DRAMATIC JEDDAH SKIES

 

We don't usually see dramatic clouds in Jeddah. It rarely rains.  But a few days ago we got a little rain and the skies were quite pretty.  

LINKING TO - SKYWATCH

Our World - Jeddah After the Rain

These gentlemen brought chairs while they wait for work after a rare rain in Jeddah.  Tradesmen wait in certain areas to get job for the day.

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SkyWatch - Jeddah Rainy Season

It doesn't rain often here in Jeddah, but when it rains, it pours.  The winter months are when the rainy season is, although the first few years I lived here, it didn't rain at all - ever! Jeddah is not equipped to handle rain - there is no drainage system in place, so the water just sits, sometimes for days.  In past years, people have died when it rained.  Tunnels fill with water and people drive into them in their cars and drown.  Others step into the standing water and get electrocuted by fallen wires.

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Our World: Saudi Arabia Watermelon Season

It's watermelon season here in Saudi Arabia.  On our recent weekend trip to Yanbu to attend the Flower Festival, we spied lots of watermelons for sale everywhere - in small town markets and many vendors in the desert along the highway.  The market above is in the town of Rabigh.

We bought a big sweet juicy watermelon from this distinguished looking vendor in Rabigh for 15 riyals.  Prices can be negotiable, which my husband is good at doing.

The above photo is of a watermelon field off the highway between Jeddah and Yanbu.  We saw many fields like this one.  The vendor tending to this field told us that he doesn't water the crops - he only relies on rainwater.  This was amazing to me, since there is not much rain in our area of Saudi Arabia, but apparently it is enough to grow big juicy watermelons.  The trash all around was disturbing...

This roadside vendor stacked his melons and sold them in sets of 2 or 3.  You can see that several are cut up and can be sampled before buying.  He looks pretty comfortable and relaxed on his red carpet.

The roadside vendors usually have drinking water and many of them have a fire for tea.  This guy also has a stool to sit on in case his feet go to sleep when he sits on the ground for too long, as mine do!

This desert vendor has his fire on the right and a nice tent where he can nap.  In the background to the left, you can see his field where he grows his melons.




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Rain: A Rare Sight

It rarely rains in Jeddah, and that is no exaggeration.  I love rain.  It's cleansing and it makes the air smell so fresh and clean.  It doesn't rain enough here in Jeddah.  When it does rain, it is usually big news.  Most schools will close, many businesses may even shut down, and streets can easily flood.  It was a pleasant surprise that it rained recently.  It was even more surprising to see this man walking down the street holding an umbrella.  He must have brought it with him from his native country because I can't recall ever seeing umbrellas for sale here - although they would come in handy as a sun shield ...