The Detouring Doctor

I have not been to this part of Egypt before. My prime motivation was to go to the site of the Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.

This is not an unattractive city albeit with the typical Egyptian overlays of dirt, rundown buildings and chaotic noisy traffic. The Mediterranean defines this city which is very different from the rest of Egypt which is Nilecentric.

Our accommodation is one of the highlights. For a modest price we are staying in a luxurious piece of history, the Metropole. Built in 1902. We are in a suite overlooking the Corniche where the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy lived and wrote.

The lighthouse at Pharos was destroyed in an earthquake. Its remains are on the sea floor and subject to underwater archeological research which is quite amazing. The Qaitbay citadel was erected over the site in the 15th century in many cases using stones from the light house. Today it makes for a pleasant excursion.

We take a horse and carriage ride back to the city.

Gotta catch them all!

Number 7 of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Alexandria and the Lighthouse of Pharos.

Constructed during the rule of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280-247 BC), the most famous lighthouse stood tall at about three hundred and fifty feet on Pharos island in the Alexandria harbor of ancient Egypt.

Sostratus of Cnidus was the mastermind behind the design, featuring a burning fire atop a cylindrical tower, an octagonal middle, and a square base.

However, the lighthouse gradually fell into disrepair following three earthquakes between 965 and 1323 AD.

Today the lighthouse is underwater in Alexandria’s harbour. The citadel of Qaitbay now sits where the lighthouse stood.

A colossal forty-foot-tall gold and ivory statue of Zeus once graced a temple in Olympia, Greece. It was crafted to compete with those in Athens. The eleventh-century Byzantine historian Georgios Kedrenos  noted that the statue was carried off to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in the great fire of the Palace of Lausus in 475 AD.

Greek sun god Helios, was an impressive engineering marvel that graced the harbor of the Greek island of Rhodes.

A significant moment in its history occurred in 226 BC, when an earthquake struck, causing the colossal statue to collapse at its knees after having stood proudly for fifty-four years.

Dedicated to Artemis, the Greek goddess of chastity, hunting, wild animals, forests, and fertility, this wonder experienced a turbulent history, being constructed and demolished three times.

First, it fell victim to Herostratus, seeking fame. Then, the Goths, fleeing from the Romans, wrecked it while passing through. Its final demise occurred in 401 AD when a Christian mob tore it down, leaving only foundations and a solitary column still visible today.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon said to feature intricate terraces, stunning water elements, and floating plants, are believed to have existed around 600 BC. Legend has it that they were situated roughly fifty miles south of present-day Baghdad in Iraq.

However, historical records of the gardens are solely found in ancient tales. One story holds that Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar built the gardens for his wife, Amyitis.

If these gardens did indeed exist, they would have met their end when the Achaemenid Empire conquered Babylon in 539 BC.

Built in 350 BC as a tomb for Mausolus, the ruler of Caria in ancient Asia Minor, this structure was so remarkable that it gave rise to the term “mausoleum,” now commonly used for significant funeral monuments.

The mausoleum met its end due to a series of earthquakes between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. It was the last of the six ancient wonders to succumb to destruction.

Reflections on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, officially abbreviated as KSA. As a teenager I read about Mecca, the forbidden city and how in the 19th century British explorer Richard Burton risked death masquerading as a Muslim to get there. Of course the forbidden, in a closed country always invites curiosity.

Soon after graduating as a doctor I considered applying to work in Saudi. Wages were generous and no taxation appealed to me but my life partner declared it as Haram! Decades later I am here as a tourist just a handful of years after it has opened up and I believe that now is the sweet spot.

The king has decreed that by 2030 the kingdom will be transformed into an open fair society and tourism is set to overtake oil revenues as the world turns away from fossil fuels. Riyadh Air based out Riyadh airport is aggressively building up to challenge Qatar and Emirates. The world expo is here in 2030 and the FIFA world cup in 2034. The latter event is set to lead to relaxation of the ban around alcohol here much as it did in Qatar last time.

I anticipate that in the next decade travel here will be mainstream package tours etc, which is not the way I travel. I am pleased to have done this trip now at a time when getting around took a bit of effort. Even my life partner who was not keen on coming here was blown away by some of the scenery! I can’t see myself coming back ……..unless they open up Mecca!

Mecca is the holiest site in Islam. The prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) was born here and in his adult life took to meditation. It is said that Allah revealed himself to him and  bequeathed him the holy text we now know as the Koran. The religion we now know as Islam was born.

The prophet (PBUH) converted his family and a small band of followers but met with violent resistance in Mecca and was forced to flee to Medina where Islam took hold and resisted a number of attacks from Meccan forces. The prophet (PBUH) eventually prevailed  and returned to Mecca where the Kaaba   built by Ibrahim in antiquity and repurposed for pagan gods was repurposed as the holiest shrine in Islam.

Mecca is Haram (forbidden) for the non believer. Fortunately Medina, the second holiest site is not and it is replete with monuments and sites relating to the prophet’s (PBUH) life. It also houses his tomb.

The vibe here is very different. All around is a “sea” of Muslims every pilgrim/touristic site is crowded and we are the only non Muslims we see throughout our stay here. This is an international gathering. British accents abound. The people are all friendly and keen to engage. We even chat to a pale Swedish girl in a hijab here on pilgrimage.

The piece de resistance is the Masjid e Nabawi in the very centre of Medina. It is the resting place of the prophet (PBUH) and convergence point for the pilgrims. It and its massive grounds can accommodate 1 million devotees. Everything I have read before coming here said we could photograph from the outside so we have a hotel room with a view over the complex. When we actually approach the mosque I prepare to photograph from the gateway. The gateway is unguarded and we cautiously venture into the massive forecourt area. We are clearly tourists and not dressed in any Muslim garb. No one “bats an eyelid”. Magic! I absorb the atmosphere and take my fill of photos of this beautiful place. We do not, of course, attempt to go inside but I daresay that if we had bought a cheap outfit, on sale all over town here, we would have been able to wander in unchallenged and been able to take pictures. Nonetheless, I am a happy man!

The Jeddah Tower is planned to soar 1 km into the air, almost 200 metres higher than the present day tallest building in the world the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The foundation started a few years ago but as with a lot of fanciful projects in Saudi it is on hold presumably a victim of softening economic conditions.

Nonetheless there is construction everywhere here and nowhere more provoking than in the old town. Founded in the 7th century AD, today it is a lifeless mishmash of crumbling uninhabitable buildings, brand new facades and construction sites. It is soulless. A real disappointment.

Sitting on the Red Sea the city boasts a long stretch of resorts along the corniche stretching about 30 km in length. Unfortunately the omnipresent construction renders this a less attractive drive than in other world beach drives.

Overall Jeddah today is not a recommended tourist attraction but I can foresee that in the next 5 years when all these buildings come to fruition it is likely to be a different story.

Saudi Arabia only opened up to tourism in 2019. No tourist visas existed before that time. In the northwest of Saudia lies a region characterised by desert and striking massive outcrops. The town of Alula at that time comprised a new town and a fenced off old town near the oasis that dated back to the 13th century. Since 2021 a partnership between UNESCO and the Saudi Royal Commission for Al Ula has extensively restored it into an attractive tourist hub which is the masterplan for the whole region.

The old town is a tourist gem. Craft shops and cafes abound. Getting lost in narrow winding covered alleyways is a pleasure. Across the road is the oasis and an extensive series of mud brick foundations of the original old town. The town was a stop for caravans on the incense trail taking frankincense and myrrh from south 2000km to the Mediterranean in the north.

The Nabatean people based in southern Jordan a stones throw away from modern day AlUla took full advantage of the incense trade and established Petra in Jordan and Hegra near AlUla in the 1st century AD. Here as in Petra they carved massive tombs into the region’s sandstone using only the most basic tools namely a hammer and chisel. There are 141 tombs in Hegra. Eventually the overland incense trail was replaced by shipping through the Red Sea.

As the sun was setting we drove up to the Harrat viewpoint on a flat top rock. The drive up was on a steep vertiginous switch back road. At the top the carpark sported 50 Pagani Raduno cars, something I knew nothing of but the cars are worth around $2 million each. Their mega rich owners from all around the world meet annually for a rally. This year it is in the Saudi desert.

The day ends with sunset at the whimsically named Elephant rock. You can see why.

The Saudi Arabian capitol of Riyadh by day is a fairly drab, low rise city. We land after a long haul and layover in Doha at 10 am and hit the ground running.

We start at the futuristic 99 story Kingdom Tower building in the heart of the city. Crazily finding the ticket office was a nightmare with us going around in circles before getting a local shop keeper’s help. The entrance was a pokey little corridor with the only signage being an A4 sheet of paper with small font on a stand outside. Within the ticket office attendant boredly pointed to a QR code to pay on line rather than take payment herself. At the top, though, the view did not disappoint.

A helter skelter series of UBER and taxi rides has us late arriving for our pre-booked 2pm departure tour. Luckily our tour guide waited for us and we breathed a sigh of relief. One of the “must dos” in Saudi is the tour to the “edge of the world”. A two hour drive some of it rough 4WD has our jeep pulling up on the rim of a massive escarpment. The Tuwaiq Escarpment is 800km long with sheer cliffs 300 meters deep. As far as the eye can see is a flat dry ocean bed. There are no guardrails nor safety fences here and this is not a place for acrophobics. We spend 2 hours here walking along the rim and watch the sun set over the horizon before enjoying coffee and dates beside a campfire and our 2 hour drive home.

Manila has become our new staging post a cheap QANTAS flight there and a very cheap separate QATAR business class to Doha and onwards. I am of a vintage to see the late, great Muhamed Ali in his prime. His prematch pressers were legendary and none more so than his 1975 title bout against Joe Frazier that he dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila”. He taunted Frazier with the quip that the fight would be “a Killa and a Thrilla and a chilla when I get that gorilla in Manila”. To this day any mention of Manila brings to my mind that encounter. 

This time our flight is broken with an overnight stay so I take my life partner to the old city, Intramuros for the morning. Built by the Spanish in1571, it now is a walled suburb within the greater Manila. Initially all habitation was within these walls and Fort Santiago provided the military security.

The Spanish held the city and Phillipines until they lost the Spanish America war in 1898. Intramuros was the centre of the Philippines Commission of USA and became the headquarters for the Phillipines American fleet. The Japanese invaded in 1941 and prevailed until the American forces retook Manila but not before the Japanese massacred 100,000 Phillipinos in February 1945 in a bloodthirsty orgy of violence that defies belief and description. Children and babies were bayoneted. There were beheadings and pack rapes, no-one was spared. The Japanese then sealed intramuros and burnt it to the ground.

The reconstructed Intramuros today is a pretty neighbourhood with copious greenery, the fort and the walls persist and buildings churches and cathedral have all been rebuilt.

There is a poignant corner of Fort Santiago dedicated to Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Phillipines. He was a writer, scientist and ophthalmologist whose writings inspired Phillipines nationalism against the then Spanish colonial masters. He was tried for sedition and executed in 1896, aged 35 years.