A Saudi encounter

"Where do we fly from here? I don't want to fly anymore today! I'm tired!" This is Ileana, a typical commentary. We left our hotel 30 hours ago, 1 hour in traffic, 3 hours in one airport, 8 hours from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, then 11 hours in the airport and then another seven flying to Johannesburg. The airport just came into view and Ileana is a little bit tired. We start to laugh, no more flying - for almost a week.

Technically, someone could argue that we did not go to Saudi Arabia,

Transit

At the Saudi Arabia Airlines we’re greeted by a stewardess. We check in and we get our two sets of tickets: one for Jeddah and the other from there to Johannesburg. They have a thick, red, continuous line at the top part. We pass security and board the plane. It is a Boeing 737-800, huge, but still, my long feet are not comfortable. The plane’s personnel is very efficient, goes through the motions of air masks and inflating vests rapidly. We are announced that they are going to say a prayer for a safe trip and the two women across the isle closed their eyes, raised their hands on the sides, palms facing up and murmured the words in the same time with the pilot. There was an energy around that didn’t include me... The prayer was not repeated in English.