Tourism in Bahrain may never fly...

Did a wee drive around part of the country (HA! call it Lake Taupo and be done with it, so unusual to be somewhere that makes NZ look like a big place) and found the Tree of Life. Now I should know all the rationale behind the name, it's origin etc but I currently can't recall any of that info and my Bahrain Guide is in the car, I'm lounging on the couch waiting for Dave to Skype with vodka/apple juice at hand; and quite frankly can't be bothered walking that far so the origins of the Tree will have to wait till next post......

Anyhow here is a piccie of the tree and me plus few other tourists; really quite bizarre and a lot of people drive there, but fair call there are not many trees around and I say good on it for being alive out there in the sand. Who knows where it finds water to live? Actually let's be honest there are NO other trees around as far as the eye can see. So in it's own way it's pretty cool and I gave it a hug just because all trees need them but this one probably more so. Other quite exciting point was that it was on a slight rise, almost what you could call a hill, almost :-)

Don't believe it will make its mark on the global tourism scene quite like the Pyramids or the Great Wall but it was easy to find, no entry fee and no one selling souvenirs. I figured someone has to cotton on to that soon - perfect spot to sell t-shirts and postcards of the tree. I'm always keen a good postcard to send home - Callum would have loved it!! It was nice to see something outside the city, breaking free from the cafe scene.

This is the rear end of my car, I took lots of photos of scratches and dents while the rental car man put lots of crosses and lines on his diagram of the car before I rode away - cars here are covered in dents. I like my little car and love the fact that it is dust coloured and therefore needs washing less. There is always someone waiting at the ready to wash your car for 1BHD if needed - just park at the cafe, supermarket, mall, your apartment, wherever and there is the offer. I'm well used to having a dirty car and think once a month (aka year) washing or more is just over the top!! Many ex-pats here proudly talk about their monthly deal with the local car washer at their apartment - 3 washes per week for 10BHD a month. Yes it may be a great deal - but I ask - do you need it? And how many coffees could you drink for that?

Newsflash - it is raining here in Bahrain!! Yipppeee just walked outside to witness it for real, splashed a puddle and then came back indoors. Don't want too much excitement in one night.....or I'll never sleep and won't feel great when alarm beeps at 5am for work. On that note - night all I'm off to bed.

Spin?

Hmm well can't say the Spin class was the most inspiring in the world - in fact if truth be told it was pathetic - Pete from Bodyzone would have eaten them all for breakfast - especially the lady using her cellphone while doing the class - seriously what was with that???? If you can talk on your phone then you ain't working hard (in my humble opinion that is)! Will try out another intructor tomorrow, fingers crossed for more interesting routine......on the up side my knee felt ok-ish with just a wee dull ache the next day - things are looking up :-) Needless to say I was the only one I could see there sweating and puffing....always a good look.

Did the social thing last night and joined the other ex-pats working at polytechnic down at the local - yes you guessed it - Irish pub. Do they have any Irish pubs left in Ireland? Happy hour was great and I realllllllllllly felt like a cold beer after first week of teaching - tasted superb, as did the vodkas... Finished off the evening having dinner with few of the crew at local restaurant complete with dense fruity shisha smoke - there was plenty of shisba smoking going on - 2 apple seemed a popular wee flavour!

Piccie is the view from my kitchen window - beautiful indeed. As you can well imagine I simply spend hours staring out it and admiring the view.........so much beauty in one small spot.

Bahrain

Four weeks into the new job in Bahrain and I finally got to experience Bahraini students in the classroom - yipppeee for finishing a really long orientation. Happy to say the students are typical Bahraini - happy and smiley! Got to love that - see if I can keep them smiling the whole semester... for those of you who received my email I have no new photos for you the only photos I have taken recently have been of all the scratches and dents on my rental car so they don't try to blame me for them!

Things are going well although keen to move out of Ramee 4 'luxury' apartments - came home this afternoon to the sound of drilling through concrete - not especially restful. I am also about to go and try out my first spin class in the middle east - see how we go there! Has been a long time since doing any intense form of exercise - about mid June last year when I hurt my knee. I got the 'no need for surgery' sign off from surgeon the day before leaving NZ which is FAB news, there is a tear in the meniscus but too small to operate and should heal itself - eventually. Best of all though he reckons I can't do it any more damage by exercising on it. Yipppee so have tried the treadmill and realised I am incrediably unfit but it doesn't overly hurt when I stumble (let's not call it running or jogging yet) along the treadmill - all good! Watch this space for update on how a spin class feels on my knee.................