In early November 2023, I travelled from London to Varanasi for a four day mini-break. My journey included a five hour layover in Larnaca followed by 10/11 hours in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Unlike what most squares would do in this scenario, I decided to neither grab a short nap in a hotel or wait in the airport lounge, and instead took an Uber to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then an underwhelming museum and then back to the airport.
There was free bottled water available throughout the UNESCO site, which was nice, but the access to it was via a restaurant and boutique lined road that screamed “Bicester Village”, which set a poor tone for engaging with a historical monument.
I spent a lot of time thinking about Dune, then feeling bad for associating deserts and Islamic imagery more with genre fiction/cinema than with a real place.
Here is a five minute long video of landing into Riyadh and then hanging out at this monument, accompanied by a commentary I recorded once home about the experience.
Would I go back? Well, I only went this time as it was on the way somewhere else, so in similar circumstances, maybe yes? I’m certainly not rushing to plan a trip there again next month, though, if that’s what you meant??? Whoever you are?
The one day visa also cost me one hundred pounds (tho maybe would have been cheaper if I’d sorted in advance, but I honestly don’t know?), so I feel I definitely spent more there than I’d planned to…
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scott manley hadley aka SOLID BALD live
Here’s a video of me recently performing at the prestigious (it has a Wikipedia page) comedy night, Quantum Leopard. Listen to how much fun the crowd is having. You could have that much fun, too!
Forthcoming gigs include the following – there may/will be others:
17th March 2026, 7pm: Slap & Giggle @ Coin Laundry, Clerkenwell
24th March 2026, 7.30pm: Lolipops, Southwark
26th March 2026, 7.30pm: Comedy @ Cosmic, Plymouth
9th April 2026, 7pm: Sunset Comedy, Chalk Farm
15th April 2026, time tbd: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER 40min-ish WIP at Shirker’s Rest, New Cross (more details soon!)
27th June 2026: Twinkles Cabaret, London
9th August – 14th August: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER at The Street, Edinburgh, part of PBH’s Free Fringe
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