First, let me write something good about this kingdom: you can rent here a car for 20 euro per day with unlimited mileage. Second: for 1 USD you can have 6 litres of fuel. I think that only in Turkmenistan you can get more (do you remember my story?)
It was almost the midnight when I rented a car from AVIS (internet booking). It was hot and sticky air in Jeddah. I decided to drive all night… No time to waste – 72 hours only…
They did not have any map of Saudia in the rental agency – even in arabic (bring yours with you). I eventually went out of the city in the direction of Medina. I was not sure if they will not spot me on the first military checkpoint… The same situation was on the next checkpoints – lovely!
Uff… I was aproaching the first one very carefully… And can you imagine? Nobody outside the tent… Road is open… Go… go… At 5 am I was close to the holy city of Medina. Before I I reached the sea of the lights there was a big poster: Non-Muslim only left or right turn. No entrance to the city for non-Muslims. Sorry – left turn!.
Sunrise was nice over the desert. New portion of fuel at the pump (they understood what means “full”) big 2l bottle of pepsi for 4 rials and go!
At daylight landscape changed: I saw red mountains, white sands. very few settlement. I reached destination at 9.00 am.
You ask me where I was driving all night? Of cource to Madain Saleh – number one attraction of Saudi Arabia – they call it “Second Petra” via Medina it is little more then 800 km…
