Rainy days can be annoying to the Taiwanese public, but in the eyes of the Saudis, whose country usually experiences a year-round drought, a bit of drizzle is tantamount to heaven. The Tourism Bureau teamed up with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as Cathay Pacific’s Saudi branch, to invite for the first time 10 of the country’s top travel agencies to visit Taiwan. Apart from being amazed by Taiwan’s exquisite beauty, the tour operators were also elated when they were “fortunate” enough to run into rain and fog during their Taiwan trip. They proclaimed that they were in heaven.
This five-day-long journey was the first time the tour operators had set foot in Taiwan. Everything in Taiwan was engrossing to them. Apart from a visit to Taipei 101, they also traveled to Yangmingshan’s Xiaoyoukeng, Yeliou, Taroko Gorge and more. In addition to eating Halal-friendly Taiwanese cuisine, they also ate mango shaved ice, a famous Taiwanese dessert.
Mazen Kabbout, marketing manager at Cathay Airways’ Riyadh branch, was captivated by Taiwan’s scenery, saying that he had never seen anything like it before. When he set foot in Hualien for the first time, the boundless view of the Pacific ocean intrigued him enormously. The Taroko Gorge, replete with marble, was incredible, said Kabbout. What was most enthralling for all the Saudi visitors was the cloudy and misty Xiaoyoukeng in Yangmingshan. Not long after they had arrived, it so happened that light drizzle started to fall. None of the visitors could bear to hold umbrellas or wear raincoats, as it was a very rare weather phenomenon for the Saudis — almost heavenly. The Saudi visitors excitedly began checking-in to the location on social networks to share their magical moment of rainfall in Taiwan.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者朱沛雄
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
陰雨綿綿的天氣常讓台灣民眾覺得惱人，不過看在經年乾燥無雨的沙烏地阿拉伯國人眼中，細雨飄落簡直就像來到天堂。觀光局與駐沙烏地阿拉伯王國臺北經濟文化代表處及國泰航空駐沙國分公司合作，首度邀請沙國前十大旅遊業者來台觀光，業者除驚嘆台灣的美景外，更因這幾天來台旅遊時「幸逢」下雨、起霧，讓他們開心極了，直呼好像來到天堂！
這五天四夜的台灣之旅是這些業者首次踏上寶島台灣，台灣的一切對他們來說都相當新奇。行程規劃除參觀台北一○ 一外，更到訪陽明山小油坑、野柳、太魯閣等，旅途中除品嚐台灣已通過清真認證的美食外，更大啖台灣知名甜品芒果冰。
國泰航空利雅德分公司行銷經理Mazen Kabbout讚歎說台灣的美景是他們前所未見。首次踏上花蓮，面對一望無際的太平洋讓他印象深刻，整座山頭都是大理石的太魯閣更讓他覺得不可思議。而最令所有沙國業者興奮的，就屬陽明山小油坑上的雲霧繚繞，到訪時剛巧碰上細雨，讓所有人都捨不得撐傘、穿雨衣，因為這對沙國人來說是非常罕見的天氣現象，簡直就像仙境，團員們還興奮地打卡與親友分享在台灣碰上淋雨的美好時刻。
（自由時報甘芝萁）
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 “Get in. It’s pouring.” She slid into the back seat, drenched and silent. “Tissues?” the driver asked. “No, thank you,” she said. Water beaded off her hair, ran from her coat, and made a small lake on the vinyl. She kept her head down, long black strands clinging to her face. “Where to?” She gave an address. “Funeral?” he asked as they slipped into the Xinhai Tunnel, rain fading to a hollow drum. She glanced up, puzzled. “No. Why?” “Crematorium’s about the only thing here.” He caught her eyes in the mirror.
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