Day 32 - Nov 20

Did you know that the first oil discovered in the Middle East was in Bahrain? And the rest is history from there... But Bahrain is now a very small producer of oil,. in fact, half of it's oil is gifted to them from Saudi Arabia, piped right across the sea.  Here is the first pump, now a monument. A monument to what you might ask? Standing next to me is Dewaine. Fan of his Brazilian wife and US Navy sailor in Bahrain port for a couple of days.

Improvisational fortress in the Bahrain dessert.

Family at the Tree of Life, Bahrain.

Pakistani, I think.

Camel farm.

Buying some material for his wife Sara spelled without an "h". Ryan was on his last weekend of his 4 years given to the US Navy and very happy to be done. Three months ago, one week before he left Washington State for the Arabian (Persian) Gulf on a 6,000 personnel ship called a destroyer, his wife gave birth to their first child.

Spontaneous panning shot with blur, very difficult to shoot! This was something like seeing a pheasant burst from some tall grass, track it, and nail it all in a split second. But I've never been bird hunting or anything kind of hunting, so the comparison is valid, at least in my head.

Day 30 - Nov 18

A bunch of US Navy dudes (and 2 Navy girlies) who's war vessel, an aircraft carrier, was in the Bahrain port for a couple of days. A family invited us all over for lunch after church on Friday.

Day 28 - Nov 17

"56-close, WHY? Open please." I think this is the raddest street art I have ever come across. It's on a door to one of the box shops in the Manama souq (market). Somebody was sad it was shut down and wanted to open back up. It must have been a unique shop as there are normally about 20 - 30 versions of each store or shop.

Please..open. I love that figure trying to open the lock. Love it.

Replica gramophone from India. 100% mechanical, no electricity. 100% awesome. Beautiful old warm jazz. I almost bought it. It can't play vinyl though, just older glass or ceramic records and my vinyl collection is already too much. And how would I get it home, right? Okay, so I once brought an entire 70 pound tandem bicycle back from Germany, but wearing the tube of this as a hat through the airport (my plan) would be too airport awkward.

Day 27 - Nov 16

 Poor boy eating one of his favorite Bahraini (and middle eastern world) street foods, a shwarma - grilled meat and vegetables rolled into a flat bread. Mmm.

A shwarma artist and his sword.

Day 26 - Nov 15

This here is the Tree of Life. Or that is how it is known. It is out in the middle of nowhere in the dessert so it is amazing that this huge tree has grown there. In the foreground you can see that there is some excavating going on. This excavation is really recent and there was no information but it was obviously the walls of some ancient ruins.

Am I in Utah?? It looks like it. This is the interior of Bahrain. The Arabic Gulf is just beyond those yonder hills. This is just by the Tree of Life.

Day 22 - Nov 11

 Flag flailing Fort City fortress.

Forts on the water. This is en Muhuraq, Bahrain.

Fare weathered ship mate.

Day 21 - Nov 10

 A city of forts with skyscrapers of Manama in the background.

Muath. Built a fort in fort city.