Dinner on the Arabian Sea

It has become very clear that this trip allows us to not only expand our horizons, but our stomachs as well. The meals typically last for two hours and include several courses. On the way to the restaurant we stopped to exchange our dollars into Saudi Riyals at an exchange office. The office was closed for evening prayers and there was a crowd milling about the outside. Our guide got someone to let us in ahead of the crowd and we made our exchanges and were escorted to and from the bus by a guard. When the office did reopen the crowd pushed itself in through the doors. We then headed to the seafood restaurant located on the Arabian Sea (also known as the Persian Gulf to the Iranians).
At the restaurant we were treated like royalty. The table was about 30 feet long and had beautiful center pieces on it. We started with Saudi punch, this drink is mainly fruit juice and carbonated water since alcohol is not allowed in the country. We started with a pre-appetizer of the different items pictures below. These were split between two of us.

Next was an appetizer of pasta and oysters followed by soup and then the main course arrived. It was a platter of lobster, crab, oyster, fish, and other various sea creatures. Again the platter pictured was to be split between two of us.

Don’t forget dessert!

After dessert it was one of the other teacher's birthday and so they brought out an enormous cake! The food never stops coming!

After dinner-dessert-dessert we went upstairs for coffee on the patio overlooking the Arabian Sea. The women received their abayas. An abaya is a covering that women must wear over their clothing in Saudi Arabia when out in public. Also we received hijabs with which to cover our hair. A hijab is a scarf-like item. We have to wear them to the airport when we fly to Jeddah. I feel like a Harry Potter character in mine.

This is the restaurant rooftop area.