What an extraordinary visit we had in Dammam, Saudi Arabia last weekend! Thank you, Abdulaziz, Dhafer, Mohammad, Ali, Khaled and all of the other gentlemen who made us feel so welcome. The horses all flew really well and offloading went smoothly.
When the horses were safely loaded into their trailers and on their way to the stables, Ali drove us to guest quarters at Abdulaziz's beautiful stable. We were pretty tired, so we had a nice rest time in the early afternoon. Then we were treated to a delicious lunch of kebab, rice and a mezzah platter. When the evening arrived, it was time for visitors. We sat outdoors in the cool of the evening and enjoyed tea, coffee, dates, pomegranite seeds and lively conversation.
After visiting for a while, we went to another stable where we were treated to a tour of the beautiful facilities. Several of the horses were exhibited for us - magnificently beautiful horses that are cared for so very well. It was truly a joy to see them all working in the arena.
Then it was time for dinner! We were treated to an authentic Bedouin-style dinner, with cushions on the floor, lots of tea and coffee and dates, followed by a delicious feast of camel meat served on a bed of rice. We ate with our hands and enjoyed every minute of the experience! After the feast, a young man came around the room with a container of burning aromatic wood and we cleansed ourselves in the smoke. This was followed by a spritz of refreshing cologne and then the evening was over. Time to go back to our lovely guest room until we had to go the airport early the next morning.
Terry and I felt very honored to receive not only the spectactular hospitality of our Saudi hosts, but also some very lovely gifts of Lebanese sweets and I received a gorgeous hand-embroidered silk abaya and sheila. I will wear these with great pleasure on next visit to Saudi next week when we take horses to Riyadh.
Again, thank you so much to our hosts for making this trip one that we will cherish forever in our memories.
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