Asia

[Visited: March 2020]

After hearing that Hegra, and basically all other sites, around Al Ula were closed for two days, we heard about a certain Mushroom Rock, to the northwest of the ancient city, and decided to drive there. We only have a pin on a map as a reference. When we take the turn from the main road, we are surprised to see a tarred road leading straight to the mountains in the distance. It is easy driving as the road is empty - we will only see two cars on the way to Abu Rakah. The road meanders up mountains, with great vistas, then descends again into plains. We pass herds of camel, who are not scared at all, and quietly walk with us, with our windows open. It is an enjoyable ride. Then, we reach the start of the desert, with red sand around us, and rock formations in the distance. We are getting close now.
It is the first time we do not have phone coverage, and drive past a small settlement. On our right, we see a mushroom-like rock, walk around it, but know that this is not the one we came for. Asking around would be difficult, so we continue driving to Abu Rakah, passing some wadis with trees and rocks in an utterly dry landscape. As soon as we have coverage, we manage to download the map, and now have an exact location for Mushroom Rock - something we should have done before even embarking on this trip of course. We drive back, take a turn, and when the sand gets too deep, decide to leave the car behind and walk the last bit. It is hot, but the temperature is bearable when we walk past rock formations on our way south. The rock is not visible yet, but we know we are on the right track.
A car comes from the right, and it turns out they have seen us from a distance, and drove all the way to check if we were OK. When they see we are, they turn around, and we walk on. Then, as we reach the top of a hill, we see it ahead of us, unmistakably: Mushroom Rock. The closer we get, the more excited we are, and the bigger the rock becomes, until it towers high above us. It is definitely impressive, and we are happy we did not stop at the small mushroom-shaped rock we saw before. We walk around it, look up, and wonder how the wind and rain managed to carve out this masterpiece. Its base is small, and its top spreads out in all directions. It looks like a little push would topple it, but we find out it does not. One of the big advantages of Mushroom Rock: it is not signposted, there is no one to be seen, and you have this little natural wonder all to yourself if you manage to find it. When we have enough, we walk back to the car, and find more camels on our drive back to Al Ula.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Mushroom Rock (Saudi Arabia). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Mushroom Rock.
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Mushroom Rock > Saudi Arabia > Asia

[Visited: March 2020]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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