Advertisement
Published: April 26th 2006
Edit Blog Post
Today, we went to swim with a beluga whale! His name is Senja (not sure about the spelling, and it is short for Simone, I think, but it is the equivalent of Simon in Russian). So, he is a Russian whale.
The place was a big indoor area used for dolphin shows, but only the trainer and a few other people were on hand. Shawn was the first to go and hopped down into the chilly water. Senja was waiting beside the edge. Thin instructor, Alexander, spoke very little English. Shawn put his hands on Senja’s front fins, leaned back a bit, and then Senja began to swim around the pool with Alexander guiding him around with a training pole (not sure what else to call it) and throwing in a fish or two along the way.
Next was me. Senja was very padded, like blubbery, and kind of clammy to the touch. His little eyes looked at us with intelligence. I got the sense that this was a very intelligent animal (compared to other animals). I put my hands on his fins and he pulled me around the pool… salt water occasionally splashing on my face as he
Augusta, Kai, and Shawn
Sitting on the Tree of Life. swam along. It was a great, new experience and we were all smiling and laughing. Augusta went next and enjoyed the trip around the pool as well.
We each got to feed the whale. Augusta and I got reach inside the whale’s mouth and touch his tongue and teeth. At one point the whale went underwater and lightly bit Augusta on the butt. Shawn and I were both looking at him and were surprised. Alexander just said something like “Just playing, no worry.”
During all of this Kai watched from his stroller… yelling every now and then and watching intently. He seemed jealous but is a bit too young to hop in with us.
Another interesting thing about swimming with Senja was watching him approach me from underwater. It is kind of scary at first because he is big, but he is very friendly. Oh, also, Shawn got too close to a cage of two dolphins and one of them poked him.
While we were in the pool, we could also feel the dolphins talking in the back of our heads… a kind of clicking sound. When we went underwater we could hear it. Also, Senja
The Pottery Makers
This is where they fire the pottery. started talking (not the clicking) and it was very loud… so much that it kind of painful.
After our time was up, we headed back to the villa for naps and I worked on my blog.
We then set out for the Tree of Life (after picking up some food at McD's). Well, I was kind of the navigator because I had the map. About half of the drive was along the ocean, with industrial buildings on the right side of us (refineries, aluminum recyclers, etc.) We overshot a turnoff by over a mile. Then we ended up going through a large rock quarry/mining area. We were pretty much in the boonies of Bahrain.
After driving the quarry for a little bit, we turned off on a road that eventually turned into a gravel road in the open desert. We were a little concerned... but it was fun, too. For a bit it looked like the road would dead-end at a building surrounded by razor-wire (not-good), but then it took a sharp turn and we ended up going through a space barely wide enough to fit Whistling Dixie (Shawn and Augusta's BM-25i) through it... on each side
were big concrete blocks and then pipes (probably oil) stretching across the landscape in each direction.
Shortly after that we found the Tree of Life. Some of the locals were out with their four-wheelers... the place was pretty secluded... not what we expected for a touristy spot. The tree itself is pretty cool... since it is one of the only trees anywhere in sight and sits on a low hill. I read somewhere that it is estimated to be over 400 years old and many people have speculated over where it gets its water supply. On a sad note, there is also some graphitti on it and a lot of people have carved their names in it. But, overall, it is still looking good.
We watched the sun slowly drift into the horizon and then headed back, passing a very nice and well-designed golf course that is lit up at night by floodlights. We swung by home, then got gas and some ice cream, and then went to A'Ali to see where they make pottery.
Shawn did a great job of finding the place, and it was interesting with pottery all over the land (maybe to dry).
We looked around their shop and then they showed us how they fire the pottery. One guy demonstrated how they shape it, using the turn thing (roundtable?) to make about six pieces of pottery from one big mound of clay (and it only took him about 8-10 minutes).
We then headed back to the villa and I've been packing for my flight in a few hours, updating the blog, and I also put Kai to bed. Then it is off on my 26 hour trip home (in a few months, Augusta will make the trip with Kai AND pregnant).
Advertisement
Tot: 0.236s; Tpl: 0.021s; cc: 25; qc: 130; dbt: 0.1526s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.4mb
Rebecca
non-member comment
that dolphin swimming looks like fun! that's on my List. i'm kinda jealous. also, i would have loved to see that pottery place! (btw, the "roundtable" is just called a "wheel" ;-) i hope you have good travels home - see you in Springfield sometime!