Two seas for the weekend

A friendly local.

Every now and again you need a break from routine (especially living as an expat in Saudi Arabia), so this past weekend we decided to skip across the Arabian Peninsula to Saudi’s GCC neighbor–Bahrain. For somewhere so close to the Kingdom, Bahrain feels a lot different–not just from KSA–but also from Qatar and the UAE (the other GCC countries we’ve visited). 

Upon landing, you could tell this place has been influenced by its many cultures, peoples and visitors over the centuries. The last of which, the British, seemed to have imbued a sense of organization and efficiency that can sometimes be lacking on the western side of the Peninsula. Bahrain seemed to be a lot more geared towards the western expat mentality, with both the good and bad positives that this entails.

Our main form of transport for the weekend.

The flight from Saudi only took two hours, and before we knew it, we had landed in Bahrain International Airport. The airport is a well-organized affair, and as quick as a flash we were through customs and security and en route to our accommodation.

The following day, we woke up to a typical St. Patrick’s Day morning, namely, a wet, grey and overcast morning. The rain continued right up until about lunchtime (which is a strange phenomenon in this part of the world). To escape the wet morning we visited the Bahrain    National Museum.

The museum is a treasure trove of all things       Bahraini, from the ancient Dilmun times; to the Alexander the Great-dominated Greek Tylos period; to the growth of the Islamic civilization; to the Portuguese era on the island; culminating with the British presence on the island that lasted from 1783 to 1971. The museum covers all facets of these periods and more recent times in some engaging and thoughtfully constructed displays.

Traditional ways on display at the Bahrain National Museum.

After finishing with the main part of the museum, we sat outside the museum’s café and watched the rain patter down as what sounded like hundreds of simultaneous call to prayers rang out from across the bay. Unlike in Saudi, shops and services stay open during prayer times.

Once the rain abated, we visited the nearby bustling Bab Al-Bahrain souq. The souq was jammed with people perusing stalls and shops full of local and traditional goods/touristy garb and the random assortment of bric-a-brac that you can only find in Middle Eastern bazaars.

We finished our night in a bar/nightclub that was part of a nearby hotel complex. We were there for a St. Patrick’s day event which was supposed to include a two-hour DJ set by former Westlife member, Brian McFadden. There was a two-hour DJ set, but alas McFadden was not to be found behind the decks. My wife was quite upset with the lack of McFadden, but thankfully by sheer virtue of her sex, she bagged two free drinks and free entry to the club. Once inside, we quite enjoyed the feast of people watching that exploded before us on the dancefloor over the few hours we were there.

On Saturday morning we were up bright and early for our four-hour tour of some of Bahrain’s heritage sites. We visited the UNESCO world heritage site Qal'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort) and its museum located in a historically strategic position on the islands northern coast. We then visited the Royal Camel Farm which is home to 500 camels owned by the Bahrani royal family. Our guide swore by camel milk and claimed that it was vastly superior to any other forms of milk but alas none was available to sample. After the farm, we visited Al Jasra House the birthplace of The Late Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, who was born there in 1933. From there, we visited the accompanying Al Jasra Handicraft Center. The centre was a bit of a letdown as we really didn’t get a chance to interact with the craftsmen and also half of the shops on display were closed, including the gift shop.

Master craftsman weaving up a storm.

The last stop of the day was the ancient Dilmun Burial Mounds in A'ali. These archaeological mounds are of great historical importance going back to the third millennium BC. These mounds are found in various areas of the island.

After the tour when we returned to the hotel, it was fair to say we were famished as we hadn't eaten in about 19 hours. Needless to say, our afternoon lunch by the hotel pool was warmly received. There's also something to be said about the positives of sitting outside in the warm sunshine in the month of April. The weather benefits of this area are never underappreciated.

Like our entry into the country, we breezed out of it as quickly through the aforementioned efficient Bahrain International Airport. All in all, our short time in the country left a very positive impression on both of us. Bahrain seemed like a less ‘soulless’ and corporate affair than that of its neighbouring countries. It just seemed more 'pleasant'.

However, none of this can hide the fact that the country is very expensive not only compared to Saudi but also compared to general western prices (€12 for a bottle of beer anyone?). In summary, Bahrain reminded us that we don't always have to travel great distances to be reminded of our 'old lives'.

The old and the new. The view from Bahrain Fort.