On 30 April 1996, to completion of my work, I was driven by a Saudi into its typical dresses early in the morning with Mercedes a SL 600 over Al Khobar and King Fahd causeway (dam) in the gulf from Bahrain, where reciprocally the far sea was to be seen, to the airport on the island Al Bahrain. Briefly before eleven o'clock on the same day, could fetch my Mrs. me in Frankfurt/M at the airport and celebrate on the next day with the family first May. Directly the week after stood the planning work, with Humboldt Wedag to Cologne, for which order in Yanbu on, which lasted to at the end of 1996. I should accomplish the assembly monitoring, start-up and acceptance of the automatic laboratory mainly. On five tenth January 1997 I flew from Cologne over Frankfurt/M to Jeddah to Saudi Arabia, where I arrived late evening and was felted by the tariff. Before me was a German, who some sausages away in the suit-case had stowed, which were seized by the tariff, by the Tariff civil servant in the toilette to away-rinse had and punished in addition still five hundred Riyals pay could, all of this only because the sausages Pigs meat contained. I did not know where I for the night to stay overnight should, because the flier was after Yanbu for the next morning nine o'clock booked, at the exit resounded the airport became I besieged by taxi - drivers me all somewhere driven and as much as possible for it to take the money wanted, because eastern laws applied here that would be called I had haggle at the price, before I rose into the taxi. Finally I could unite with a Saudi Taxifahrer for the price of fifty Riyals and as I into its scrap iron tires cars had then entered myself, communicated I to him to drive me to the most expensive hotel of the city and brought myself to the Al Hamra Sofitel hotel. At the Rezeption I have then on straight line well-being in demand whether the company KHD for me a room had reserved to pay this was coincidentally the case thus had I luck and did not need the room on the next morning. On the next day I was driven with a more comfortable taxi to the national airport, where I arrived two hours before the takeoff. Here I met a Filipino of the company Siemens which I still from the time of the plant site Hofuf knew; also he has to be working on the plant site Yanbu.
Hotel Al Hamra in the city of Jedda
Since the sponsor was an others one than for the region Hofuf, another work permit was issued, picture left. When I sat then finally in the flier and it took off, about the intercom a prayer was spoken, Allah u Akbar. The distance Jeddah - Yanbu was somewhat more than four hundred kilometers and the flight took about one hour. The flier flew the coast along and thus could I, the sky was cloudless, which observe landscape under me. After the landing I was fast from the airplane and in the dispatch hall already waited a driver of the plant site for me.
We drove off and had to drive still seventy kilometers by the desert direction the north up to the plant site. The plant site was direct on a peninsula at the Red Sea, sees map on next side. The landscape, picture right, is quite flat and desert, in some places was basalt - rock to see, it is thus volcanic area overlaid with died corals, sand, tone and gypsum occurrence, ideal conditions for the cement production. The mountain chain is distant about twenty kilometers from the coast and approaches only in some places of the coast.
Already from thirty-five kilometers distance I could see the smoke of the old cement plant, this work at the time from economical criterion without electrical dust collector had been built, at present think one to it to the old work with an electrical filter for equipping.
Picture right, the old cement plant consisting of two lines that is called two rotating furnaces, which produce together scarcely 3000 t/d clinkers. The work is leased by Indian cement - a company ACC and also waited. The reason, why the Saudi company had a new line built again from Humboldt Wedag, was the extraordinarily good quality of the old work.
The driver set me off at the plant site office, where I announced myself to the colleague Karl Heinz Walen, which had travelled with other colleagues a few weeks before me and already from the outset there was active, the greetings was very cordial. It had me then personally to my accommodation in lives camp driven and in lunch time boarded, lives camp beside the area of the new work into the sand had directly been set and completely from Humboldt Wedag of the Saudi company Azzam leased. Those entirely effective areas is approx. thirty square meter and divided in three ranges, living cook range, bedroom as well as shower, wash basin and toilets range, everything with doors for locking.
These accommodations were everything on, the water supply and waste water net, as well as that Power supply and central television net attached, for the daily cleaning were Filipinos of the company Azzam responsibly. In this live camp were all up to the plant site leader, by the uniform accommodations equivalent posed, this was in Hofuf different. This plant site was in the nature correctly in the desert and still more than in Hofuf, was far one of for any civilization removes only by a radio telephone connection for the whole plant site with the external world connected. Message and We received maintenance programs over satellites by means of Satellite dish with a diameter of five meters as well as each evening particularly planned for the living camp a Video film demonstrated. If we wanted to call home, one had up to two hours to often wait before a connection stood. Picture right, mine Desk generally speaking office space, which was again more comfortable than in Hofuf where the offices in close containers were accommodated. Of that plant site cash got I an advance on my expenses and could in the carelessly - shop in the Camp of the Indian the necessary food buy. On the second day I have on the basis plant sites - surface plan the plant site inquires, because for the automatic laboratory, distributed over the whole work, they needs automatic sampling stations and the knowledge at which place in the material stream of the sampling system like being installed must around a representative sample to get, into that This stood for planning designs already indicated, in practice it could be different. During it's I met the colleagues of the assembly, who had to accomplish the assembly for me according to my data. Were altogether sixteen stations distributed generally speaking the work were, those Clinker sampling station stands on a forty-three meters high stage only over steel stairs to reach was, what mine physical condition too good came.
Picture, which view of my office armchair of two colleagues of the company Bailey those, which worked on process automation, which in Hofuf of the company Siemens was and by me one worked on mainly there. All samples, posed by automatic sampling stations ready, were carried by pneumatic tube system in cartouches to the laboratory. The automatic and chemical laboratory were in the technical guidance building, with view of the large rotating furnace, accommodated and all areas fully air-conditioned, naturally not yet when assembling phase, because at the time it was very hot in these areas. Picture left of the heat exchanger photographed, shows in the foreground the technical guidance building, which was sketched when desired the Saudi owner of a well-known Italian architect, after functionality was not asked. Right at the top left, in the picture down, one sees the Red Sea and the Camp of the Indian work personnel. On this plant site you did not come into contact with the Saudi, because those did not want to work here. Since the work was located in the middle in the desert and was present no groundwater, by means of fresh water was manufactured - a dressing plant out sea water, fresh water so much that it was sold also at Nomadic people in the desert and remote villages. A new power station with eight efficient MAN diesel engines and Siemens aggregates supply the energy for the new work, the Diesel fuel with easy inflation truck by the city Yanbu to the Diesel fuel store are driven.
The particulars are connected system (communication network) to electro technical buildings by a token ring with the control post in the technical guidance building, the cables for this system consist of glass fibres for which I the order had, those with plugs too provide and to take care for the perfect transmission of the data. All cables and pipes from building to building lead on routes across wire links are led, the bridges are in a height of approx. twenty meters over the soil built, run along the buildings and plants, lead in the centre that And are accessible to gangway in different places over steel leader (see picture right outside). In the picture in the centre at the cover that, One sees the pipe of the pneumatic system in longitudinal direction and on the right of how to bridge left some cables. The roofing of the bridge serves mainly for prevent of the heat development by sunlight irradiation and serves the birds, like falcon, as protection. The switches of the pneumatic tube system were mainly within the range of these wire links installed and had that to consider order the accessibility for maintenance when assembling.
In the acceptance phase I had to work quite often with someone from the personnel on so a switch, because the pipe system must be close also at the switch outward air, otherwise the cartouche would arrive not into its final position and halfway putting remain, which happened me in the time twice, nevertheless the way from the laboratory to the cement silos with three switches, is over thousand meters and the cartouche floated, either under suction effect to the laboratory or with compressed air to the sampling station, with a speed of six meters per second by the pipe. We had to make certain thus that the whole pneumatic tube system perfectly installed and adjusted was, when assembling and turn-around time ran and climbed I like an ape by the area. The automatic sampling stations are generally speaking distributed set up and mechanical to work as electrically attached and are a self-sufficient unit also integrated pneumatics. Picture left shows such a sampling station on a stage in the middle in the enterprise, where a sample by the hot flour (flour, which is carried to the rotating furnace, to clinkers the production) is taken.
All samples arrived automatically after preset time sequences in the laboratory, where the cartouches in that Receipt station, cleaned, closed emptied into different cups (in certain quantities) were opened on a rotation plate, and shot back to the sampling station in the field. These cups are brought to flour grain size from a robot to the individual pre-programmed places, like automatic mill, - measuring instrument and sample box to the manual subsequent treatment of the sample flour in the chemical laboratory. Right in the picture, which cups on the rotation plate of the receipt station and the robot the straight cup seizes. The sample material in the cup becomes from the robot into that Funnel over the metering unit of the mill given up, afterwards brings the robot the empty cup to cleaning to an air syringe in the cleaning box with deducting departure and put it too better lastly on the rotation plate back.
Right in the upper picture, which cups on the rotation plate of the receipt station and the robot the straight cup seizes. The sample material in the cup is given up by the robot into the funnel over the metering unit of the mill; afterwards the robot brings the empty cup to cleaning to an air syringe in Cleaning box with deducting departure and put it too better lastly on the rotation plate back.
To the assembly and start-up this above-mentioned automatic devices, knowledge of the hybrid controls from my side was a condition.
Picture left, the area with the two Roentgen fluorescence equipments and right coming in the picture, the small conveyor of the press in the robot area. Each individual equipment and each individual plant are steered by the own computer and the entire unit is supervised by a super ordinate computer. All computers of the equipments and plants are interlaced in a network group with the super ordinate computer.
Picture above, I on that forty-three meters high clinker stage during the optimization of the control program of the automatic clinker sampling station.
Picture left, on first Stage between two cement silos are two automatic Sampling stations set up, each station is a cement mill assigned. These samples, determine the quality of the cement to which silo straight were promoted. At each silo departure, where trucks cement racking stand for silo and on a balance, once again a semiautomatic sampling is possible, here on push of a button a cartouche with sample material is filled and to a pneumatic tube system in the proximity sends station brought. The cartouche will then recall up-to-date from the laboratory.
Picture left outside, the robot in the resting position; Picture left, two Indian electrician in the laboratory, who is right Muslim and left is Christian, friendly united.
Picture right, on this picture upper corner on the left of the scanners, red box, measures the temperature furnace of the coat and supervises the expansion of the rotating furnace. Left halfway above, the same box, here you sees picture on the right of outside, in this picture climbing as highly I had over at this measuring point to arrive, because I had the order this scanner plant to installing and in enterprise to taking. A second scanner measuring head was installed in fifty-two meters on a heat exchanger stage over the rotating furnace intake, and then the entire rotating furnace length could be supervised with two scanner measuring heads.
Picture left outside, you sees the structural steelwork to admission of the fifty-two meter of stage of the heat exchanger, before the six cement silos in the background in the centre between silo three and four, where right at the top on forty-three meters the automatic clinkers sampling station stands. Picture left, admission of the twenty five meters stage of the heat exchanger over that Rotating furnace intake, again control post the building, of where out one had the view on the rotating furnace. I could, as everything in enterprise was from that forty-three meters of stage of the automatic clinker sampling station observe like falcon between the silos of the upwind up sails left themselves. These falcons lived on flock, like mice, sparrows, grass hops, lizards, etc.
Picture above, view under the enormous rotating furnace toward firing. During the enterprise it was to be gone not possibly without head coverage under the rotating furnace through or stopped longer, because the temperature was, like one me insured, to the thousand degrees Celsius.
Picture left, which stood for limestone crushers three kilometres far away from the work where the limestone dismantling instead of found. The broken limestone became on a conveyor to the work transport and on a gravel bed up-poured. That Structural steelwork for the crusher came from China and one had on the plant site nearly one year uses the construction on the conditions to bring that it stood for the vibrations of the crusher enterprise held. The storage of the raw materials and production of the cement became already before described, see plant site Hofuf.
Since this plant site Yanbu, as previously mentioned, is not another owner than the same of Hofuf belonged and the sponsor, a new work permit had to be requested, hereby was connected a health examination in the hospital to Yanbu. On this plant site my company had an Egyptian physician adjusted, which was very good. This physician arranged also the investigation, which planned also a HIV test, in the hospital and accompanied us by the different departments, as I then finally into the area inside came where one with the Kaleidoscope was heard, believed I mean Eyes not as in presence of our physician, a lady doctor by shirt and It heard and stated papers in the breast pocket of my shirt me that I am healthy. It apparent was not a woman in Saudi Arabia permits a strange man to see naked. Were, from that plant site line for our crew some small motorcycles and Car made available, with which one itself on the large area to move could around all working premises, for that Work continuation were necessary to start fast with it no time lost went, with the cars drove we then occasionally into the city Yanbu for buying. There it on the plant site area in the beginning still none fastened roads gave, but only sand runways with rubble, it occurred, that someone slipped with the motorcycle and hurt themselves, whereby once so heavily the fact that that had broken its hip and thus was it well to have to know a physician on the plant site. I had one Jeep with which also times at holidays into the desert or to the reef one drove. Picture above, it was in March, the colleague Bernd places those Daily rations for the lining up travel into the mountains into the jeep. I could unfortunately, because of the closely set manufacturing dates, only once so a trip take part in, has nevertheless a good impression that Landscape received and some pictures to make know.
"Arabia deserta", the wild and desert Arabia called the old persons the area, which takes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today to the predominant part. From the merciless sun burned sand, stone and salt deserts, whose ochre-yellow or copper-red colours stand for that in sharp contrast to the black them projecting plateau covers, cover the country. On the basis of the south of the Arab peninsula the desert "Rub Al Khali" (acre-Rub'al-Hali) eats, feared emptiness the quarter over hundred thousands of square kilometres to deep to central Arabia inside. Large sand it is called respectful by the Nomads living at their edges. And the Rub aluminium Khali makes all honour for this name. It is nevertheless the largest closed sand dune sea of the earth. In the centre the Nomads does not even dare itself forwards, because their inside ranks among the driest and thus life-most hostile regions of the world. The central Arab Najd with its stone and gravel deserts is a layer stage country resulted from erosion. And are strangely arranged its deserts of the vainly of branched, stone wall and discharge less pulled through lowering. The Najd in the north of the Shammar mountain courses and the red Sand dunes of the desert at Nafud is limited. To the west, to the coast of the Red Sea, the volcanic rock landscapes of the Hedjas follow. Bizarre formed Sandstone Mountains are in the west of the desert because of Nafud. But the Saudi kingdom does not only consist of life-hostile deserts and meagre mountain and Heights courses. In many places the soil saves fossil stores of water. And where water seeps to the surface, from wells, there emerges in the midst of by sliding sand and glowing stones surprisingly juicy-green oases as from that nothing is drawn. Beside these small Palms paradises it in addition, a closed, very fruitful region in the kingdom gives: the mountain country of Asir. Here provide the monsoon hoist for plentifully precipitation. With it's to over 3000 m high and sometimes even snow-covered summits it pulls itself to the border to Yemen.
Those drive undertook we too third, Paul Walczek, Bernd Boxberger and I, first to the city Yanbu, because only from there one could have to drive to the still far coast into the mountains to arrive without along. On this road regularly to Mecca, briefly before the city Yanbu, about twenty five kilometres, drove penalty with pilgrims from Syria, Lebanon and Jordanian one are police a post firmly installed, the all driving past vehicles controls. The vehicles in a forced manner by high thresholds on that Roadway, their speed up to ten kilometres per hour down too set, even if the policemen stopped times no vehicles, because to be asked had or in the television box, which outside stood, straight an important transmission runs. The equipment, uniforms such as weapons, those Policemen was poorly which you from the Saudi did not expect. Of We drove Yanbu first on asphalted roads, by and at villages like the town Yanbu Annakhl fifty kilometre in the country of Yanbu, past those were constant and not see with dignity on the hat its before sheep as Dromedaries could cross each moment of the road, likewise in To cause villages no accident, there otherwise the difficulties also the authorities become not surveying, until in the prison could land.
After approximately hundred fifty kilometres, counted starting from plant site, we are left into a not fastened road in-curved us, we already were in the mountains, to a village consisting of ramshackle Stone houses, arbitrarily distributes those in a Wadi (dry) Stood for River bed, led. Outside played children between the houses on the road, which surprises us observed as if they would not ever have Europeans with alive body seen and greeted friendly? To approximately two kilometres we came at a lake, let us see picture above, which resulted from rainfalls in the months January until February accumulated by the dam and which whole region the summer supplied through with water. We had to find around a way into the mountains again back to the main street and found finally a Wadi where we with our jeep deep into those Turned out for mountain region. In some places the mountain-slopes came so near together that we came hardly through, then the valley extended and had by the sand with switched on four-wheel drive. The highest mountains are something over two thousand meters and in primeval times by volcanic effect such as transverse disturbances of the vertex ditches in the Red Sea were formed, because everywhere one finds basalt rock and veins out Quartz rock. The extinct volcanic places, ever so correctly to the outbreak come and to the basalt rock to recognize were not, are also at some places to at the sea pre-aged to be found. Those Landscape was formed, from the sea to the mountains, therefore gradual, beginning with the reef consisting in the sea, afterwards an abandoned reef some meters over the sea level of died corals and shells of some hundred meters broad, then a higher level of several kilometres broad with sand blowing and Wadis fully acacias, where sheep's and Dromedaries guarded of Nomads around strayed and tried to become full, finally the mountain region those meagrely and desert worked.
Picture left above points from on the left of down beginning a bright strip, that diagonally highly to the right for the centre of the picture and then again to the left to the distance further swerved and as Wadi, dry river bed, is designated, where we then with our jeep comfortably to drive could. The trees, acacias, could only grow there because during the winter months January and February that Move the necessary water brought. In the picture right above one gets an impression of the height of some acacias. The silence, peace and Leaving ness in this landscape is overwhelming, no birds or other animals were to be seen or heard, no airplane in the sky, one could Sit so there for hours without itself to move and the silence enjoy. The colleague Bernd prepared the grill fire and had not to it thought that it added still flies by the food attracted Thousands approached and on the small sausages fell themselves, those came beside the fire on a plate lay themselves and also in the car already found.
The pictures show above, on the left of a flowering fat plant and right I shot flowering thistle, both photographs in this environment in the mountains with my new camera, see as one growing the seedlings between the stones direct. We stayed some hours here and the environment explored, without meeting humans or a larger animal. Our error was as we the way back to begin wanted that we had forgotten the car completely to lock, also the windows in the time of the stay, despite the heat. Because as we entered attacked ourselves hundreds the flies and while driving all windows had to leave on and the air conditioning system on very coldly posed, so that the flies were hurled gradually by the wind from the car. When we drove then to the fastened road, we saw a larger animal being because of the roadside, turned, went back to the place, will step out and were surprise a dead Hyena lying to see which was apparent killed by a car. Thus there were in the mountains nevertheless still larger robbery of animals dangerously for us will could.
Black deserts the robber: In the clammy grasp the scorpion - shears and the poison prick in the neck, is a still naked young mouse. This scorpion was behind mine Dwelling, where there were mice. I have on the travel in my jeep of the In the evening in the darkness between our accommodations a scorpion to walk see, has held stepped out and him observed like he in attack position went, I left him however alone. In the Arabian desert there are only black scorpions, also on the way of the plant site in the city Yanbu while changing a tire in the darkness at the roadside, travelled through suddenly a scorpion proudly with elevated tail between my feet and disappeared in all peace in the darkness beside the road.
A daily early as I in the raw meal mills buildings at the automatic sampling station to do in the morning had, cried a Pakistani at the mill for order of the concern to carry had up, saw like a scorpion at the wall in the building ran past and the Pakistani with a stick already elevated for slamming shut, with which I did call him do not kill the scorpion please, he the animal had however already flat-struck and had it avowedly in such a way which in the future too omitted, because scorpions are in the nature useful animals, which e.g. scrape kitchens, young mouse and other small animals to feed. I had my security of shoes after end of workday always outside before the door turned off, also over night, because they were full dust and as being put down in such a way had, now existed the possibility that early in the morning in one of the shoes a scorpion found thus was caution required before one the shoes tightened. On many Fridays, if the work permitted it, we drove at noon at thirteen o'clock to the reef or to the small bay over to swim and diving.
I had myself from a Colleague diver eyeglasses, a snorkel, diver shoes and swimming fins bought which it no more did not used. For the underwater photographs I bought an underwater camera, with which I could take marvellous photographs. In order without strive dived to be able and in progressive movement under water be harmonious, had I unite weights on the belt to hang.
Picture shows a violent wave course, which broke above by the reef over me. I swim here under water at the reef where it under me it is so deep that I cannot see the soil, although the sun stood perpendicularly over the sea in the sky and sunbeams penetrated deeply into the water, whereby the splendour and colours of the corals came such as fish to the expression. To the reef the few colleagues, because there is no beach where one to the sun put can, drove there were we in each case to second or third to see far and broadly at the coast in the glowing sun no people soul in the desert landscape otherwise only some sea-eagles, a pair sea gulls of the many crabs nourished themselves, under water the most beautiful Paradise, consisting of corals, fish in all colours, sizes and sorts. During the high wave course I had for immersing the correct place, where it goes directly into the depth, seek and the next wave go past to let. From the water I could come only intact, if I swam as near as possible to shallows place near and had me from a wave on the edge sloshed, once it beside it went and my hand at a corals heavily hurt.
I could do somewhat more than two minutes in the depth stay, had then like a whale briefly to those To get surface with the snorkels around air. Handling that Snorkel requires the exercise and known as, when emerging to only that Water from the snorkel pushed out before the fresh air inhales and again dive, because otherwise one swallowed water and flock. Dip with compressed air was not applicable for me, because first of all this much costs Money and secondly were not fish and corals in deeper places correctly more illuminated by the sunlight and I was in addition nothing other one used. Picture shows the beauty of the underwater world, those above also nothing hides dangers without in corals and fish, therefore Gloves touch or with the naked body affect. In the picture on the top right the depth of the far sea and some fish in the foreground. The beach at the bay was not open and it gave shade, sees picture right. On the beach one sees still to two large shells those is empty and a proud sea-eagle with a fish as booty.
In the bay it gives by sections larger shallower places, those at ebb-tide to one and a half Meters low are gradually more deeply becoming finally sudden and apparently into the soil less change, with tide raise that Sea level around approximately a meter. From the cement plant to the main street, see Map, are ten kilometres, from there left northward still fifty kilometres, then of the main street down are still Filters kilometres at a speed of eighty kilometres per Hour over in the sand not being to remain by the desert direction sea up to the bay with names "Ras Afra" to drive. This bay was occupied, supervised by an observation tower, of Saudi militia. Our eyes see only in atmospheric air, water sharply have a higher optical density than air; ergo it gives more particles, which divert the rays of light. Our focus lies in front of it not on the retina, but briefly. In order to get the view under water again clearly, one sets diver eyeglasses on around an air layer before the retina of the eye to provide. The refraction of light ensures also for the fact that all things appear closer around a quarter around a third more largely and. If I consider all of this, it is to be determined possible the size of the fish.
Picture above, admission in to the bay, gives to see the view of hiding place between corals for the green fish in the picture are, as soon as I swim over it away disappear it all in its hiding place. The coast directly at the sea, consisted of died corals and shells, was hard and drying, covered with sand from the desert where here and there a meagre seedling grows, which in the early morning hours with fresh condensation water lives was inhaled. To the reef we drove to the coast with the jeep directly from the plant site northward along,
From the reef we drive with the jeep directly from the plant site in Northern direction along the coast, where no fastened Road was and had after approximately three kilometres at a military post to continue, where we were controlled by a being awake post. These soldiers did not know a word English and I had with my little Arab knowledge to inform. The being awake posts always were to second and sat on a cover under a tree and had in each case an old carbine, had asked them always after a diver light and whether one had a diving equipment thereby, since nothing was present, could we drive on, because without diver light no dipping courses because of the danger of accident. From now on we were far and broad only humans and because I drove slowly met we more frequently on a sea-eagle at the edge of the reef sat and a fish to foods was. After approximately ten kilometres we were in the place, where we arrived comfortably down at the water and still another found small dry surface from carved up died shells. For normal way the coastal edge had been formed, of a lime wall by died corals and shells was consisting and two meters over the sea rose up, by the waves scooped out and the water directly against it did not rinse however not deeply enough was over inside to dipping. At this wall in great quantities cancers those crawled to protection against the sun exposure found here.
Picture right, shallows Place in the bay where touched fish (size of about ten centimetres) at their coral houses, which their at home is, swam and if I brought her carefully could her closer with the finger am affected, on the other hand was another sort of same size and dark colour much aggressively if I wanted to affect it, they attacked directly. As I on one Friday on the day, the sun stood in the middle nearly perpendicularly over that Bay, calmly under water direction open sea swam and on the left of upward to the water surface looked diagonally, saw I one sudden enormous swarm Barracudas swim, to recognize by their long arrow-like body and as a predatory bone fish, was not thank God it admits of not long than a meter, because otherwise they dangerously would have been and would have had themselves to let float completely quiet and motionless there. Friday on the building site, it stood a strong wind from northeast direction and we, I with a colleague, wanted at the reef to dive, as we to our place arrived saw we only the fact that the wave course was rather durable and did not consider itself whether we back drive should, but the sea was so enticing and decided it to dare nevertheless.
Barracudas in the bay, picture made 1997.
I had me first by the wave course fights, where it was still so deep that I could still run, in order to arrive in the deeper water at the actual reef. I could not let upset it to me to permit by the wave course, because then I could hurt and was forced to give up. Once by the waves, one submerges and becomes gentle over the corals and between the fish through and notices nothing more slides from the violence din of the wind and the waves, sees picture on the next side. I swim to the edge of the reef and do not see not far away under me a sea turtle those calmly from it swims, it have a length of a meter. During its I move completely calmly and evenly at the reef along, generally bore myself I it two to three hours in the water, look attentively after all directions, so that I do not miss anything and one surprise, there appear suddenly under me, about three meters below, two sharks and
I had abruptly my Movements adjusted, my heart impact was not I a fear had, I was only careful normally there and had respect for them, one of the two was approximately four meters long second half so long, we looked at themselves and her then continued to swim mutually briefly. Now I had to be intensified on the hat, because several could follow, my colleague somewhat north of me had gotten and could him not warn, later after approximately a half hour the same two sharks back at me did not continue to swim past, the fish around me were not jerkily become thus had I also nothing to fear. Thank God I had the camera with me, because a camera had I in a hand to always carry along which naturally when swimming annoying was. The Filipinos, which worked on the plant site for the company Azzam and Siemens, had to catch the habit in the sea of fish to fishing rods or to harpooning and large shell, it inconsiderately divides struck around the animal to feed.
On such one day is one from the Filipinos no more from the sea emerged and one does not assume that he was eaten by a shark. There these workers the possibility did not have themselves to remove far from the building site to, because them no passenger car, could they had also not in far-distant places those Underwater world with their nuisance destroy. Unfortunately there were also one Colleagues, from greed at its dwelling some large shell animals in the sun has die to leave around her with home to then take, I and other colleagues only already abandoned shell collected. The leader of Siemens on the building site, with names Garsia, I still knew from the building site Hofuf, he had me in demand where one well swim here could and whether I wanted to show him on one day the place, what I also did. On the conscious day I was annoyed at him, because after that Leave the place, it left empty bottles and other wastes without Disposal back and did it for it.
On one day, as we at the reef were, I and a colleague, its came an old Saudi with its grandson from the desert with a Pickup coincidentally in our proximity started, in order as I to see could with a harpoon a fish harpoon. A rarity a Saudi was to be seen here, because generally they do not go swimming or in the water. They dared themselves not over the reef away and remained in the shoal water, where it gave also fish to harpoon in each case tried it without diver eyeglasses a fish which did not succeed to it, there help I it with mine Diver eyeglasses a better view under water and already were success there, but unfortunately the fish with its harpoon of it swam. The grandson from him went in the time not into the water; he then also directly to the incident did not drive off. In the year 1997 the Indian had their fifty-year old independence from the British, this were also the national holiday of India and far from the homeland were being entitled celebrated. Also we had very much impressed cordially invited to participate and got typically Indian habits performances presented those us. After the performances we could satisfy ourselves at a cold buffet our hunger and thirst. The courts were all vegetarian kind, because most Indian were not Buddhist and were allowed animals to kill or animal consumed, only one third of them were Muslims and it gave also some Christians thereby. There we in a strict-religious Muslim country were sat the Mullah in the first row and watched out that the celebration ran after the Muslim laws and was shown on the stage nothing naked.
Picture left, an Indian family at which I was invited. He is the leader, Mr. Shouhan, the laboratory in the new work. I was invited quite often by Indian families of the evening to the meal and have myself over their cook arts and variety of the courts without meat as well as taste the meals surprised and it praised. Only the higher personnel of the company their families were allowed to let enter to Saudi Arabia of the sponsor, it were even a primary school available, where also the children of the Saudi families from the closer Environment and the work were informed. The children from the environment children of the Nomad were with their cattle in the area were and it knew that the school was very good and free of charge, because it became in English and Arab informs. After a certain age those became Children in India with grandparents left around there a higher To visit school. The low personnel was allowed only once in the two Years for one month to their families travel. Once came a back from the vacation and much ill became, it turned out that he Hepatitis C had and became far outside of the Camps into an abandoned hut at the coast accommodated, where one let it die.
It is hardly to be believed but, in that wild was a style fully building was established and as administration buildings used for the new cement plant, sees picture above. It was sketched like the control post building of an Italian architect. Interior of the administration building, show those Pictures right above. The glassed elevator, of lounge out to see, brings humans into the upper floors with an impressive view in lounge down. Unfortunately this building is exposed to the dirt from the chimneys of the old work and with a thick layer would in a flash be lime-deaf covered, which the front attacks immediately.
In the city Yanbu, gave it also a fish market directly at the coast. Here became from the native ones and above all the many Filipinos immigrant workers, whom fish bought, we wanted times it sees which it for fish places buying gave and whether we feed also some beautiful copies to find could. Thus we drove against evening toward the work, the day if hot about forty-two degrees Celsius were, had the air conditioning system in Cars approach and hereby forcing honouring mass all windows, as we then at the market, parked we arrived, rose out and directly and the car doors slammed too, because putrid-end stench of dead fish us to the retreat had forced. It turned out that the fish conditions, the dead fish of days were never cleaned still lay about before, the flies and cats were the only one, which ensured that not too much dirt to lie remained. We are then also directly further driven over to here never appear again. Ten kilometres of south/eastern of the building site a dry rather broad river bed (Wadi) flows into the sea, which only in the months January until March, if it rained times at short notice Water led. The rain was sometimes so violent that the water also Force sand in the sea rinsed in great quantities. This sand remained over one far surface, on the bottom of the sea are appropriate for about nine square kilometres and by the change by ebb-tide and tide from the sea with mud one overlaid. At this surface before primeval times an island had pre-aged itself out Basalt in an educated manner, where with the time sand from the desert carried of hoist the unevenness had filled out and the vegetation, like grass and bushes, Possession took. The island was approximately thousand meters long and hundred meters wide. The underground this sand/mud surface consisted of hard lime of the deceased corals and at ebb-tide was the water level about five and twenty centimetres deeply or drying, so that pelicans, on the through journey in the north, and sea gulls itself to sea fruits fully to eat could, because a great many crabs on the shade side that ran Island. We, I and two colleagues, are with my jeep of the coast along to this place driven, to the water, however I have that Car in a higher place surely before that tide turned off. We wanted see which behind the island the sea revealed, our divers took Implements into the hand and marched loosely. As I finally, after three Kilometres, before which island stood, which stood for sun in the sky, it was high briefly after fourteen o'clock, I noticed like peacefully charming quietly it here was. The island was in highest place approx. twenty meters over Sea level, climbed directly crosswise over the island away and looked suddenly on the light blue sea. Also here had itself in Sand beach in an educated manner that rather diagonally, not as perpendicular at the reef, in the sea outside extended. In the sandy soil under water grew at many Places of sea grass and here and there had formed coral island. The water was enormously clearly and wonderful warm, I pulled my diver set on, into the depth direction of open sea over grass and sand surfaces left me between the corals through thus none slide without much to exert, Fish were drive away. In this moment thought I give watching, it can also sharks in the proximity it's. On this day hardly were wind and that Wave course was minimal, therefore I could emerge comfortably around air too inhale to pay attention without thereby to the wind direction and constantly my Eyeglasses under water hold and see without being seen. Were some small sharks to see for me were not interested, probably much I by my slow even movements on and around me many smaller fish did not swim also some Parrot fish, which one recognizes also in my pictures. We have ourselves stopped, slowly those approached many hours at this island filtered sun the horizon, the first stars emerged in the sky, an enormous Colours orgies the pour over rock, which shone stars clearly and close seemed, when we began the way home. The German Chemist Mr. Panke, responsibly for analyses the material during that Start-up of the plant and training of the laboratory personnel, loaded me a daily, but times the evening in the restaurant, if one it so to call may diner, with it to, because the meal should taste good. That Restaurant stood at the crossing of ten kilometres of the building site far away and by Pakistani one operated. Further there one stood Gas station with a grocer's shop, here I had always Fuel for my passenger car refuel, as well as an auto workshop, everything in wastes were appropriate for everything chaotic directly in the sand built and approximately around, how Tire, plastics bags, empties oil barrel etc. with the time by the hellish Gradually disintegrated to weather or by the sand were covered. Everyone Building had diesel set for the energy it used, none thought of solar power, where the sun shone to each day nevertheless, because that oil was very cheap and one had enough of it. Drinking water could do it in the cement plant cheaply buy. The vices, which started the restaurant either already cement had loaded or became early in the morning only loaded, the drivers slept in the cab or in the tent beside the vice. Outside the restaurant with multicoloured light tubes, in that was lit Darkness looked it inviting and because it is always hot in the desert, the restaurant at the front side was open and could one in the diner place see everywhere chaotic tables and to chairs in the sand to be located. The kitchen was in the same area in a corner, so that I could see like the meal and there the lighting was prepared contrary to the outside lights, I was very economical could not see not exactly in detail as pure the kitchen was real. We had clock on the day to 21:00 worked and had hunger, when we drove then to the restaurant were already darkly, the stars stood brightly bright in the sky, the restaurant already with some customers occupies, naturally only men as in Saudi Arabia were fed usually and some cats by the customers walking around. I was not so enthusiastically of the whole one however one should like that which times try over to determine whether the civilized stomach this meal digested. We ordered grilled cockerels, rice and a sharp rush with vegetable, in addition still tea. All in all it had tasted and that Stomach had gotten over it well. The evening, if the darkness briefly after Sunset breaks in draws the sky over the desert of the sun side turned away first pitch black, before one the stars too face gets. In so one evening in April 1997 I surveyed west to me, suddenly the glow of the comet Hale-Bopp over me, see picture down.
The comet Hale-Bopp in April 1997, you see on the picture above.
The old part of town Yanbu is directly at the sea developed and is already more than thousand years old its. The picture left above shows a typical Arab house from those Years 1600 with artful wooden fronts. Unfortunately are these houses not disintegrated into conditions held and with the time more and more? Picture right above, shows once again at another house like was artful at that time built, unfortunately the houses no more in conditions are not set and they don't have any Interest more. With these pictures the houses were perpetuated. Picture down a typically Arab sailing boat (Dhow) shows, which the port of Yanbu started.
Picture above, Arabic sailing ship (Dhow).