The Drivel of 2 Bahrainis

Tourist in my own country

24 May 2008 Author: Khalid In: Bahrain, Tourism

I’ve been fortunate enough that a couple of my dear friends (Yui from Singapore and Takeshi from Japan) from the UK decided to pass by Bahrain for the day on their way to India to catch up with me and explore the island. For me, this was a brilliant opportunity to catch up this soon after leaving and at the same time, be a tourist in my own country.

I knew immediately where I’d take them, I’ve been mentally planning the day and one thing for sure, it will be nonstop. I suppose the only tough part about it was that friday night is boys night and it usually ends very late and I need to be in the airport at 7.30.

Nonetheless, it was a beautiful day, fortunately enough, given that dusty days are the norm it seems. The day went as follows:

First stop was Arad Fort followed by a tour of Amwaj Islands. One thing that was striking for my friends was how blue the sea was. Indeed, it’s very inviting. This was followed by breakfast in the Ritz Carlton, were some relaxation and tummy fueling up was necessary. Come 10.30, we headed to Seef Mall to buy a few postcards and take a walk around the mall. As midday was approaching, we made our way to Beit Al Quran (House of Quran). This was also a good opportunity for myself as I haven’t been in there for over 10 years.

It was nearly lunch time and my friends were excited about trying some traditional food. Problem for me was that my parents weren’t at home, so closest thin was Mohammed Noor, the restaurant that has legendary status to many. A quick take away and our next stop the Souq. Now, one thing definately didn’t change about this place, it’s still a mess, although it’s starting to improve with the new section under construction. I bought a Thob, Qitra and Uqal as a souvenir for Takeshi, something to remember Bahrain for.

Leaving the hustle and the bustle of the souq, Bahrain Fort was calling. One thing that I truly love about this place is it’s location, great view and most of all, peacefulness. They do though need to have some staff on the site to maintain the fort’s status as a Unesco Heritage Site. The time was nearly 3 and it was time to hit the Bahrain-Saudi causeway. Half an hour later, we were on our way to the Bahrain International Circuit. Although there were tourists around and some activity, it is a far cry from the days of the Grand Prix. The mighty Jebel Al Dukhan (Smokey Mountain) was our next target. After years of just passing by it, it was time to climb it again. Surprisingly, it’s not as easy as it seems and it took around 10 minutes to get up there and 20 to come done, safely that is. As small as it is, it can be very dangerous. I was now nearly 5 and given the proximity of the Jebel to the First Oil Well and the Tree of Life, we decided to pass by. Luckily, there were camels around the tree so that provided a fantastic photo opportunity with the sun setting down in the background.

At 6, we finally headed back home, had lunch or let me say dinner now and sat around with my parents. Yui was also gifted with a Jalabeya and a Abaya so that now, they’re an Arabian couple. My dad tagged along for the final leg of the trip which included quick stops in Al Fateh Mosque and Arad Fort for the night. Finally, a drop off in the airport and that was it, bahrain in a nutshell.

I didn’t manage to take them to the National Museum due to time shortages, but I need to keep some things for next time, whenever that will be. They do have the new book released “100 Things to Do in Bahrain”.

According to my friend, there’s not much to do. When asked what was on the agenda for your friends, it was going to one coffee shop to another. My reply was, “You’ll be surprised what you’ll see in one day here”.

And that folks, was a day in the life of a Bahraini tourist.

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Most Interesting Words I’ve Heard

2 May 2008 Author: Munther In: Blogging, Politics, Audio Books

Lately I’ve developed a passion for Audio Books; I lost count of how many times these books helped me keep my sanity while being stuck at traffic. I guess that I am going to have some sort of review for these books done soon. Anyway audio books are not the subject of todays post but it was triggered by one, You see; I am currently listening to a book titled “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, it is quite interesting, Huge as well, each volume is at a whooping 180 hours of listening time. The language used is very exquisite and hits hard, I’ll leave you with the one I liked:

After a war of about forty years, undertaken by the most stupid, maintained by the most dissolute, and terminated by the most timid of all the emperors, the far greater part of the island submitted to the Roman yoke. The various tribes of Britons possessed valour without conduct, and the love of freedom without the spirit of union. They took up arms with savage fierceness; they laid them down, or turned them against each other with wild inconstancy; and while they fought singly, they were successively subdued. Neither the fortitude of Caractacus, nor the despair of Boadicea, nor the fanaticism of the Druids, could avert the slavery of their country, or resist the steady progress of the Imperial generals, who maintained the national glory, when the throne was disgraced by the weakest, or the most vicious of mankind.

Hearing these words sent a chilling shiver down my spine; the resemblance of the situation which the British Isles witnessed during the invasion of the Romans to the current situation which the Arabs face with the United States is uncanny !

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