Kuwait a Minute

First and foremost, let's give credit where credit is due. Your blog title pun today is courtesy of Justin Ledlow, a fellow Banshee improviser and founder of Huntsville's own Epic Comedy Hour. These things don't promote themselves, you know. 

And now, back to Kuwait. 

We are here for at least one too many days and I believe* I am speaking for all of us when I say we are ready to move on from the Middle East. It has been wonderful to see and fascinating to experience but the 116 degree heat has taken its toll. Dad is heading back to America today while AT and I head onward to Jordan tomorrow. We're looking forward to Petra, a balmy 90 degrees, and a change of pace. 

We have done some sightseeing around Kuwait, of course. The city is mostly new with a little bit of old thrown in. The fishing boats and souk tea pots provided a nice contrast to the new high rise buildings and towers. 

We visited two museums while here. The first was a collector's private home where the basement was converted to display artifacts from all over the Middle East. The collection was primarily jewelry (and we are talking crammed display after crammed display after crammed display) but also included textiles, pottery, and swords. There was a really nice display of traditional musical instruments, too! Pictures were not allowed inside the museum so this picture is definitely not from there. 

The last museum was on the history of the Gulf War. It was a little bit propaganda and a lotta bit terrifying. I can now say I have seen graphic war scenes re-enacted by small train-size models. I took no pictures but I'm sure the images will come out in art therapy a few years from now. 

The true highlight of our Kuwait visit was a dinner hosted by the family of one of AT's friends from Gainesville. They welcomed us into their home for a delicious meal to break their Ramadan fast. They could not have been more gracious and we were essentially complete strangers. A multi-course buffet was served with more food than any of us could handle. Following dinner, one of their sons gave us a tour of the old-city's souk. We are so grateful for their hospitality and it was an unforgettable experience. 

We'll be spending the rest of today slacking off, possibly poolside, and visiting one of the world's largest malls for dinner. The mall is a fascinating representation of worldwide chains. You never realize exactly how international the International House of Pancakes is until you see two of them in the same Kuwaiti mall. We probably won't be eating there tonight but it is an option!

*I just confirmed this with my fellow travelers.