The Regency Intercontinental Manama

Not much - just waiting at the airport for the flight! Bahrain was both nicer and more boring than I thought, the weather is a lot more forgiving but it's not worth more than about 3 days exploration tops.. Unless you like to get really nittygritty :P

Apparently the Bahrain-Saudi border is on a little island [not sure if it has an official name], which hosts a rest point on either side of the border, complete with matching observation towers. The whole road, which is 45km long, is called the King Fahad Causeway on the Bahraini side, with a different Saudi name.. Interesting stuff! :) Due to it being Ramadan and us not being ...

... wanting to come into Bahrain and next to nothing going into Saudi - apparently it's easier to access alcohol in Bahrain! :P

Our last stop was the Bahrain Fort [aka Portuguese Fort]. Nothing particularly new to me, seen plenty of them, but it was weird knowing the whole area it was on was reclaimed land from the sea!

Today, my mum had a conference so I was left to do as I pleased. I had a walk around the Juffair neighbourhood which was where my hotel was ...

... it out OK, but it would be important to keep a low-profile. This mean clothing, method of transportation, and hotels.

So I had spent the last week and a half growing a beard (or at least an attempt at one) to better blend in despite my very conspicuous blue eyes.  I think it partially worked---Saad had said that I didn't look "American"---that I looked like from the northern part of the Middle East (e.g. Syrian like my friend Basma had said I could pass for before) because of my ...

Last day in Saudi…woke up, showered, packed, and headed up to the usual breakfast. I called the front desk before I left and asked for a 9AM taxi. Breakfast was the same as before except this time there was mango juice. Was really good and reminded me of the stuff I had in Korea. Brushed my teeth and packed the last few items and went to check out. It took like 15 minutes to check out (U.S ...

... com/albums/mm29 1/petepaccione/IMG_0210.jpg The view: http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm29 1/petepaccione/IMG_0212.jpg A ship that blocked our direct view of the range from the lab: http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm29 1/petepaccione/IMG_0213.jpg The moble FACTAR lab being delivered: http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm29 1/petepaccione/IMG_0220.jpg More to come as I get more pictures put online....

... better too then...haha...husky in the middle east, should be interesting...at least we'll have an air conditioned house there for him....and probably a nice big pool in the backyard too. 
We arrived in Manama, Bahrain where Curtis headed to Saudi to check out the working conditions he'd be in and I went on a tour with my new friend Cindy (and met her family). They are resident Calgarian's that moved there a year ago for work - Ron works in Saudi as ...

... a big pastime among tourists who come to Bahrain. When we got to Seef Mall, however, we found that the last movies of the afternoon had started and the new set of timings didn't start until 7 P.M. So we went back to the supermarket to get some other stuff and then headed home for a swim before going for dinner at the Hard Rock Café. The pool where we are, at Elite Group 1, is very nice, if small, and not used lots. We had a ...

... much respect for the dead. Made the trip to the museum come to life. Day 3 - last day in Bahrain. Really had trouble filling in this day. Asked for and got a late check-out - 2:00 pm. Decided to go to the Water Garden - sounded impressive. Not really. It was a run down amusement park with a kids roller coaster, some ducks in a pond(one was dead - phew), rabbits and peacocks in cages and a small race car track for kids. No photos - don't bother ...

... pita to scoop things up. The drink, a Cocktail "International," made of mixed fruits, was mighty tasty. 10-Dec-05 Bahrain - market & museum To our surprise, the hotel breakfast was not the same as the previous day. But the real breakfast news was the loud gaggle of Arab women who seemed to dominate the restaurant, between loud telephone conversations with someone outside the window (with appropriate giggling), cooing at babies, and snatching condiments and such from other ...