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Published: April 16th 2008
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Kuwait Towers
Symbol of the city, only one can be climbed up by a lift. So another exhibition in a gulf country and I was on my way to Kuwait. Totally spent five days there. If you were a kid like me in the 80's, Kuwait has a different meaning for you. It was the ground where another episode of Star Wars took place and this was shown on TV's live. Good allied forces were fighting against the bad guys, to save Kuwaiti people from torture, killings and rapings. It was a magnificient war, which we watched at our living rooms with exictiment, still all of us has the image of the bombs hitting the buildings, demolishing it with clones inside.
Anyways besides that I did not have any information or an image in my head about Kuwait. During the flight it was not suprising to see many Americans with military hair cuts, having arm sizes bigger than my whole body size. Kuwait was the base where whole Iraq invasion was organized, and all contractor companies surely have bases there. This reminded me the saying of Dick Chaney that the owners of the security companies should take more part in governing America. He really meant what he said and while he was a director in
Japanese Restaurant, Marina Mall
A creative idea, to build a cafe in the beach with sails Halburton Security company he became the assistant of George Bush.
After getting out of the airport, a dusty air meets you. Kuwait is surronded with deserts and with a blow of wind the dust falls on the city. So after my first night I woke up with a soar feeling in my throat due to breathing sandy air.
My first day I was given a ride by our hosts. Kuwait is founded on a peninsula and there is a highway which makes a semi circle between the city and the sea. As the curves are not that sharp, you can't feel you are making a semi circle. And this gives you the feeling Kuwait is a very big city with so many skyscapers. Actually what you see is the same buildings and city center from different views. You understand this when you climb to Kuwait towers which is the symbol and most impressive building of the city.
Towers were built in 70's and took some damage during the invasion by Iraq army. Entrance inside the tower is possible by paying something around 3-5 US $'s. You can have a great view of the city and gulf. The
tower has also a cafe and a restaurant. And one floor up, is designed as a watch point. At this floor you may see the photos of the towers while they were built and the destruction it saw during the war. Below writes something like "Blooddy barbarians damaged the towers like this".
One thing you should be careful about, Kuwait money KD is a very expensive currency. 1 KD is like 3.8 US $. And you hardly get the feeling something is expensive or not when one tells you a price. In my case I took a taxi from city center to Kuwait towers. Before getting into cab, I asked for the price and driver told me 4 KD. 4 seemed quite a reasonable number to me and I said OK. During the ride I made the calculation in my head and realised I am paying almost 20 US $ for a few km's ride in an oil free country. That was unacceptable for me as being a Turkish and coming from the land of evil taxi drivers, I should not have been ripped of like that. On the way back after some self motivation, took a cab again.
Independence tower
Another tower built after Iraqi invasion ended and American invasion started Again I was told I should pay 4 KD's but I said I will pay 1.5 KD's. I got the approval and took the ride. After the half way my charming driver started to tell me in half Arabic and half English I should pay at least 3 KD's. Anyways after some funny struggle, and using the Islamic terminolgy "Haram" and " Helal" (money owned rightfully and sinfully) We agreed on 2 KD's. So be aware and never pay over 2 KD's for taxis.
Besides my adventure with this driver Arabs are quite hospitable and cheerful people. Traditionally guests are offered dates and Arabic coffee. (not like Turkish one, has bitter taste.) And if you are having a drink or meal with an Arab, they don't let you pay.
Kuwait was a fishermen town before oil became an industry. You can feel the strong ties of the city and sea from the big marina and fish market. Also one can see many people fishing in the piers of the city, if you go out for a walk in the evenings.
And city overall is actually not a very big place and besides the city there are a
Fish Market
Strange fat fishes few towns scattered around the city in the desert. And when you think the size of this small country compared to the size of whole world, having the 10 percent of the world oil in this small land can be compared like a man who wons the great award in a lottery 10 times. As the oil prices increased, like all the gulf countries Kuwait became richer and you can feel the economical developement by all the constructions going on in the city.
Even though the wealth it has, the night life almost does not exist in Kuwait as the country is quite conservative. Only beer without alcohol can be found and you can't find bars, discos or clubs to hang out. Social life is limited with shopping malls and big 5 star hotels beaches, pools and other complexes. But I should say Hotels are quite luxurious and giving good service. Like Dubai service sector is run by mostly Indians, Pakistanis and Philipinos. So English speakers are everywhere.
For some reason Kuwait gave me the feeling of a relaxed and quiet city where one may live a peaceful family life. Surely no one would ever heard of this
Marina Mall
Malls are the social life in Kuwait. This one has also real trees grown inside fishermen town unless the 10 percent of the world oil was there.
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