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cheapshoes · Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Saudi

I leave for Saudi in a week. I'm mostly packed (lots of white long and short sleeved button up shirts). He said they'd pay for me to bring a third bag.

If you were showing up to Saudi and had an extra bag, what would you bring? Is packaged food allowed? I'd like to bring hot sauce. Maybe some paperbacks. I'll have lots of empty space.

sauditeacher · Joined: 05 Oct 2009 Posts: 44

Hey cheapshoes,

Hot sauce, aka pepper sauce? You'll find various kinds of hot sauce but, well, you won't find Matouk's Pepper Sauce from T&T (or other Scotch Bonnet-derived pepper sauce), so bring some if you fancy that. & I'll buy a bottle off you!

And I hear that Jarir Bookstores, a chain (across KSA?), has a good stock of paperbacks in English (the one time I looked in, last weekend, was to quickly buy world and KSA map for in-class use). Alternatively: I brought a Nock e-reader just before I 1st came to KSA, 3 months ago, figuring it'd be easier to download new books from the internet (as well as the 32,000+ free titles of Project Gutenberg)...& I intend to - soon! - try to decipher its hi tech ways and to put it to use Smile

As for bag fillers, I bought about six 18'' X 10'' X 3'' wooden gift boxes of Canadian west coast smoked salmon as well as some other, smaller Canadian gifts (these latter via expensive airport duty free shops on exiting Canada) to give as gifts to Saudis and others here - and yes, they were appreciated. Oh, and 3 cans of Tim Horton's coffee; Cdns always get misty eyed to see those, espec. at festive times when home's far away (& the biting cold is but a memory Smile

) With end of year approaching, I've recently dispatched 2 cans to friends here. Not Cdn? Bring something typical of your homeland, incldg maybe a large flag for a bedroom wall? (But don't try bringing in such as frozen haggis, as I'd done flying in to South Korea: as meat, it'll be verboten. So I'm yet to taste of Rabbie's haggis...).

And, continuing with the Canadian theme, good for those backpacking trips you'll take to Ethiopia or down the Nile, check out Tilleys line of wash and wear, though pricey: Cdn $ 120 a pair of long cargo pants, same for their safari-style long sleeve white shirts; but oh, what quality, and good enough for wearing to class (& most anywhere), if your employer doesn't insist on a tie. (American? I'd guess that Eddie Bauer outdoor stores will have similar).

Happy packing: a new world (or should that be, 'A new/old world') awaits!

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

Plenty of hot sauce in KSA! Very Happy

Also book stores have reading material...and if not to your satisfaction, then you can always order online from amazon.com
My advice is travel light... your bags will get probably get lost in transit anwyways Razz

Just teasin...Happy travels!

cheapshoes · Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Saudi

Thanks for the replies.

I'm an American, but I'm a fan of Tim Horton's. None around here though. I bought a Nook a couple weeks ago. It's still sitting in the corner waiting for attention.

The Tilleys clothes is a good idea. I'll hit an REI and deal with the Xmas rush tomorrow.

Maybe I should stock on up Governator shirts while Arnie is still in office. And some Sriracha and Tapatio hot sauce.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Bottles of Scotch fetch a good price here.

cheapshoes · Joined: 05 Oct 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Saudi

Scotch has been an Xmas present I've been getting myself for a few years. This year I'm going to miss out.

I saw the CNN article that said Smirnoff goes for $400 on the black market in Saudi. The product of a non-drinking culture. One of my Korean co-workers bought a US$1,000 bottle of Scotch. They warmed up with soju then polished off the bottle in one sitting.

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 4:52 pm Post subject:

Kornan DeKobb · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 242

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:41 am Post subject: Re: Empty extra bag

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Maybe an inflatable doll ? Can't get them here anywhere !

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

You guys should be...perhaps you already are, in the funny business Razz

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:10 am Post subject:

youngglobetrotter · Joined: 13 Sep 2010 Posts: 6

[quote="sauditeacher"]Hey cheapshoes,

Hot sauce, aka pepper sauce? You'll find various kinds of hot sauce but, well, you won't find Matouk's Pepper Sauce from T&T (or other Scotch Bonnet-derived pepper sauce), so bring some if you fancy that. & I'll buy a bottle off you!

Hey sauditeacher. What do you know about Matouk's?! I should be in Jeddah soon. I can bring you some. Smile

trapezius · Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:14 pm Post subject:

Yes, you can bring packaged food, as long as it doesn't require refrigeration of course!

If I were going to Saudi, and could carry an extra bag, I would bring certain foods that I knew I couldn't buy in Saudi. And that's what I end up doing every summer when I travel to other countries... lots of food on the trip back to Saudi.

Just make sure to package any glass containers nicely so they can sustain bumps and shocks.

johnslat · Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject:

Dear trap,

". . . I would bring certain foods that I knew I could buy in Saudi."

Edit needed, perhaps?

Regards,
John