Taif, Saudi Arabia

As we said farewell to the holy city of Makkah, we called for an Uber to go to Taif.  This city is Nestled in the mountains and as we hopped into the back seat of the Uber, we were greeted by the cheerful, jovial voice of our driver - a young man from Taif in Saudi Arabia. He was thrilled that he got a fare back to Taif where he was from. He was in high spirits as we set off on our journey. With a broad grin, he turned to us and asked, "Where are you two visiting from?" We replied that we were visiting from the land down under, Australia. He kept referring to us as Americans after that.

Just before we got in the car, I couldn't resist playfully teasing the driver with a joke, utilizing the help of Google Translator. I quipped, "You seem too friendly, I hope you're not a serial killer!"

To our surprise, the driver took my joke seriously and, with a look of genuine concern, hugged and kissed us both. He quickly called his friend on the phone and put us on the line, eager to prove to us that he was just a friendly, harmless young man. His friend, who spoke excellent English, chatted with us and explained that the driver was simply excited to meet "American" travellers and was eager to show us the hospitality of the Saudi people. We explained that it was only a joke that got lost in translation and we all laughed at the miscommunication. We couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected connection we had made with two strangers from a different part of the world. The rest of our journey was filled with laughter and light-hearted conversation, and we felt grateful for the reminder that a simple joke can sometimes lead to the most meaningful of experiences. 

The motivation behind trip to Taif

Arrival at Naveed's abode in Taif! But who is Naveed, you ask? He was my soon-to-be family member then, and Taif is where he lives and works. A wonderful young lad. He is family now, as he got married to Sana, my sister-in-law. But why did we find ourselves on this journey to this oasis known as Taif and at his place? Simply put, we were ordered by my sister-in-law Sana, who deemed it necessary for us to be shown around Taif by none other than her fiancé, Naveed. So, we did not have a choice. Did we? And it goes without saying that Taif was on my bucket list too.

Naveed was the epitome of hospitality. From arranging cosy accommodation to taking us on a tour of Taif, he went above and beyond to make us feel at home. And the cherry on top? He greeted us with a divine feast of heavenly camel meat. Every bite was like a burst of flavour, exploding in our mouths with a symphony of savoury, rich, and mouth-watering goodness. We were left awestruck by the deliciousness of this heavenly dish.

Note: That was the story from my 2022 trip, but I returned in November 2024. This time, Sana was living with Naveed too, and together they welcomed us back. We finally got to do the things we couldn’t the first time around, exploring more of Taif’s hidden gems and completing the journey we had begun.