Saudi - Jeddah

Why is Imran visiting Jeddah?


The main reason to visit Jeddah was to take a trip from Jeddah to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  I had never in my life visited the holy cities and this would be my first time doing so.  In Arabic Umrah means to visit a popular place, while used in a religious context Umrah means to perform a shorter version of the obligatory Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.


What I did?


Whereas the Hajj lasts for 3 consecutive days, the Umrah on the other hand can be performed within a couple of hours (3-5 hours) depending on your own pace and the amount of people present.  The Umrah includes making the intention of performing the ritual in the heart and also verbally proclaiming your intention afterwards.  The intention should be made before entering the Meeqaat, which is the boundary line before one must make intention of making Umrah.  Men need to change into the clothing of Ihraam which is basically 2 pieces of fabric that cover your body.  The Umrah includes performing certain steps performed at Hajj which include the following.

1.  Performing Tawaf which means circling the Kaaba seven times in an anti clockwise direction.  
2. Performing Sai which means rapidly walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah.  
3. Performing a Halq or Taqsir which means cutting of the hair.  Taqsir is partial shortening of the hair whereas the Halq is completely shaving of the head, men can do either.  Whereas women are to cut only a little amount of hair. Note:  I have only given a brief description of the steps involved in performing Umrah, you may want to ask your religious scholar on the steps and supplications involved to perform Umrah. 

Me in my Ihraam.

The Holy Kaaba.

The Holy Kaaba.

Me after completing Umrah and shaving my head.

I felt very light headed.

I also had the opportunity to go to Medina which is considered the second holiest city in Islam.  Medina is home to the three oldest mosques in Islam namely

1. Al Masjid Al Nabwi - The Prophet Muhammad Sala Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam (Peace Be Upon Him) Mosque.  I also had the opportunity to pray Jummah (Friday Prayers) in this mosque.
2. Masjid Al Quba - The first Masjid (Mosque) in Islams history.
3. Masjid Al Qiblatain - The Masjid (Mosque) where the Qiblah (Praying Direction) was switched towards Mecca from Jerusalem.

One of the magnificent domes in Al Masjid Al Nambwi.

After Jummah (Friday Prayers) in Al Masjid Al Nabwi.

Inside Masjid Al Quba.

Masjid Al Quba.

Al Masjid Al Nabwi.

After Jummah in Al Masjid Al Nabwi.

My brother after Jummah (Friday Prayers).

Al Masjid Al Nabwi at Night.

Me with my brother after Jummah.

Me at Masjid Al Quba.

Al Masjid Al Nabwi at night.

Al Masjid Al Nabwi after Jummah.

Inside Masjid Al Quba.

Miscellaneous stuff

What I ate?

Things to eat in Jeddah

When you think of Saudi you don't really think great food but boy are you wrong if you think that Saudi doesn't have great food, you will be surprised at the amount of tasty food you can get in Saudi.  From the smallest shack to the biggest restaurant all serve fresh food with huge portions.  One of the restaurants I went to was called Al Jadeed since 1985, Jadeed in Arabic means new.  While the restaurant didn't live up to its name the food definitely did.  Al Jadeed serves Indo-Pakistani (Desi) food.  We ordered the house special Ginger Chicken which was a pretty innovative dish if you ask me, it was a sizzler gravy dish and like all desi food was spicy.  Ginger Chicken may sound like a Chinese dish but it was definitely desi in the amount of oil and spiciness it had.  If you don't have a good spice tolerance you are better off skipping this dish rather than risking developing a stomach ulcer. 

Ginger Chicken.

Bhindi Gosh or meat with lady fingers is another dish we ordered.  Personally for me the meat used was very fatty, had the meat been a little leaner the dish would be pretty good.  The lady finger paired with beef sounds like a pretty weird combination but it tastes as good as steak with potatoes, you are only switching your carbs source from potatoes to lady finger.  This is how Indian/Pakistani (Desi) folks are fed their daily recommended five a day vegetables, in oil and with spices so spicy that it will give an average guy astronomic sized gastronomic problems.

Bhindi Gosht.

The Daal (Lentils) was the only dish that wasn't spicy, I mean even the water was spicy at this joint.  Although not spicy the daal was okay as I have definitely had better daal, my mom makes the best daal in the world.

Daal.

Al Baik is the most famous fried chicken establishment in Saudi.  I have had fake Al Baik in Egypt before which gave me a bad impression about the establishment.  I later found out that Al Baik is only present in Saudi and the one that I had in Egypt was a fake.  I was very curious to try their fried chicken as I have heard a LOT about Al Baik from my friends, family and Food Shows.  I was ready to put the hype to the test.  Al Baik serves fried chicken, fish and shrimp with unlimited bread buns and dipping sauces for free.  We ordered the fried regular & spicy chicken and the fish.  I tried Al Baik and from the first bite I was hooked and was amazed at the freshness and crunchiness of Al Baik.  The chicken from Al Baik puts the Colonel's chicken to shame.  The chicken is super fresh, crunchy and cooked throughout.  There are always huge lines at Al Baik, irrespective of the time of the day.  The secret to the chicken is the oil as the oil is only used to fry three batches of chicken after which it is switched and fresh oil is used.  The chicken I heard is exported especially from Brazil.  No one really knows what the secret behind the success of Al Baik is, may be it is laced with crack making it extremely addictive, who knows.  One thing is for sure whether you are a fried chicken lover or not you will definitely like Al Baik.

Fried Chicken yo!!

Lets dig in.

The fish sticks are also awesome.

Al Baik is the best fried chicken I have had, sorry old school Cluck U Chicken.

Raydan is a big restaurant specializing in Arabic cuisine.  Raydan is a very famous restaurant and also caters to the Royal family of Saudi.  The food isn't extremely expensive and you get a lot of food for what you pay. Raydan is an establishment where you need to go with a group as I don't think there is any individual seating.    They specialize in Mandi which is the Arab equivalent of an Indian/Pakistani biryani.  Whereas the biryani is usually spicy the Mandi is more flavorful and isn't as spicy.  We ordered the Mandi and the Magdoodi.  Both rice dishes are made from basmati rice, mixture of spices and topped with meat (lamb or chicken) with lamb being the obvious choice for most eaters.  Mandi and Magdoodi are considered to be a special dish served at events such as weddings and feasts.  Don't bother using a spoon to eat this as this dish is best savored by using your hands.  Usually a side of yogurt is also ordered and eaten with the dish, mixing both yogurt and rice together.  The lamb is super tender and falls right of the bone without much effort.  The Mandi while flavorful is way different than the Magdoodi which is served with plain basmati rice.   

Mandi with lamb.

Magdoodi with lamb.

Mandi & Magdoodi combo.

Kunafe is a dessert which is kind of like an Arabic pastry made with vermicelli and sweet cheese sandwiched between the vermicelli.  Now after eating Mandi and Magdoodi there shouldn't be a lot of place left in your stomach for any desserts but once you order the Kunafe your stomach will automatically make space for this dessert.  The dessert is super light, fluffy and sweet melting on your tongue the moment it touches it.  Like all food at Raydan the kunafe is also served warm and fresh. 

Kunafe.

You wont' find a lot of places in Saudi serving cream cheese bagels or special k for breakfast.  Instead breakfast is super hefty giving you enough energy to last you for the full day.  Breakfast ranges from sandwiches to gravy or basically lunch served as breakfast.  The lightest variation of breakfast I had was a falafel sandwich, which obviously can also be had as lunch.  The falafles are fried fresh served with lettuce, tomato, fries and tahini sauce in a grilled pita bread.  

Breakfast of champions.

Juices are also widely available in Jeddah with most shops serving fresh fruit juices which are made from real fruits with no concentrate.  Unlike the smoothies in the states which are 90% ice, 8% juice concentrate and 2% fruit and costs anywhere from $4-$10 the juices in Saudi are made from 100% fruits and costs $1 or less.  You also have the option to mix your juice with either water or milk.  The mango juice was so thick that I felt like I was eating a mango through a straw as it was super thick and sweet.

Fresh mango juice.

Conclusion

The term used to describe Jeddah by the locals is Jeddah Gheir which means Jeddah is different and it certainly is.  Once I landed I didn't have a favorable impression, I felt like I have stepped back in time.  Although as time passed and it was time for me to leave, the city grew on me and I had changed my impression about Jeddah.  No matter how hard you try not to like this city you just can't and you end up liking the city before you know it.

Italy - Rome

Why is Imran visiting Rome?

To meet and hangout with my brother.

What I did?

Things to do in Rome

The Colosseum 

Rome is a very pedestrian friendly city with walking being the best option to get a great overview of the city. The Colosseum is probably the most visited tourist site in all of Rome.  The lines to get into the Colosseum, especially on a weekend are very long and it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get in.  TT:  The best thing to do is to buy all inclusive tickets from Palatine hill which saves you the time of waiting in line for the Colosseum.  The all inclusive tickets give you access to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.  The Colosseum was capable of seating around 50,000 spectators who would all watch Russel Crowe battle with tigers.  The venue was used for gladiator fights, battle reenactments, animal hunts and dramas.  You definitely get a perspective of how big the stadium is when you walk into it and take a look around.  The Colosseum is a definite must visit for all who visit Rome. 

Are you not entertained?

Isn't this why you are here?

Brother chilling.

180 view of the Colosseum.

Exhibit A - The Colosseum.

Walking around in the streets of Rome in one day

As I said the best way to explore Rome is on foot, which is exactly what I did.  Unfortunately my camera's battery was exhausted and I didn't get to take as many pictures of all the places we visited as I would have liked.  TT (Spending one day in Rome): After visiting the Colosseum explore the nearby Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum (the admission price is included in the all inclusive ticket purchased from Palatine Hill).  After the Roman Forum you can walk towards the nearby Capitoline Hill where you can visit the Capitoline Museums and the glorious Piazza del Campidoglio.  Walk towards the main street Via del Corso and take a detour to the well-trod streets leading towards the Pantheon.  After visiting the Pantheon and once you have built up an appetite for some good old fashion Italian Gelato, head towards Giolitti and try the bacio, pistachio and nutella gelato mmmm, to get an immediate sugar rush and energy to walk even further.  Make your way towards the world famous Trevi Fountain where you can flip a coin and make a wish.  There a lot of shopping spots close to the Trevi Fountain where you can bum around before making your way towards the Spanish steps.  Hang out at the Spanish steps or climb the steps and make your way towards the Borghese Park to catch the sunset views.  For dinner take the metro or the bus to the Trastevere neighborhood where you can find bars and restaurants to please any budget.  There you go I planned one full day in Rome for you, which you will definitely enjoy while exploring most of Rome.

My brother.

Statue pose.

My inner Gladiator awakes aaaaahhhhh!!

Statue posing all around Rome.

At the Pantheon.

Jogging in the streets of Rome.

Vatican City

The Vatican City is not only a city but technically a landlocked independent country which is about 110 acres big, making it the worlds smallest country by size and population.  Don't worry you don't require to take your passport to visit the Vatican City.  The Vatican City is where the Pope resides.  Unfortunately he was in Mexico when we visited the Vatican.  TT:  There is no ticket required to visit the museums and the Cathedral on the last sunday of every month.  Once in the Vatican go check out the Vatican Museum which has the world famous painting of Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel.  There is a short route to view the Sistine chapel and a long one, make sure you go through the long route if time isn't restrictive.  After you are done visiting the museum get in line to visit the St. Peter's Basilica and admire the great architecture and statues within. 

In two different countries Rome & Vatican City.

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

One of the domes of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Biggest dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

My brother at the St. Peter's Basilica.

There was a Sunday sermon going on when we visited the Cathedral.

Walking towards the Sistine Chapel.

Statue of a young Hercules.

Crowds in line for viewing the Sistine Chapel.

Walking towards the Sistine Chapel.

One of the paintings on the way towards the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel.

All of Sistine Chapel can't be captured in a picture.

Although photography is prohibited everyone takes pictures.

Admiring the artwork - ahh brilliant.

Exiting from the Vatican Museum.

The steps are super steep.

Miscellaneous Stuff

What I ate?

Things to eat in Rome

Okay now I am not a big fan of Italian food but unfortunately when in Rome you can't avoid Italian food duh!!  Since we were mostly walking around the touristy neighborhoods we didn't eat at the local neighborhood food joints but mostly at touristy food traps.  The food I had while travelling was moderately okay and nothing spectacular.  I am sure there are restaurants which serve good food throughout the touristy neighborhoods, I just didn't know about them.  

Margarita Pizza.

Probably microwaved Lasagna out of a box.

Quattro Formaggi (4 Cheeses) Pizza.

The nicest food item I had while in Rome has to be the Giolliti gelato which was so amazing that I could have had probably15 scoops of the gelato.  TT: You can ask the server to mix upto 3 flavors so don't be afraid to do so.  Giolliti is an Italian landmark and very famous even the locals eat here so everyone knows about its location.  Once in line be sure you get a large or a medium sized gelato as ordering a small size and being calorie conscious is just not an option while at Giolliti.  Once at Giolliti try the Bacio (Italian Chococlate), Pistachio and nutella for a creamy, nutty chocolate filled gelato which is sure to tickle every taste bud and keep you asking for more of the creamy goodness which is Giolliti gelato.  The lines are usually very long and orderly so don't worry when you see the amount of crowd between yourself and your gelato, you will eventually get there.  TT: Make sure you have all your flavors picked up before you get to the server since there will probably be a lot of people waiting behind you.

In line at GIolliti for my Gelato.

Enjoying my amazing Bacio, Pistachio & Nutella gelato mmmmm.

Conclusion

Rome is a great city with a lot of history behind it.  It is a very pedestrian friendly city and is best explored on foot.  The city is designed and meant to be walked in.  There is definitely a lot of monuments to be seen and a lot of ground to be covered so depending on how much time and detail you want to explore the city with, you can very well spend between 1-10 days just being lost in Rome.  When in Rome do as the Romans do, which is actually pretty hard when it comes to eating as most of the tourist spots are filled with tourist food traps which are hard to avoid.  TT: Make sure to wear comfortable shoes while in Rome.