Saudi Arabia

And just like that, Messi10’s short stint in Riyadh came to an end. Phew! In a few hours I will be in the air flying back to the States; this time Greengo, my Brompton, will fly with me. The departure day could not come soon enough: Riyadh didn’t get any more exciting the second time around.
Last year I saw everything I wanted to see in Riyadh and its vicinities, so this time my weekends were pretty boring. Besides, given we only had one day off per week, I preferred to stay in my hotel room chilling rather than trying to find something to do in a city where shopping malls are the most prominent attractions.
Although there were fountains, I did not throw any coins in them. Adieu Riyadh!
Margin notes:
In a country where the local population wears white thobes or black abayas and doesn’t strike me as particularly sporty, fitness centers are omnipresent. Maybe they are considered as a form of entertainment not unlike shopping malls, who knows.
Saudis drive recklessly, imagine how much more dangerous the roads would be if they were allowed to drink.

Second time in Riyadh in numbers:

709 km — distance cycled, 16 km daily on average
38 — performances of Messi10 World Cup edition presented to Riyadh audiences
1280 — fitness centers in Saudi Arabia as of 2019, there’s probably more now
0 — punctures, surprising given amount of debris on the roads