Day Six in Bahrain

Our final day in Bahrain was just as packed as the rest of our week. Our first tourist stop of the day was a visit to the largest mosque in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.

It was my first time in a mosque, and the visiting women were required to wear an abbeyah and head scarf. The very kind ladies at the reception desk dressed us and completely covered our head and neck, with just our faces showing.

I felt very overwhelmed by the outfit, conflicted about trying the new experience and my feelings of physical and cultural discomfort. I was happy I had the experience, but don't plan on adopting the style.

The mosque was a large, high ceilinged building with a high dome and stained glass (probably made by that man from the craft workshop!). The tour guide demonstrated the first verse of prayer, and told us a little bit about Islam and it's prayer rituals.

We then headed to the desert to ride ATVs to the "tree of life," which is a large stunning tree in the middle of desert. The tree receives no water, and it is considered to be a miracle.

The tree itself was beautiful and majestic,and I could have stayed there for a few hours resting or letting my thoughts wander. A huge sprawling tree, low to the ground, we were able to climb the branches for a great group photo.


My whole body was caked in dust. My hair, mouth, and clothing felt stiff and salty.  When I took a bath, the tub water was an opaque gray from the sand.

The evidence.

For lunch we stopped at a traditional Bahraini restaurant, which might have been my favorite cultural experience of the week. We ordered family style, with three different types of rice with lamb, vegetable curry, yogurt sauce, and pita bread. We ate with our hands. It was messy and delicious. I tasted a piece of lamb (how could I  miss out on that experience?) and it was divine, spiced with cardamom and cinnamon.

We all experienced a minor food coma, and headed back to the hotel to pack. We had one last dinner with our guide who had become one of the group, and he took us tithe airport. We were all very sad to say goodbye to him and the other wonderful hosts who had made our stay in Bahrain so wonderful.

As Americans, we are exposed to negative images of the middle east and Islam. What we don't see in the news is how warm and kind the people are, going out of their way to be hospitable. Families are tight units, taking care of each other. The women are exceedingly kind, and my smile and eye contact was always reciprocated. The young people we met were motivated and grounded. Not once did I feel threatened or unsafe.


All in all, a wonderful trip. I hope they have us back for next years' festival.