Good morning!

I woke up with Sparky’s face in mine. Then he stared off into the distance for a while before getting off the blanket so I could get up and take him out. The two guys in the dining room with me this morning wasted lots of food – pita, muffin, watermelon, cucumber slices. I brought back some bread for me and a boiled egg for the dogs.

taxi driver outdoor lounge near base

I expected a text by seven but didn’t get one until 8:30 when Caleb was getting off work after fixing an issue with the ASW (auxiliary sea water) pump. I picked him up at the roundabout and we headed to American Alley full of fast food, rental cars, and massage parlors. We stopped in ShakeAway – the world’s largest milkshake bar, and ordered a Sooma – frozen yogurt with blueberries, caramel, and crushed hazelnuts. We walked to the end of the street and back and then decided on the Royal Camel Farm in Janabiyah.

Princess Al Jawhara Al-Ibrahim Centre for Molecular Medicine, Genetics & Inherited Disorders

Admission is free and the rules are simple: keep a safe distance, and don’t hit or feed the camels. There are a hundred or more of them – some tied under shaded awnings, some tied in the sun, and others free to roam between the two in a large pen. We make our way around and as we near some they stand up and extend their necks towards us. We can’t not pet them. Caleb finishes his water and is feeling tired and hot. We agree to go home and let the dogs out – tight leashed near the two, also leashed dogs, playing in the shade.

just standing around

We cool down and eat Ramen while watching the last half of Land of the Lost and the last half of Saving Private Ryan before deciding to go to dinner at Muju. Caleb hangs the laundry and we are out the door. I get a baby Guinness shot, a Scarlett O’Hara, a Yellow Bird, and a Bubbles and Blue to prep for the drinking in public I won’t be doing for the next month. Caleb gets tea, orders French fries with green peppercorn sauce (that tastes like beef), and rainbow and fried California sushi rolls.

a modelling camel

Upon walking to the outside deck I’m invited to sit with the five guys already a few drinks in. We sit down and at some point I applaud their singing and noise. So one guy tells me that he’s just been married to a guy in traditional dress and then shows me a picture of himself in a cute outfit with patent leather high-heel boots on. We overhear some of their conversation – one about a guy having a friend bringing hookers to his house instead of taking them to a hotel, another about the Muppets show selling out, and one trying to imitate an English accent. I couldn’t help but giggle.

food delivery to our left

and the cool camels to our right

After dinner we decide to go swimming. I put on Caleb’s swim trunks and white shirt and a sports bra underneath. We head for the ocean first. Warm, but with sharp rocks. We make our way to the trampoline when the alcohol effect kicks in and I don’t want to be bounced around. We go to the pool and I’m having fun doing laps and splashing Caleb with water until one of the houseboys come to ask what room we are in and when we tell him he lets us know that the pool closed two hours ago.

I want one!

We walk around the block to dry off – hiding behind wooden makeshift walls for construction zones to take our clothes off and wring them out. Caleb says he knew about the pool curfew, but before getting out I asked what time it opens and was told it’s open from 7am to 7pm. We should probably take the dogs out before going to sleep but they’re already in bed and we have to be up early in the morning so Caleb can get underway and I can run errands and maybe go to the gym. We are tired of being on lazy vacation status.

Caleb captures the moment before the attempted kiss