Travelogue 3: Is there anything to see in Bahrain?

By Philip Mudartha
Pics by Lisa Saldanha
Bellevision Media Network

12 Mar 2014: Ask an Indian this question. The most likely answer is no. Ask a Brit the same question and he certainly would say that there is a lot to see and do. What if we ask this question to a Saudi? Well, I will come to the most probable answer a little later.

 

Thirty six years have elapsed since I first set my foot in 1977 on the pearly island of Manama, the capital of Bahrain. I was heading to Georgetown, South Carolina in USA. Bahrain was first of three transit airports in my long journey. The others were London and New York.

 

The Bahraini Airport Immigration officer allowed me to enter his country with a 72-hr visa for a fee of 3BD (Bahraini Dinar). In those days, Indians were looked down with suspicion. We were potentially illegal immigrants seeking jobs. Only my USA visa status made me a welcome guest.

 

I had befriended a Mangalorean expatriate on my flight. With him, I rode to the city center for free. I arrived in the middle of Bahraini Gold Souk and checked in a bed-n-breakfast kind hotel for 2BD a night.

 

A heritage hotel in Central Manama for budget travelers. We can walk to most tourist attractions in and around Gold Souk.

 

Thereafter, I set out on foot exploring the narrow alleyways of central Manama. I peered at the only 5-star hotel in Bahrain in those days: The Gulf Hotel. In those days, Sh. Isa’s Main Bahraini Palace was overlooking the turquoise blue waters of Arabian Gulf.

 

In this picture taken in August 2013, we can see Gulf Hotel towering majestically over royal gardens of Bahrain’s Old Palace. In distant buildings belong to Juffair Town, a new reclaimed region of Manama. I did not own a camera in 1977; so, I cannot produce any evidence of what old-timers in Bahrainknow and remember.

 

Unlike Bombay where I came from, I could see the entire town in a few hours. Only, I should not step into those Indian textile shops and start bargaining. Or, wait at display window of an electronic store and watch Hindi movie shown on a color TV set. I have to mention that I had not seen a TV set, even a black and white, before Bahrain-1977.

 

As early as five in the evening, as the sun was setting, I ate a meal of Chicken Biryani at a Malayalee joint. He kept feeding me endless portions of Basmati ricecooked in liberal mounds of pure ghee and flavored with aromatic spices. What did it cost? Only a quarter BD! In those days, even boiled rice was hard to find in Mumbai, let alone Basmati. And here, OUR rice was fattening Arabs and Guest Workers at throw away prices!

 

For night-life, I watched Bobby at an open air talkies, sitting between muscular Pathans, who roared and whistled at our curvaceous Dimple. I had my brush with real night life only hours later. At my hotel, I tried to fall asleep, but was kept wide awake by loudDisco music from the dance bars on lower floors and the moans from neighboring rooms. There, I have hinted at what brings Saudis here. The confirmation came next morning in the lobby. I ran into a brave and honest Saudi father with a teenaged son. He had brought his son on an education tour prior to his impending arranged wedding next week to a virgin cousin back home!No kidding!!

 

A not so seedy kind of entertainment for lonely visitors to the island.

 

Believe me; I did not go back into Bahrain for two decades. Living as a neighbor in Qatar, I watched South-East Asian bachelor expats go to Bahrain on weekend leisure trips. They came back stress-free, happy and already looking forward to next trip.  For them, Bahrain symbolized freedom in a region where that word was rarely spoken. Bahrain was liberal enough to accommodate pagan pleasures like alcohol, pork, music, dancing, seedy gambling, body massages and hush-hush bought sex.

 

Most often, they smuggled, in checked baggage, parts of suchBahraini freedom into their bachelor dorms in the desert. The Doha Airport Customs Officers let the contraband slip in with feigned ignorance.

 

In Manama during my maiden prowl on it streets, I had bought Oil Sheiks, a no-holds-barred book written in 1975 by Linda Blandford.

 

The cover of best seller of those times that sold like hot cake. By 1974-75, fabulously rich Arab Sheiks had descended with their wives and children in London, Paris and Vienna to spend summer months in relative luxury of cooler climes.

 

As a Brit white woman, Linda befriended local men easily and managed unlimited access into their households and in the process gained insights into their culture, beliefs, lifestyles, business practices, and world-view. The book accurately recorded my own impressions not only of Bahrain, but also much of the region.

 

I have made many trips to Bahrain after the millennium, majority of them on business. Many a times, I am met and greeted at airport, fast tracked through immigration desk, and escorted to waiting chauffeurs. At times, I have arrived at short notice, hired an airport taxi or taken a hotel van. Once, during the Bahraini Arab Spring clampdown of Manama, I have walked to my hotel a few hundred meters from the airport, watched sternly by Bahraini Security Forces.

 

What can I do except transact official business of my employer, when I fly in late at night and fly out the next afternoon? Well, go out for dinner with business associates, relatives and friends.

 

Manama is famous for its restaurants. Among them are many low-priced value-for- money Indian eateries. They offer a variety of a-la-carte Indian, Mughlai, Chinese, and Arab dishes, and on weekends spread out elaborate sumptuous buffet menus.

 

In this photo of August 2013, my friend from Belle and I am seen after a hearty dinner meal at one such eatery favored not only by Indians but also curry loving westerners.

 

 

Bellevision Bahrain (BVB) is an active association to promote kinship among expats from Belle and its neighboring parishes. I am seen here with Joel, the newly elected President of BVB, and my cousin William. The location is one of Mangalorean eateries that serves delicious ethnic dishes for breakfast.

 

Every second block in Manama is a restaurant offering fine dining experience at affordable prices or at the street side eateries. Many of the moderately priced restaurants have a DJ or two, often rendering melodious Bollywood classics to the accompaniment of live instruments like Tabla and Sitar.

 

 

Lanterns is particularly one among my favorite joints. The duo of a Sardarji and his lady render melodious Bollywood hits to houseful crowd of diners at this joint located in Budaiya. You can opt for them cook your meal at your table. Watch the chef expertly pouring spirit of your choice (most choose scotch whiskey) over tender and juicy kebabs in order to produce exotic flavors. It is an experience of life-time, repeating over and over again.

 

Or, Go and jog along the waterfront with Bahrain World Trade Towers to watch over so that I am not lost.

 

Bahrain World Trade Center

 

The Bahrain World Trade Center, with its giant windmills for power generation, is twin towers which can be seen from any part of Manama and beyond. I use this as reference point when I seemed to get lost in narrow alleyways of old town. Streets, lanes and shops look so much alike, I cannot tell where I am until I look up in the direction of these majestic buildings on the Manama Corniche.

 

Relax by the waterfront and watch the sunset, which no doubt is one of the most beautiful sights in Manama.

 

 

Panoramic view of Manama Corniche on west coast of the island. The sun sets in the gulf waters sending golden red glow on fishing dhows and boats as well as pleasure yachts sailing or anchored in the bay.

 

Or visit relatives and friends in their homes and have a drink. Eat pork dishes without guilt associated with breaking local laws, Expats in Qatar eating the smuggled variety are riddled with both guilt and fear of being informed to the police by snooping jealous neighbors.

 

Or, admire the beauty of kitchen gardens raised by die-hard enthusiasts and relax over juicy kebabs grilled on red-hot coals under a moonlit sky, recreating the enchanting feel of Arabian Nights.

 

Francis Saldanha at work in his kitchen garden in Bahrain

 

Francis Saldanhahas, for Bellevision, written exclusive articles on hobbies and describing his passion with gardening. He has a moderate plot of a court-yard around his family home inside a housing compound a little outside central Manama. We have seen very high quality pictures of his garden and its wonders. Flowers, herbs, vegetables and seasonal fruits are his specialty. He sure has green fingers.

 

I am not the only visitor. This VIP butterfly is mesmerized by the beauty and nectar.

 

The creativity of the gardener knows no bounds. Even the roof of his modest home is the right place to raise herbs.

 

 

Take a closer look at herbs for daily use by the lady of the house. Bennie, Francis’s homemaker, is a cook par excellence. I loved her home made genuine ethnic curries.

 

 

 

Relishing Masala dose and sipping piping hot filtered coffee in South Indian restaurants in alleyways near Bab-Al-Bahrain is an experience I do not give a miss.

 

This is a favorite with church-goers, especially for its patrade.

 

Bab-al-Bahrain, the gate of Bahrain almost like Gateway of India in Mumbai

 

Bab-al-Bahrain, the gate of Bahrain almost like Gateway of India in Mumbai. It is a beautiful white heritage building that houses some artifacts and historical relics, portraits and paintings of Bahraini rulers and royal households created by local artists.

 

Watching people window shopping on a street leading to Catholic Church, lovingly called M.G. Road by most Indian Expats is pleasurable pursuit.

 

The Gate towards Manama’s central shopping district

 

The Gate towards Manama’s central shopping district. Begin here and simply stroll. Do not look at your watch. Better still, do not wear one. (At a later episode, I will describe my wanderings in desert towns of Mauritania, a West African country on the Atlantic Ocean and draw parallels to Bab-al-Bahrain and its environs)

 

Buying pearls, gold or fashion jewelry may not be within our budgets, but we can always afford to buy the local sweets and delicacies including Bahraini Halwa made from fresh local dates. Bahraini dates are among the finest.

 

The famed Gold Souk.

 

Souk is Arabic means covered shopping arcades. Essentially, shade is very important for shopping in hot humid conditions. This area houses many hotels with exciting night-life. There are smaller Indian and Bahraini shops selling local sweets and delicacies. The aroma of freshly baking bread and barbecued kebabs is too much on my nostrils as a foodie. It is simply moth-watering.

 

12 things to see and do in Bahrain:

1. Stay at heritage hotels in Central Manama like Dilmon, Gulf Gate, Tylos etc. Mingle with hotel staff many of them from villages around Moodu-belle, who will let you into secrets they hold close to their chests about living in Bahrain for decades.

 

2. Take a bleep-taxi (now sms-taxi?) by day hire to go around the country. Drive to the Immigration Tower on the Bahrain side of 2 Km Saudi-Bahrain Causeway.

 

3. Visit Bahrain National Museum on Al Fathe Corniche and appreciate collection of Bahrain’s ancient archaeological artifacts on display in nine halls, depicting the archaeology, culture and lifestyle of Bahrain’s pre-industrial past as well as natural flora and fauna.

 

4. Sample the night-life, cleaner the better, unless inclined to do dirty and naughty stuff. There are cleaner dance bars and pubs in hotels around Bab-al-Bahrain. (I have met some Mangalorean Catholic House-maids escaped from sponsors and waiting tables in some not-so-naughty dance-n-smoke-n-drink bars).

 

5. Go to the Tree of Life. One needs to befriend a richer friend with a four-wheel drive or have a European host. How many long-time residents among my readers have gone there, may I ask?

 

6. Have dinner aboard a yacht/dhow/boat in the Gulf Waters by night.

 

7. Visit and watch Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix. (if you can afford the hotel prices; they multiply twenty-foldif you decide last minute. Even furnished service apartments in Juffair charge 150BD or so during this period).

 

8. Do not miss Belly Dancing in exclusive places. (I have not forgotten the pain of watching one of the worst shows ever in Bahrain).

 

9. Go to church. You can also go to Hindu temple, a Sikh Guru-dwara; even a Jewish Synagogue.

 

10. Take local taxis, especially at Bab-al-Bahrain Taxi Rink

 

11. Ride a municipal bus, better still take a long distance bus to distant villages.

 

12. Eat, eat and eat…the whole world has set up their cuisine experiences in Bahrain.

 

Above all, do not discuss local politics with strangers. Local taxi drivers entice you with their problems and political statements. Stay clear from giving your opinions. Bahrain is free, liberal and fun; but, that does not mean it does not take its soft belly. It does take a rigid stand on sensitive issues including its national political tensions.