4 minute read
The Middle East
Dubai, Doha and Bahrain
Our trip to the Middle East took place more recently. In April 2019, my wife and I packed our bags to visit the Middle East. When we decided to take this trip, we were subjected to a few odd looks that seemed to say, “Why are you going to the Middle East of all places?”
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To them, I said it’s a place of great majesty and is home to a beautiful culture and traditions. I went on to further state that I wished to witness the beauty of the land first-hand, let me just say, that this holiday was definitely one of the most memorable.
Dubai
We kick started our trip from Dubai, as it is a city, we were all somewhat familiar with. The city is now a hub for a lot of commercial activity, and a lot of companies’ regional headquarters are here. Of course, shopping was also part of the experience, and boy, oh boy, is Dubai made for shopping or what!
We began the next day by going on the highly acclaimed desert safari. It was a day-long affair, or perhaps the package we opted for was designed such. Either way, it was absolutely wonderful.
After a lot of dune bashing, we stepped out of our vehicle for a bit to take in the views of the desert expanse. It was truly breathtaking. What has always captivated me about deserts is the fact that even though there is not even so much as a spot of greenery, it is somehow so beautiful. The ripples in the sand, and the mounds we could see in the distance were all so beautifully shaped. Divine design, I called it.
As the sun set on an adventurous day, we were driven back to “camp.” Entertainment awaited us here and we all sat down and made ourselves comfortable. There were platters of food we could help ourselves to, and did we! We also saw live belly dancing for the first time. The food was absolutely delicious; flavorful and not at all greasy, heavy, or spicy. It was the perfect meal after the hectic day we had had. From there, we headed home, but after a quick breakfast at the hotel the next morning, we ventured out to Dubai Frame. It is a wonderful structure, if I do say so myself.
After we had gotten our fix of this rather touristy spot, we went over to Al Fateh Mosque, otherwise known as the Great Mosque. It was undoubtedly the best time to go there, because we reached just in time for the afternoon prayers. The melodious call to prayer could be heard over the speakers. Ahead of this trip, we had been mindful of dressing for the occasion, as almost all religious sites have a code of conduct that every visitor should follow.
Once we’d had our fill of food and drink, we decided to walk it off instead of taking a cab to our next destination. It turned out to be a great decision, because we got to experience the city at our own pace. Usually when people sit in cars and other vehicles, they tend to miss a lot of the sights and sounds that make a city what it is. Of course, we were also lucky that the sun was surprisingly kind that day, or else we would’ve fried in that desert heat!
We grew tired after a bit of walking, and thus decided to take a cab and visit the Burj Khalifa. Everyone probably knows that it’s the highest free-standing structure in the entire world. It boasts more than 160 stories! This thought alone was enough to make me feel dizzy, but looking up at the majestic building is surely a treat for the eyes.
Bahrain
After spending three days in Dubai, we went to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Rightly called the Pearl of the Persian Gulf, the island country is definitely a must-visit for one and all.
We began our trip by going to the Bahrain Fort, which is also known as the Qal’at al-Bahrain or Portuguese Fort. It was built in the 16th century so it’s a marvel in my books. As is the case with all forts, we had to walk around carefully, and we also wanted to do so in order to cherish the structure in a way that did its justice.
Once we were done, though, we all felt extremely tired and did not want to move an inch. This was despite the fact that we had all managed to stay hydrated throughout this excursion. God know what would have happened otherwise. Given how we were all feeling, we decided to head back to the hotel for the evening and not indulge in any adventures until we’d had a restful sleep. It was a great decision indeed because the pace of the trip had now started to catch up with all of us.
The next morning, we began by paying a visit to the Al Fateh Grand Mosque. We went by car, of course, so by the time we saw the minarets in the distance, I remember being in awe. It was a breathtaking site. A lot of people tend to think that if you’ve seen one mosque, you’ve them all. I think this is a gross injustice to architecture. I didn’t want to take too many pictures at the risk of being disrespectful. Being a lover of architecture, though, I did manage to get a few great shots of the facade.
After walking around the city, a bit more and eating some great food, we were back at the hotel on what was to be our last night in beautiful Bahrain. For everyone who thinks the Middle East is not worth visiting, I have several experiences that narrate otherwise.
Doha
The last leg of our trip to the Middle East was Doha. It is the capital of Qatar, and even though we were there for only 2 days, we had quite a bit of fun.
Here, we simply went to the friends house, dropped our bags, and headed over to the Doha Villaggio Mall. We chose this place because it is the hub of luxury shopping. My wife and I were looking out for sales and discounts, because that’s just a rule that we follow. I won’t bore you with the details. We all shopped and came back with smiles on our faces!
