NATIVE BABOONS OF TAIF

SPECIAL THANKS to my friend Mariette Raubenheimer for the use of her wonderful baboon photos in today's post.   

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MOUNTAINS & SKIES OF AL SOUDAH IN ABHA

DREAMLIKE EXPERIENCE - AL SOUDAH, ABHA REGION

NATIVE BABOONS THRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS

MISTY MOUNTAINS 

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A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours

https://www.instagram.com/najrantours/

https://www.facebook.com/najran.tours/

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VARIED TERRAIN OF SAUDI ARABIA

DESERT - HOME TO THE CAMEL

MOUNTAINS & STREAMS IN THE SOUTH

FERTILE FARM OUTSIDE OF JEDDAH

LAGOONS ON THE RED SEA, WEST COAST OF KSA

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WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

 

VARIETY OF SKIES OVER JEDDAH

PRETTY JEDDAH SKY AT DUSK

THE ILLUMINATED GLOBE SCULPTURE & A BAOBAB TREE

MISTY MOUNTAINS & A COUNTRY MOSQUE

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TIMELESS THURSDAYS

THANKFUL THURSDAY

 

BABOONS IN TAIF, SAUDI ARABIA

BABOON FAMILY - AND BABY MAKE THREE

PROTECTIVE MADONNA AND CHILD

BABOON TEACHER AND STUDENTS

TODAY'S WONDERFUL BABOON PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY MY FRIEND MARIETTE RAUBENHEIMER.  THANK YOU, MARIETTE, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THEM HERE.  

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ABHA - UP IN THE CLOUDS

ABHA MOUNTAIN ELEVATION 2270 METERS

DREAMY MOUNTAIN PEAK IN THE CLOUDS

ABHA'S GORGEOUS BEAUTY

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A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours

https://www.instagram.com/najrantours/

https://www.facebook.com/najran.tours

 

AL SOUDAH MOUNTAIN

The southwestern region of Abha in Saudi Arabia is the location of the country's tallest mountain range, with Al Soudah Mountain measuring at over 3000 meters high (almost 10,000 feet).  Average temperatures are much cooler here than the lower elevations of the rest of the country.  

It is a popular tourist destination for Saudis due to its spectacular scenery, a cable car attraction, and the weather.  The mountains are covered with juniper trees, dreamy mist, and in the colder months - snow.

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TUESDAY'S TREASURES

Thanks to my friend Piotr Chodakowski for allowing me the use of the photos in today's post.  You can follow Piotr on Instagram -  @piotr_ksa

MARBLE VILLAGE - MOUNTAINTOP MARVEL

Photo by E J Marquez

Like taking a walk back in time, the historic 400 year old town of Dhee Ayn is also known as the Marble Village. Built atop a majestic mountain in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Dhee Ayn is located south of the holy city of Mecca in a natural oasis of tall green palm trees, tunnels, and a peaceful waterfall.

Photo by Murtaza Hasmi

Located in the small granite village is a lovely and well maintained museum.  There are many steep steps which will take you to the castle at the very top of the village.

A big thank you to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit his Instagram page  @NajranTours

https://www.instagram.com/najrantours/

https://www.facebook.com/najran.tours

SAUDI ARABIA - NOT JUST DESERT

STARTS WITH V - VIOLET MOUNTAINS

HISTORIC ANNAZAR VILLAGE

A FAVORITE - VISUAL BEAUTY

WADI DISAH

VERDANT - GREEN AS CAN BE

MOSES SPRINGS, UYUN MUSA

Many thanks to my friend Aileen Byrne for allowing the use of her photos in this post.  They were taken on a recent roadtrip she took up and down the Red Sea coastline.  

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Saudi Arabia: Baboon Habitat

The native Hamadryas Baboon of Saudi Arabia resides in the mountainous areas, mostly in the southern and western regions of the country.  The below photo above shows an area between Medina and Jeddah where the baboons typically live.

I was shocked when we were driving by on the highway and saw a busload of religious pilgrims hand feeding the baboons fruit and taking photos.  The baboons are wild animals and can be very aggressive, especially when food is involved. 

The closer they came to our vehicle, the higher up our windows went!  We weren't taking any chances with the unpredictable creatures.

I'm sure the tourists got some great photos, but it was at great risk of harm to themselves, one we weren't willing to take!

Saudi Arabia - Mama and Baby Baboons

The baby baboons of Saudi Arabia are adorable and are carried around by their mothers.  The photo above shows a baby riding on his mam's back, while the baby in the photo below can be seen peeking out as it clings to mama's underbelly.  

Baboons of Saudi Arabia

The Hamadryas Baboon is native to Saudi Arabia and Yemen and some parts of Africa.  They live and thrive in the moutainous areas of the country.  Sometimes called the "sacred baboon," these baboons were revered by the ancient Egyptians and were an important part of ancient Egyptian religion.

The males are quite distinctive looking, with a long silvery mane and cape of hair that they keep neatly combed.  Females lack the silvery cape and are just covered in brown fur.  Another distinct feature of the Hamadryas Baboon is a large hairless area that is bright pink or red on their backsides where they sit. 

In today's modern world, however, these baboons can be a nuisance and a danger to people and agriculture here in this region.  They have attacked school children, spread disease, and have destroyed farms and crops.  The baboons travel in large packs, and while they appear to be cute and people love to photograph them, they are wild animals that can become aggressive.

SkyWatch: Mountains of Najran

Taken on a recent trip down to Najran, in southern Saudi Arabia just north of the Yemen border, I was taken by the repetition in the shapes of the clouds and the mountain rocks.

 


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Saudi Arabia: The Road to Taif

Winding its way along the curves of huge mountains, the road from Jeddah to Taif makes for an interesting trip, as far as terrain goes.