Zanzibar - Stone Town

Hi Bloggers,

Just got back from a great week in Kenya! Visited both Nairobi and Mombasa, though had to cancel the safari because of a severe attack of the runs! But I'll cover this highly memorable journey in my next blog, as somehow I've managed to get seriously behind schedule, mentioning nothing about my trips to Zanzibar in March and then Istanbul in June since I lasted posted!

So Zanzibar - that's Tanzania, by the way (see previous blog for Dar es Salaam). What a place! It must be one of the top exotic destinations anywhere in the world, as combines both culture and natural beauty. The Stone Town dates back several hundred years as a centre for the spice trade and has elements of Arab, Indian and Portuguese architecture in it. Its heyday, though, was probably from the 18th Century onward, when the Omani Arabs took control of it and added the slave trade to it (nice one, chaps). There's also a buzzing market here too.

Zanzibar is worth visiting for the Stone Town alone, but it also blessed with magnificent white sands beaches, particularly on the east coast. There's a reef about a mile out too, which means that the water remains very shallow near the shore.












Myself, I stayed in the Stone Town and made excursions out to the beaches, as, to be honest, I'm not really a beach person. I love to be near the sea, but find I get bored pretty quickly if I just sit on the beach, and I gave up sunbathing years ago! The only drawback in the Stone Town is the presence of persistent touts. I found the best way was to make friends with a couple of them, because actually they gave useful insights into the place and were often interesting characters in their own right. And, poor guys, they're just trying to make a living like anyone else!












The east coast of Africa is the Swahili speaking area, whether it be Kenya or Tanzania. It evolved as a result of Afrian Bantu meeting Arabic. Swahili doesn't refer to just the language but also the coastal people as a whole. And I'm pleased to say I learnt a few basic phrases! Jambo - hello!

But enough of my blurb. Judge for yourself by the pictures!

Cheers,
Robert

Tanzania - Dar es Salaam

Hi Bloggers,

I haven't blogged for quite a while. I've probably been focussing on Facebook too much! But actually I think blogging provides a much more coherent and progressive record of events, whether it be travel, politics, family or something else. So ......

The main events for me this year have been the continued trouble here in Bahrain (see below) and my first trip to black Africa since 1970. Tanzania to be precise. The politics in Bahrain have frankly become boring and are well documented in other places, so I'll focus primarily on my April trip to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

Just before that trip, though, all the BC teachers here in Bahrain were fortunate enough to get one extra free week's holiday in Dubai, as the British Embassy decided the situation on the ground was dangerous enough to warrant "withdrawal". I didn't think it was that bad myself, but I certainly wasn't complaining and thoroughly enjoyed looking around Dubai. It really is quite a place, and I'd recommend it to anyone for a visit. However, it's probably best done as a stopover to somewhere else.

So on to Africa. I'd visited Ghana and Togo in West Africa when I was just a teenager in 1970, but really I was too young and green to get much out of that trip. So I was keenly anticipating this one, albeit to a different part of Africa this time, namely the East. As I only went for a week, all I had time for was a couple of days in Dar es Salaam and then about 4 days on the fabled isle of Zanzibar.

I'll take Dar first (see next blog for Zanzibar). Frankly the place was a dump, pretty ramshackle right the way through. It wasn't actually filthy and squalid, like in India, but there was no area that was really upmarket and spic and span like you might expect in a western city. Yet it was friendly enough, even quaint in places and certainly didn't lack atmosphere. But for me Dar's most striking feature was undoubtedly what it didn't have rather than what it did. For example, there wasn't one of those large colourful markets you always expect to see in developing countries. And there were no signs of major development, like a shopping mall or a governmental area with grandiose monuments, etc . In fact, there wasn't even a decent supermarket in the place. The only one I found was affected by the intermittent power cuts, such that most of the frozen foods had melted at some point.

As for the people, they were pretty laid back on the whole. I wasn't accosted in either a positive or negative way. In fact, they semed pretty indifferent to white tourists. They also tried to charge money if they thought they were in one of your photos, which I found really annoying. Nevertheless, I felt reasonably safe, though at night the streets did get eerily deserted. Mind you, I always leave all my valuables in the hotel safe, just taking out enough for the evening. My best experiences were in cafes and restaurants where I got chatting to quite a few locals. But overall a pretty mediocre experience. People in Zanzibar (next blog) were much more communicative.

Anyway, enjoy the shots. They're all of Dar. I think they give a reasonable representation of the place. Next Zanzibar!

Cheers, Robert

Manama - Saturday morning

Hi Bloggers,

There was certainly plenty of action yesterday, though, myself, I only managed to capture the Sunni pro-government parade during the day. It focussed mainly around the Al Fateh mosque in Juffair, but also spread right down the highway to the Diplomatic Area. The overwhelming feeling of this demonstration was the wealth and opulence of the Sunnis. Everyone was wearing their Sunday (read Friday!) best and there were large convoys of 4W drive cars. This was in strong contrast to the more working or lower middle class feel of the Shi-ite protesters, who even had the pluck to camp out.



Tragically, I heard there were more shootings at the Pearl Roundabout in the evening. CNN is running a very graphic video, clearly showing someone being shot through the head. I went down there myself at about 11.00 pm, but it was all quiet again by the time. There was still a heavy police and army presence, so I backed off pretty quick. It's surprising how close you get on a bicycle, though, because it's a nifty, tricky and fast way of getting around.

The Crown Prince addressed the nation yesterday, but frankly I found him almost as hypocrytical as the Foregn Minister the day before. He called for calm and the recovery of our "humanity". Although superficially the right buzz words, it makes it sound like the current situation is a shared responsibility, involving two-way violence, but this is not so. The only "inhumanity" is coming from the police and army, not the protesters. The protesters who were shot at yesterday even had their hands in the air at the time.

Today is another weekend day, so there will probably be more demos. Whether the situation will calm from Sunday onwards remains to be seen.

Will contine to update,
Robert

Pearl Roundabout Aftermath

Hi Bloggers,

As you all probably already know, things turned extremely nasty early Thursday morning (ca. 3.00 am), when the police brutally attacked the protesters while they were still sleeping. In a concerted and clearly well planned operation, the protesters were forced to flee. The police used tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shot. A further three people were killed. There must have been some resistance by the protesters, though, as there were a lot of stones strewn around.

I think what makes it so shocking was that up to that point the protesters had kept their activities completely peaceful (see previous blog) and there was no need for this kind of brutality. Moreover, there were women and children in amongst the crowd. It's not as if they were charging down streets smashing things or setting cars on fire, etc.

Anyway, I went down to the Pearl Roundabout to see the aftermath. Basically it was cordoned off by police, and I was quickly waved away by police (see top picture) as soon as they saw I had a camera. But I did manage to get a few shots.

The Foreign Minister has since gone on television justifying the attack, saying it was to avoid sectarianism developing. A highly paradoxical statement, given that it is precisely because the Shi-ites feel they are treated as second class citizens that they demonstrated. Surely a much wiser course would have have been to arrange negotiations and try to meet at least some of the Shi-ite demands, considering they do make up 70% of the population.

Now, it is more likely that the protesters resolve will be hardened. However, it could well be that the government is simply going to be too strong for the demonstrators. Fobodingly, the other gulf states have guaranteed their support for the Bahraini government. Should their be more demos, we may will see Saudi tanks coming in too.

Will update soon,
Rob

Protests in Manama

Hi Bloggers,

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Well, not much exciting had been going on here in Bahrain until this recent wave of protests swept over the Arab world. It started in Tunisia - I've got a mate working there at the BC who was evacuated, incidentally - and has ended up here in Bahrain and Yemen just down the road. Generally, Bahrain is a pretty sedate kind of place, so I was surprised at the strength and determination of the protesters. It turned nasty on Monday when police tear-gassed and even shot rubber bullets and bird shot into the crowd. Two people were killed. I think this has just served to strengthen their resolve.

Fortunately, the police have pulled back now. The powers that be seem to be aware of the international attention they're getting and are consequently playing it safe. Let's hope they enter genuine negotiations with the protesters, who are basically Shi-ites. Shi-ites are the majority, but the country is ruled by Sunnis, who are the wealthiest group and hold all the positions of power.

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It'll be interesting to see how long this goes on and what turns it takes. I'll keep you updated.

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Cheers,

Rob

November in the Gulf

Hi Bloggers,
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November really is the most fantastic month imaginable here in the Gulf region. Temperatures have dropped to a comfortable mid 20's Celsius. Sunny days with cloudless skies and that terrible humidity now replaced by a lovely fresh breeze. You couldn't think up better weather even if you tried. It's in strong contrast to the crushing heat of the summer. I arrived here in April and haven't really known anything else but 40+ day-time temperatures. Let's hope this continues through the "winter"!

I've taken a few shots of Manama from Muharraq (above). I've tried to get the traditional fishing boats into the same picture as the skyscrapers and, of course, the bridge itself. Funnily enough, I always think the Financial Harbour Towers (middle right) look like a giant V-sign on the skyline. But that probably says more about me than actual reality! Interestingly, there are all these old fishing boats or dows, as they're called, dotted in stategic places around the sea front parts of Manama. At first, I thought they'd got stranded, but it is in fact a genuine and successful effort to be artistic.
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Meanwhile, busy planning my trip to Africa at Christmas!

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Cheers,

Rob

Bahrain Marathon Relay

Hi Bloggers,
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Just ran in the Relay Marathon for the British Council team. We came placed a wretched 150 out of 157 teams, but it was great fun, nevertheless. Surprisingly, it took place from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, which meant that a lot of us were running in the midday heat, which is still quite strong at this time of the year. Luckily, though, it had cooled down considerably from the really hot summer months, when temperatures reach as high as 45 C. I think people would have collapsed if they'd tried it then!

Anyway, I was quite pleased with my own times, 17.34 for an uphill 3.3 km stretch and then 15.34 for the home straight of exactly 3 km. Yes, I felt honoured to be selected for that role! Mind you, I was the only person in the team to run two stretches, so maybe I earned that privilege. Anyway, enjoy looking at the video (below) and pics. Hope it inspires you to take up running!

Cheers,

Robert

Tree of Life

Hi Bloggers,

Following our tour of the souks and a fantastic lunch at a local Thai restaurant, we proceeded to the highlight of the day - the Tree of Life. Basically, it's a solitary tree in the middle of the desert. No-one's fully sure where it gets its water from, but presumeably there's an underground table or resevoir there. Anyway, this tree is reputed to be hundreds of years old. To be quite honest, I was expecting to be disappointed, but actually was pleasantly surprised, as, in fact, the place is quite atmospheric and there's a great view around.

The biggest problem was actually finding the place! You would have thought the authorities would have gone to the trouble of making sure there were decent signposts for what is, after all, one of the country's main attractions. Anyway, after several circular detours and requests for directions, we did finally get there - just before sunset. As it turned out, that was probably the best time as the setting sun gives the place a distinctly reddish hue.

A lot of the tree had graffitti on it, which some people say spoils it. But actually I thought it rather enhanced the experience, giving it an extra historical dimension. Many of the signatures have even changed shape over time and are now really an integral part of the tree.

I'll let you judge for yourselves from the pictures.

Cheers,
Robert

Manama Souks

Hi Bloggers,

People tend to think of the Gulf region as being one purely of oil-rich affluence. But actually there is quite a significant amount of poverty, and not just amongst the immigrant workers, but also the indigenous Bahrainis. One of the nicer reflections of this, however, is the general central Manama area and its sizeable souk area. This part of town is simply teeming with life and character with lots of winding alley ways and rows of traditional houses, etc.
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So, me and my friend Dave, a fellow BC teacher, took a stroll around and decided to get a few pics earlier in the month, as he was just about to depart back to the cooler climes of the UK. And make no mistake about it, the midday temperatures here really are something else. 40C plus, and high humidity. You only need to walk for about five minutes and you're dripping! We're both keen joggers, but in the end had to abandon any projects to keep fit that way! Even at night it's still 35C.

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The part I liked the most was the tree covered square, where people just seem to sit and hang out for long periods of time. There aren't many green shady places in Bahrain, but this is certainly one! There are also a couple of open-air cafes where locals don't seem to do anything special other than just chill and drink their tea or coffee. Tea seems to be more popular, actually. It's a pity, though, you can't have a nice cool beer in a public place! OK, I'll let the pics do the talking from here.

After this we went out to the Tree of Life, which despite my initial misgivings turned out to be well worth the effort (see next blog).
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Cheers,

Robert

Abu Dhabi

Hi Bloggers,

Lovey dovey in Abu Dhabi? Well, not quite, but anyway just had a great couple of days there. It's interesting to compare it to Dubai, its illustrous neighbour. Abu Dhabi is much more like a normal town than Dubai. For example, it actually has high streets with shops, and lots of them, whole blocks in fact. That's not to say that Abu Dhabi hasn't been hit by shopping mall mania too, but it's much less at the forefront. Interestingly, I also stumbled across some quite slummy areas, where a lot of the immigrant population live. Most seem to be Filipinos. In fact, almost every shop assistant or cashier seems to be Filipina.

From a touristic point of view, the real highlight was the fabulous Sheik Zayed mosque, which is almost on a par with the Taj Mahal (see pic). There's also a park all along the "beach" front, which is great for jogging and cycling. The beach is mostly corniche, though, i.e. reclaimed land. And, unfortunately almost everywhere in the Gulf, there's a distinct lack of surf, probably because the water here is so shallow.

I was also surprised to find that the Emirates is actually cheaper than Bahrain. I did an experimental shopping run and it came out cheaper than the equivalent in Manama. The Emirates General Store is the place! Abu Dhabi would definitely be a nice place to live. Just a pity about the heat and absence of rain in this region!

Cheers,
Rob

City Centre

Wotsup Bloggers?

I've been here now just over a month, so I'm beginning to get a good idea what makes Manama tick. I've also got my cargo arriving next week, which includes my mountain bike and guitars. The bike'll make me much more mobile and enable me to explore deeper into the island. Some people say I'll be crazy to ride a bike in the summer heat, but I've always been a keen cyclist, so I'm confident I can handle it, provided I have the appropriate headware!

Anyway, for this blog I've decided to focus on the main shopping mall in Manama. It's called City Centre. In fact, it's sister to the one in Dubai, probably bigger too. The reason it's important is because this is the place most people seem to end up on their days off. It represents shopping in the Gulf at its most state of the art, particularly if you're a Westerner. And apart from anything, it's a great place to be just to cool off during the summer heat!

Practically every shop you could imagine is here, not disimilar in scale to the impressive Central World in Bangkok, where I've just come from (what a tragedy Central World got burned down during the recent turmoil in Bangkok). It's set slightly outside the main drag in a land reclamation area. In fact, coming from a distance it looks almost like it's in the middle of the desert, surrounded by nothing but sand. Land reclamation's a big thing here, and is one of the reasons there are no decent beaches to speak of, just these strips they call corniches.

As usual, I'll let the pics do the talking. hopefully in my next blog I'll cover something more cultural.

Cheers,
Robb

Manama

Hi Bloggers,

I've been in Manama (that's the capital of Bahrain, if you didn't know!) for nearly a month now and am getting quite settled in. It's much more sedate than I expected, but that's quite nice actually. It's a bit like a watered down Dubai, much smaller and less stressful, but basically the same kind of things going on.

I was out taking some pics yesterday, but it was a bit hazy for some reason. Surprising, 'cos actually the humidity here is pretty low. It's starting to get pretty hot now. A lot, of course, depends on where you put the thermometer, but I've had one reading of 43 C up to now. Anyway, for this blog I'm just focussing on skyline pics. I'll get better ones up in due course.

One doesn't have that much contact with Arabs on the whole, or if one does it's probably a taxi driver. I must say, they've all been pretty affable so far. However, most workers here seem to be from Kerala, India. Clearly there's some ancient trading connection between the two regions, which still continues through to today. Most waitresses and shop assistants seem to be Filipinas.

The picture on the right is the spectacular Financial Harbour Towers. What I like about them is the way their juxtaposition changes depending on what part of town you're looking from!

Will say more in my forthcoming blogs.

Cheers,
Rob

London and Bahrain

Hi Bloggers,

Well, I've finally arrived in Bahrain after a long delay in London due to the volcanic ash. And what a palava that was (no pun intended)! Surely it was obvious that by the time the ash was over the UK and Europe it would have dispersed enough to have little effect on plane engines. But I suppose they were correct to err on the side of caution.

Anyway, I had a few extra days in London. The BC put me in the Strand Palace Hotel, which quite frankly was rather disappointing. I've had better facilities and services in Thailand. But at least it had a decent view. See pic above.

My first impressions of Bahrain are pretty positive. Apart from the financial area, it's relatively low rise and everything is in shades of beige or sand colour, making things look like they have come out of the ground itself. So far it seems pretty unstressful and laid back. It's very different from Thailand in that not much happens outside on the street. It's all behind closed doors. In fact, there's an element of that glassed off feel like in Dubai. Apparently 49% of the population here are foreigners, cf Dubai, where it's a whopping 80%. Anyway, now I'm focussed primarily on looking for a flat before starting work on Tuesday.

Will update as soon as I've got more to say.

Cheers,
Robert

Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle

Hi Bloggers,

Yes, I've been inactive rather a while, mostly due to being bogged down with logistical things related to my upcoming move to Bahrain next month. Another reason is that I haven't really been anywhere of special note recently. Of course, there have been more red shirt demonstrations here in Bangkok just this week, but frankly I've lost interest in Thai politics of late. And I don't honestly see any real change occuring here. In my opinion, Taksin's main legacy will ultimately be that he has made the masses aware of their political power.

More interesting was my return to Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle earlier this week. Unfortunately the weather was a bit hazy, slightly dampening the normally stupendous views. Nevertheless, it was stil a great experience. I went with my Thai girlfriend, Ooy, who lives in Chiang Mai. We rented a motorbike and rode around using Chiang Rai as our base. I'll let the pictures do the talking for themselves.

For me one of the highlights was Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Saen. It's one of the oldest in the area, dating back several hundred years. A lot of it is in ruins. Nevertheless, it still functions as a living temple. I dutifully did a few rounds of the stupa, reciting my favourite mantra.














The white temple, Wat Rong Khun, just outside Chiang Rai was also pretty spectacular.













My next blog will probably be from Bahrain. I'm going to be sad to leave SE Asia, but being in a gulf state should be a genuinely interesting experience.

Talk again soon.

Cheers,
Robert

Dubai Sandstorm

Hi Bloggers,

Just been back to the UK to do the practical part of my Trinity Diploma. I must say, it was generally a pretty good experience. All the tutors were really supportive with lots of ideas and focused advice. Certainly better support than I got on the DELTA. Anyway, I reckon I did OK, though, of course I still have to wait for the results.

On the way back, I did a stop over in Dubai. It's never been high on my travel list, but I thought I'd take a look anyway. Just spent one day there. It's completely state of the art, which is maybe no surprise considering that it only took off twenty years ago. So it's also incredibly visual with some really knock-out skyscrapers. There's one where each floor rotates independently of the others!

But for all its spectacularness, it's a city without a soul. I've never been in a city where I felt so glassed off. In fact, only 20% of the population are indigenous. The rest are foreign workers, ranging from Europeans, Americans,and Japanese in top positions to Filipinas, Chinese, Lebanese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians in lower paid menial jobs.

And the heat! I thought Bangkok was pretty hot, but this was something else. It was about 40C while I was there. I don't think I've ever experienced heat like it. You had to keep diving inside into the air-conditioning just to cool off for a bit. There was also a sand storm at the time, which is why all my pictures look so hazy.

The only interesting place was the old quarter and its old windy soukhs. Unfortunately, it was Sunday, so any activity was a minimum. The creek, just nearby, was also very pleasant, reminiscent of what Dubai might have been like before the construction boom.

Anyway, it's one more country on my list. I think I'm up to about 43 now.

Cheers,
Robert

Soi Dogs

Hi Bloggers,

Following on from my last blog, where I mentioned that there was a family of dogs living in the derelict area in Soi 6, I thought I'd just put up a few pics of them.



Lovely animals they are. Dogs are definitely capable of feeling and showing love. I've grown quite attached to this pack since I've lived here and often go and feed them. There are five altogether in the family, but one has been ousted. Bernie (that's his name) was formerly top dog, but has now been banished to the sidelines. Siri, the white one, now rules the roost, to mix metaphors. Somchai, Greg and Kathy are the others.

Talk again soon,
Rob