arabia, a number of the teachers on the trip decided to wear Saudi garb that we had purchased. The transformation was very interesting on many levels. I look forward to sharing more details of my experience when I return home.

Riyadh: A study in contrasts

Here's a view from my hotel. Oh, and yes, Saudis love rap, as seen from the music store at the mall.

Jeddah to Riyadh

We left Jeddah on Friday afternoon and arrived in the capital, Riyadh, that evening.

On the Red Sea

Old Jeddah and the souk

The souk is the outdoor market. We spent some time sightseeing and shopping in downtown Jeddah, the second stop on our three-city tour.