This rather surrealistic view of a park at Bahrain’s Al Areen Wildlife Reserve conveys the feeling one gets when relaxing there on a lazy weekend afternoon. While the reserve attracts thousands of visitors, this corner, surprisingly, is deserted, with most people in the midst of the hundreds of migratory birds, for whom this place is home in the winter.
Not everyone shops at malls or at chic stores. Many cannot even afford to shop. But, come the festival season and a group of young enthusiasts display used clothes in the interiors of the Manama Suq in Bahrain for anyone to take away and use.
Needless to say, these are a great attraction for those who want a fresh dress or a piece of clothing to wear during the holiday.
The best bit is that these ‘entrepreneurs’ wish to remain anonymous. “Let us try and get some happiness into some people’s lives,” is what one of them has to say!
Looking through some old pictures, I came across these – those of my Egypt trip to Cairo and Sharm Al Shaikh – back in 2003. It was a memorable one-week holiday along with a group of senior travel industry officials from Bahrain and one that I will forever remember.
For once, I came across a “foreign” country resembling India – be it the ramshackle airport, the rickety old buses, the cows (and camels) on the streets, piles of garbage, motorists and all other traffic honking away – for a fleeting moment I thought I had taken the wrong plane out of Manama and landed in New Delhi or Mumbai!
Having by then stayed in Bahrain for a few years (and the UAE before that), I had all but forgotten what being in a dirty, overcrowded and smelly city was like. Cairo made me realize all’s not hunky dory in this world.
Nevertheless, the seven days we spent in the country were full of amazing surprises – the camel rides in the desert, the shopping spree at Khan Al Khalili market, the snorkeling adventure in the Red Sea, the Nile Cruise and the loads and loads of fresh seafood on the Sharm coast were all memories to last a lifetime.
I did promise I would return one day with the family but never did and, by the looks of it, never will – at least in the foreseeable future – considering the situation now.
I feel sad such a great nation is going to seed – such a great civilization is suddenly irrelevant and such a wonderful tourist destination has no tourists – especially after the recent incident involving the Russian airplane. I wonder whether it will rise again. I also wonder whether the West will let it!
In the meantime, I can only remember the great time we had and look at the pictures. And hope I will some day return!
The ever-glorious sunrise at Bahrain’s Al Dar Islands – one of the perfect getaway’s on the weekend. A short boat ride from the mainland, it’s a dream destination, with its luxury chalets, open air restaurants and lots of song, dance and barbecue.
We have had the privilege of visiting several times, most notably when the chalets were ready but not yet sanctioned by the authorities – and that is when we were the only one’s on the island – along with a dog and a donkey – not to mention the millions of fish in the surrounding pristine waters. No visit to Al Dar is complete without waking up to see the rising sun and taking a walk on the beach – barefoot, if possible – and wading in the shallow waters.
Quaint little hill town, a cantonment from the British times, is a must-visit when in Chandigarh! Still gives an old-world charm!
MANDEEPSINGS 