Yanbu, Saudi Arabia - Day 2.

 The temperatures were a little more tolerable and the air a bit clearer.  For a little while we actually saw a bit of pale blue  skies and  clouds.  We went on our guided Sightseeing tour, to which I can only say: It was not worth our time. 

 We took a 40 minute bus ride from the port along a waterfront highway, that supposedly had mangroves. I did not see any.  On the other side was essentially flat dessert with buildings behind walls.  The walls looked nice but a secondary wall behind the nice one had  circular barbwire.  A lot of building was going on, the new city or area is only some 40 years in the making.  I say area, because this was unlike a typical city, it was all sprawled out.  It also looked like nothing was going on and no one was living there.  There was hardly any traffic, it was uncannily void of people.  Our 40 minute ride passed an oil refinery, a University and student housing, housing for the elderly and other residential areas.  We arrive at a Park and Lake Yanbu.  More of a pond than a lake but quite lovely with all its planting.  SA is essentially a dessert so any green space you saw was being irrigated.  They seem to be putting emphasis on green spaces as many intersection, entrance areas to housing communities and  businesses where nicely landscaped.  Upon stretching our legs in the park we returned to the port  where our ship is docked.  There, walking distance from the port was the Old City and its Souks.  The Souks are only buzzing with people in the late afternoons and at night, but a few shops were open ( it was 11:30), I feel just for our benefit.  Within the small area of the Old City a lot of renovation was going on including the once residence of Lawrence of Arabia.  They adore him!  We wandered around a bit and returned to the ship for lunch.      

One of various sculptures on the seaside main road to the Park.  

The Yanbu Park

The Travelers at the Park

A huge concrete bench with an inscription proudly announcing its landscaping efforts

At the park,  a parking lot behind,  no cars, no people,  There were a few people at the playground area

Entering the Historical Yanbu,  through a fake city gate.   Fake because the walls were made out of styrofoam.  Really!!!

Street signs pointing you to the tourist street and Night Market

Tourist street consisted of one open-air cafe after the other.

The buildings are being renovated, this one is one that Lawrence of Arabia once lived. 

A plaza in front of one of the mosques 

Inside one of the Souk stalls.  Have a look at the old radios.

Most of the stores in the Night Market were closed.

The empty streets landscaped with Palm 

Student housing, nice looking buildings, the windows all had these types of overhangs to shield the windows from the sun.

The gigantic looking palm tree is a disguised cell tower.  They do that to all cell towers to make them look pretty.  I have seen that in many countries I have travel to.

A housing development in the background, with a nice wall surrounding it but behind it is another wall with barbwire.

Typical landscape we passed in our 40 minute drive to the Lake