One random night in Bahrain


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Middle East » Bahrain
April 18th 2006
Published: October 16th 2006
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Delhi to Bahrain

Flight

18th April. I get up early for my 4am transfer to the airport and am a little worried as when i tried to call yesterday to confirm the flights the number wouldn't go through and i assumed that the same thing would happen like in Bangkok. Whilst checking in my worrying increased as they told me to wait as they had to check something. My travel agent at home had also told me that i should buy an onward ticket leaving turkey before i got there otherwise they might not let me in the country. Anyways they come back and give me my boarding pass for my flight to Bahrain and then my connecting flight to Istanbul later in the day and that my luggage will be in Istanbul. So i get on and when i arrive in Bahrain i notice that my onward ticket to Istanbul is dated for the 19th of April, tomorrow. I ask at the counter, trying not to freak out and it turns out that they gave me a flight for the next day because the flight for today was booked up. Just as i start imagining sleeping in the airport the lady tells me that the airline will give me a place to stay, food and transfers all for free for the night. Awesome, as if i am going to complain about that, bring it on.... I have a whole day in a country i know nothing about and its free!!!

After some confusion about my luggage and waiting around i eventually pick it up and head to my free transfer and notice a cute guy also waiting for the transfer. Its now only 10 in the morning and i was completely relaxed and felt really good about everything. Everyone on the transfer bus is German bar me and the driver who is hilarious making my laughter fill the bus. We all check into the Golden Tulip and the place is amazing. There is a pool, it's ultra clean, i have a large room with a great bathroom, hairdryer, tv, and i love it. I put the tv on straight away and settled in. I ask at the desk if there is anything around like a museum or something that is free. He can't think of anything but tells me the centre of town is only a 20min walk and the water is a 5 min walk so i decide to do it. I walked along the waters edge thinking how much of a contrast it was from Delhi, calm and clean. I like it. It was a very hot day and i had to sweat it out as i didn't want to take off my long sleeve top as i only had a singlet on and being in a muslim country with all the women completely covered it would have been inappropriate. It ended up being way too hot so i went back to the tulip and watched some tv. It was hilarious to see the American shows like The Young and the Restless and All My Children on the tv. So it's now time for my free lunch and the food was pretty good. I then sit by the pool (can't swim because of my tat, bugger!!) and journal write. The cute boy from the bus walks past giving me a big smile and he then comes back with his bordies on too and sits next to me with his friend. Once i am caught up on my journal i have a little nap and when i wake up the cute boys friend has left i strike up some conversation. His name is Daniel and it turned out that we did the same tour in Phang Nga, Mr Kean, but obviously not the exact same one! I talked his ears off and at times i don't think he really understood what i was saying, but i thought it was hilarious.

Being a Muslim country the women here are mostly completely covered. So sitting by the pool with my cosi on i felt a bit naked. It was strange to watch the families by the pool where the father and sons would jump in the water and play about and the mothers and daughters would sit by the pool completely covered (and in black) in the heat. Bit depressing really and seems unfair too me!!

Anyway it now 6:30ish and after just chillin there for the day we decide to meet up in 1/2hr for a game of table tennis before dinner and then head out for some free ladies drinks i saw being advertised. I have the best shower i have had since i left home and also take out my braids and my hair is a fuzz ball of curls. I put on my jeans for the first time and am feeling pumped up for the night and head down to the table tennis table and they are not there yet, so i play with a guy that works there and i kick his butt. Some more men who are about to go to the gym stop along the way and next thing i have them all lining up to play me and watch me!!! It was hilarious and my laughing would echo around the room. They would change players and i had too keep playing with no rest, bit rough! Next thing it's free dinner time and they ask me to come play tennis with them after dinner (they are all grown men!! and i didn't know there was a tennis court, damn.) They even ask me for my mobile no!!! So i eat with the germans and as it's still early we go for a walk down to the water and we share more travel stories. I seemed to be doing all the talking as their English was pretty basic. I think they could talk it ok but when it came to understanding what i was talking about they had trouble (i don't blame them as even people who speak English as their first language have trouble understanding me!!!)

Its now 9pm and we head back to the club and it turned out that the free drinks were somewhere else in town and none of us wanted to get money out for a country none of us will be in for 24hrs! We play some table tennis for a while and head to the bar and are the first ones in there. As soon as we opened the doors we saw 5 girls standing on the stage in skimpy clothing looking like they were waiting for men to come in so they could start dancing. I end up buying the boys a beer with my left over Rupees after convincing the bar to accept it. We decided that if there was ever a time for a Fosters it was now! We sit on the comfy lounge chairs, watch the girls and have a good laugh, especially at the girls eyeing out Daniel. I requested Kylie and they even played it, but i didn't think this was the time for me to get up and dance. I didn't wanna show up the girls or be offered a job hehehe.Then come some of the men who sit around talking and smoking their water pipes!!! (While i am sure their wives are stuck at home). I try to get more beers with my cambodian money but they won't take it. While asking at the bar, one of the staff approached the guys and asked if they wanted to go up and dance with the girls. When i came back they told me and i laughed, wondering if i would be allowed up there as a joke. I was the only girl in there that wasn't working!!!

The guys had to leave at 11 for their flight and Daniel's mate went to organise the bags while Daniel and i talked more. We joked about me saying that i could live here, as there is more then everything i could ever need, food, bed, shower, pool, table tennis, gym, i would be living like a king, and even a nightclub (they joked about me getting a job there!). So we say goodbye and we all agreed what a great random day it was. So i fall asleep to the tv, waking up at 3am to the song "my humps" by the black eyed peas.

What a great day. It was very relaxing and exactly what i needed after India. Thanks Gulf Airways.

19th April. As soon as i wake up i turn on the tv and Kylie was singing "i believe in you" What a great start to the day. I actually got to wash my hair and use the hairdryer which was bliss. I watched a little more tv, stuffed myself at breakfast and then had to say goodbye to the tv, and the great room. The airport was nice to walk around, kind of like Sydney. I ended up sitting in someones seat whilst waiting for the flight and it ended up being a Turkish couple who lived in Australia. We get talking and Jim gave me some good travel info for Turkey. Getting on the flight there were also 2 Aussies Kim and Mark behind me who were doing the Kumuka tour from Istanbul to Cairo that i was originally going to be doing. Looks like the Aussies are making there way to ANZAC day. The man next to me on the flight kept scratching and grabbing his crotch continuously and it was making me sick. I ended up putting my hand over my face so i couldn't see him it was that bad.

My henna is already coming off too, it's only been 3 days and they said it would last 2 weeks!


Goodbye ASIA. Man what a ride so far...

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30th October 2010
In Bahrain Airport

i hv prayed there the place is awesome.......

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