Needless to say, travelling the world allows us the opportunity to meet several unique individuals from all walks of life at any place and time. Table Mountain was one of those opportunities. Chris and I had passed two Saudi men eating their lunch just meters from the summit. Chris and I did not think about bringing food on our hike so when the Saudi men joined us at the peak, we began speaking with them about how they were smart to have brought food with them. We began talking with them more when one of them offered us his sandwich and a banana. He had packed extra and could see we were hungry. After much resistance, we accepted the food and continued on with our conversation. He asked us where we were from and we told him we were from the US. “Oh, Americans hate us…” was his response. We were shocked. ‘Hate you?’ I thought… What a stereotype. I pondered this for a second and then realized that America has harshly stereotyped much of the Middle East for several years now. Too many Americans blindly and unjustifiably associate terrorist activity with everyone in the Middle East. Chris and I spoke with them about the issue, the misunderstanding, and our plan to learn more about the situation as we trek through the Middle East in a few months.

We ended up hiking down the mountain with them sharing stories with each other along the way. By the end of our day hike, we had learned more about their family, their religion, and their lifestyle than most people know about their neighbours. We exchanged information and have since been in touch. Chris and I will be joining them for traditional Arabic coffee tomorrow. Not surprising, they are two of the most unique, generous, and humble human beings I have ever met.

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