Yesterday, was an interesting trip to Bahrain. We started the morning off at that Bahrain Country Club for breakfast. While the place looked nice, the service was nonexistent. They apparently were only interested in getting us to buy into the brunch buffet (which was marginal) and not in a la carte. Two of the guys got the brunch, but the rest of us tried to order off the menu and gave up. I ordered a beer out of desperation. We left the and went to the big mall to get tickets for the air show, but they were sold out. The mall was a carbon copy of malls everywhere. We did grab a quick bite to eat, but not at any of the American standards (KFC, DQ, etc.). From there we went to a 15th century Ottoman fort that is being excavated and restored. Rather interesting visit, seeing a place behind a moat and wall that was a small town with a mosque, living quarters, markets, and livestock pens. Next stop: the old town souq with all sorts of vendors selling everything. Lots of Rolex watches, Gucci purses, computer software - you get it - all knockoffs from China. There were some fun fabric shops with lots of color and fabric for saris. The bulk of the vendors were Pakistani and Indian. The next stop: a drive down through the office towers and then to the hotel section next to a large and beautiful mosque. We ended up at the Gulf Hotel - a Bahrainian classic - for some beer and snacks, along with a game of pool with Omer. From there we headed back to the kingdom. Will be back there every 30 days while I am here to keep my visa active - it is a huge fine ($10,000 US) if I fail to leave the country and come back. One guy faced the problem and he was unable to leave for 8 months until the company settled the problem. Laws are strange and harsh here in the Kingdom.
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