Mosques and Camels and Forts- Oh My!

We have spent the last two days in Bahrain, an island country that is constantly expanding by adding reclaimed land to its periphery. Somehow this means the desert country even has to import sand. Bahrain, originally a pearl diving and fishing community, is now in the oil business like its neighbors. Most notably, Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East to discover oil* and this is that country Michael Jackson hid out in for a while.**

We probably hit every tourist spot imaginable and the country, along with our spunky tour guide, were a delight! Some highlights were:

The Grand Mosque- it was not as grand as the others we have toured as of late but it did have the honor of getting all three of us into traditional garb. We also had some sparkling debate with our mosque tour guide about some of the finer points of Islam. 

The Tree of Life- a tree that grows seemingly miraculously in the middle of the desert. It is in the middle of an oil field so when we were first going there I thought we were heading to a symbolically-named oil rig. Turns out it was actually just a tree and maybe I should be less into metaphors. If you touch the tree, you will return to Bahrain again. See you soon, Bahraini!

The Obligatory Fort- unfortunately, we went on a Friday morning*** and it was closed. Fortunately, we have seen enough forts to last a lifetime. Spoiler alert: all forts have walls to keep foreigners out but a tower tourists are forced to climb. Dad, in particular, was not sad.****

A Camel Farm- the prime minister likes camels.****** He has opened a farm specifically to raise recreational camels that is free for all to visit at any time. Turns out, camels like to sit around and chew grass. And it's adorable. 

Not Saudi Arabia- there is a causeway that runs from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and it is Bahrain's only bridge to the main land. The causeway is mainly used by Saudis who want to have some fun in a different county and Bahrainis who work in Saudi but prefer to live elsewhere.******* We briefly held out hope that we could touch Saudi land and get another point but, sadly, it was not to be. The causeway links on both sides to "passport island," a man-made island that is half Bahrain and half Saudi Arabia. In the middle is a passport control center to leave one country, about 500 meters of no-mans-land, and then a passport control center to enter the other country. We could not actually get to Saudi but were satisfied with seeing it and a sign. I didn't touch a tree there so I don't know if I'll ever be back. 

Spy- they have American movies here! And movies are shown in air-conditioned malls. And Melissa McCarthy is funny in all the languages. I'd tell you to see it but you probably did that months ago.********

*1932

**2005

***Allah's day

****It was not explained to us***** why there were statues of bumblebees outside the fort 

*****It was too hot to ask

******So say we all

*******Not everyone is into beheadings

********You are so on top of it! Good job, you!!