To the End of the World (Mada'in Saleh)- Part III

     Davis and I twice failed to make it to the historical site of Mada'in Saleh. Not through any fault of ours but the fault of a country that finds it good business to build dirt mountains on its roads and not give any warning or notice to the travelers using said road. Perhaps the only reason for that road is to laugh at foreigners who try to use it. It seems like a lot of trouble for a prank but Muslims are dedicated, so I believe it to be true. 

     If we were going to survive in this country we would have to enlist the help of an Arab, and so we did. We asked Abdullah at our work where we were going wrong. The kind gentleman laughed at us when we told him how we were trying to get to Mada'in Saleh. He then looked sternly in our faces and asked where we had gotten such absurd directions. I almost panicked under this interrogation, but luckily I collected myself and answered bravely that Google maps had directed us. He proceeded to draw us a map of the correct way, but it was not needed. A few words would have sufficed. Drive on one road past a checkpoint, turn right, and drive two hours until the road dead ends. That was as complex as it was.

     I had my doubts about getting there in two hours, considering we had planned for over five, but I hadn't been lied to by an Arab yet so I took his word for it.  

     The next day Davis and I again left early in the morning for our illusive ruins. We proceeded along the first road without incident, admiring how they manage to irrigate the desert and grow such green crops. On the North side of this road about thirty kilometers outside Tabuk is the camel racing club. A large complex of different pens for the animals and trainers and one very large racetrack with a grandstand. I visited once and never has such a collection of these tall, ugly animals been known. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of these hardy desert dwellers walking back and forth to the track by their Sudanese trainers. Some of these animals have their legs bound so they have to shuffle. No doubt the troublemakers of the group. I am reminded of AT-AT from Star Wars fame when I observe them, but perhaps that is just me. 

     We continue past the collection of the prized Arab animals and soon come upon the checkpoint. Every major road leading out of, or coming into the cities has onc of these checkpoints. They are always manned and require you to slow to a crawl as you pass through them. This is accomplished by gigantic speed bumps, about five of them in a row. I do not know what they look for as I have never been stopped, and this was no exception.  

We pass the checkpoint unmolested and come to a crossroad about five kilometers beyond it. In normal Saudi fashion there is no sign identify the road at all. It is just a road leading straight into the desert. It seems to laugh at us and tease us. "Do you think I'm what you are looking for? Good luck, because I'm never going to tell you."

We decide to drive passed it for a few minutes to see if any other roads present themselves, but none do. So we turn back around and heedlessly head down this new road full of doubt.  

     The road is a perfectly common Arab road. Good condition with one lane each direction. But with this one strange engineering decision. There are tight twists and turns. There is a perfectly level section with no hills and yet here is a turn that makes you brake and go off the road. It upsets me yet makes me smirk as well.

We continue on exactly the same as our other road trips. Passing rocks, dirt, mountains, hills, and a few cars. After an hour we happen upon another tiny depressing village. Exactly the same as all the other tiny villages. A fuel station with an Indian and many half finished houses. Cinder blocks scattering the ground.    

     We continue an hour more and see agriculture. Green fields and rows upon rows of date trees. Off to our right are some incredible hills. Perfectly smooth cliff faces rising hundreds of feet. A few minutes longer and we come to the end of the road, exactly as we were told. I check the time. Exactly two hours. I trust Arabs completely now. 

Yet the same dilemma presents itself. Two ways to go and not a road sign to be seen. We had to choose a direction so let it be to the right. Now if we had been good scouts and paid attention we would have found Mada'in Saleh right then and there at the intersection, but we weren't and didn't. We continued on driving around, passing quaint little farming villages with strange foreign sounding names. Yes, the villages have signs naming them in English. We drove and drove until we can into quite a large, somehow pretty town. It turned out to be the largest town in the area and we spent quite a bit of time here. We did not make it to Mada'in Saleh, which wasn't a complete loss as it was closed on this day, Friday, as we later found out. The town we did enjoy that fine Friday was Al-Ula, and that leads me to the next chapter.