“I see your skyscrapers, your restaurants, your cafes and supercities. But where are you keeping the old rocks?” – Old Sean
Surface Tension
Currently, it’s a strange combination of times in Bahrain and the Middle East in general.
In the United States, Labor Day weekend has sundered my current remote work job, giving me a wee bit of breathing room. Over in India, Diwali is beginning, causing another surge of breaks and celebrations on the opposite side of the world. And within the Middle East itself, a summit is rising.
Saudi Arabia is currently hosting a massive summit among Gulf nations in an attempt to create a coordinated response regarding the Israel and Palestine war. Every shop I pass or airport I walk through currently has the speeches playing 24/7 with only occasional breaks to allow for hosts to comment on and analyze the language being used. It also means that several roads in Riyadh are currently closed and citizens are being asked to stay off those routes in general to prevent an upswell of traffic. I’m not sure how important that last request is, as the roads seem as busy as ever as I wind towards the airport.
Naturally, this meant it was a nice time to visit Bahrain. I wandered to the airport directly after my work shift on Friday, flying out without a hitch.
Pre-Reputation
One of the biggest issues when traveling comes from other people coloring perceptions before embarking on a journey. Bahrain, in particular, thanks to its location near Saudi Arabia, gets a lot of commentary.
Foreign friends in the area somewhat undersold it. My Saudi friends simply shrugged a bit when I asked about it. With alcohol semi-legal in certain restaurants in the nation, a lot of foreign tourists zip over there for recreation which is softly frowned upon.
It gives the country a bit of a mixed reputation as a very fun but slightly off-color location.
I dislike when people give me opinion-warnings however. I prefer to go into things with absolutely zero expectation or preconceptions. It makes my reaction more genuine overall.
This is surprisingly difficult in the modern world. Advertisements and the internet are overwhelming influences in forewarning. There are very few things I’m capable of experiencing without some level of previous knowledge.
Despite that, there’s nothing to do but relax and hope that experiences overwhelm expectations in one way or another.
Smooth Landing
I was remarkably pleased with my initial arrival to Bahrain. The airport process was smooth and required virtually zero energy. Publically available WIFI allowed me to order an Uber and immediately zip away to my hotel, a budget location called the Sea Shell Hotel next to a neighborhood which can be generously called a party district for its range of night life activities.
I wasn’t terribly interested in that, however. Instead, I spent the evening dropping off my things and walking down to the Manama Old Town area.
Manama is the technical capital city of Bahrain. But since the northern half of the country is a continuous metropolitan area and the southern half is virtually empty of infrastructure, it would be more accurate to call this the only continuous urban space in the country.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed walking around the district at night. There was a huge number of markets to browse, though they have the usual Middle Eastern flavor. There were dates being sold, unique coffee shops, glorious lines of golden jewlery, impressive displays of knick-knacks, odd eateries and the occasional traditional clothing shop. Restaurants slightly outside this area, which catered primarily to migrant workers, were wonderfully cheap and filling.
Riyadh has a lot of good food, but there are few culinary items that elude them. In particular, it’s challenging to find good Asian noodles. Bahrain has no such trouble, with a massive Thai, Korean Chinese, and Filipino population.
Reasonably happy with the food, I was also pleased to find a two-hundred year old Hindi temple located in a hidden ally of the city. This temple is called Shrinathji Temple and it’s a beautiful hidden place.
I entered the temple, somewhat awkwardly, since I never know what to do with myself at religious sites, but I was quickly greeted by a local spokesman who was happy to regale me with a crash course lesson in Hindi culture, religion and history.
I spent some time learning about Ganesh, Krishna, Hanuman, Durga, the trinity of Hindi dieties, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and a list of smaller stories. Holy cows of white flesh with sacred red handprints were shown and there were a fair number of other art pieces to admire.
To my surprise, I had arrived directly at the beginning of the Hindi holiday of Diwali, meaning there were small festivities in full swing. Many of the people at the temple weren’t tourists like me, but instead people actively enjoying the celebrations and practicing their faith.
I was offered a free sample in the upper portion of the temple called Coconut Cake, a crumbly, sweet treat. It’s official Hindi name is Nariyal and I fully plan on making some next time I have access to a kitchen and spare time.
I wandered the temple plaza, taking my photos and chatting with locals while pressing my bare feet into the concrete. Entire walls were covered in chains of string lights. I’m tempted to call the Christmas lights, but that seems somehow inaccurate for a Hindu Temple.
Regardless, I enjoyed my surprise time in the area. I made a point of wandering further.
Market Man
My time in the market area, while interesting, wasn’t climatic in any way.
I walked around. I sampled food. I looked at small pieces of artwork. I deterred the usual array of hawkers. After experiencing the aggressive friendliness of Egyptian tourist hawkers, the Bahrani salesfolk were downright restful.
I eventually made it to the club district, which looks…concerning. I didn’t go inside. But I could see the spotlights and laser beans shooting overhead and the bass thumping out. The area was packed with foreigners streaming towards slightly run down buildings in a strange range of attire. It boomerangs to upscale suits to deep v neck shirts to skimpy dresses to streamlined ball gowns to casual jeans and t-shirts. In truth, I was happy to gradual rotate away from the area, eventually spending some time at Bab Al Bahrain before beginning the long walk home.
At it was a long walk back. I didn’t have much luck getting a Careem or Uber car and I have a pathological distrust if taxi drivers.
But when I got all the way back, I found I wasn’t tired quite yet. I opted for a short night at a nearby restaurant with country music thumping over my head. I met a couple of gentlemen inside who asked me a lot about living in Saudi Arabia, as both were planning a trip there eventually.
But once that was settled, I moved along, heading back to my hotel to collapse into a mini coma.
Rise and Sweat
I woke up somewhat late the following day, getting a Korean breakfast at Da Rae Jung Restaurant, which is a brilliant and lovely little restaurant. I ended up eating there at least once a day during my stay.
But once breakfast was finished, I grabbed a Careem car to Bahrain Fort.
I should mention here that Bahrain is seductively expensive. Most of the prices of things only show one to six Dinar. But once these are converted, things become depressingly expensive. Because the numbers feel low, foreigners don’t think much of things when making purchases. But once it’s added up, it’s a hefty bite of finances. My 6 dinar meal and coffee was a little over 15 USD not including transaction fees.
Fortified
After breakfast, I finally arrived to Bahrain’s Fort.
One of the remarkable things about Bahrain is how effectively they’ve preserved their ancient heritage in sites like this.
This is an old, old fort settlement, used for uncounted generations to dictate maritime trade through the gulf. The nations which held this island in ancient time built impressive structures, complete with moats, palm groves, fishing bays, docking stations, date syrup extracting infrastructure, manned walls, archways, interior settlements, freshwater wells and more.
There was a mock village made of wood in the center plaza of the structure. The old stones made an impressive and enduring contrast to the sparkling line of skyscrapers on the distant horizon.
The stonework was mesmerizing to look at. Most of the material was clearly seastone, it’s distinct, pale and porous nature stacked and mortared expertly in place. There were shells embedded in the walls and tiny coral patterns jutting out. I spent long moments tracing my fingers along the secret patterns there.
I eventually grew a tad too toasty and ran into a cafe for mint kombucha and a coffee. From here, I summoned another driver to take me onwards.
An Overview of Dilam and Qal’at al-Bahrain
The most prominent ancient culture of Bahrain is known as Dilam, a distinct cultural and architectural heritage with about 4,000 years of uncovered archeological history.
Most of what is know regarding Dilam comes from one of the most expansive and legendary periods of ancient history, the campaigns of Alexander the Great.
Around 325 BCE, Alexander’s maritime expedition plunged south, landing on the island of Bahrain, which was granted the name Tylos.
The region was home to exceptional and enduring prosperity, largely identifying with Hellenistic and Parthian civilizations. The island was a vital port and endured many years under different cultures, almost always displaying archeological signs of a diverse population living alongside one another.
While excavations are ongoing, information emerging from the necropolis, also known as the Dilam Burial Mound Network, has shown wide ranged of people’s, ethnicities and beliefs. Greek, Mediterranean, Syro-Mesopotamia, Arabian and Persian influences all converge here.
Of Temples and Mounds
After leaving the fortress, I quickly negotiated a short deal with the Careem driver, who worked as an official taxi driver as well, to wait for me while I briefly checked out the other sites on my list.
The first was Barbar Temple, which felt like a close repeat to Bahrain Fort, though it’s admittedly impressive on its own. Then I went to the legendary heritage sites, the Dilam Burial Mounds.
The burial mounds are, fundamentally and intellectually, impressive. Spread throughout the outer portions of the city limits, the mounds are enduring testimonies to the ancient Dilam trade culture. They’ve lasted centuries and remain archeological treasures for a small, prominent nation. The Discoveries made within them have built Bahrain’s national identity into something compelling, a gateway into past eons.
However, with that being said, the mounds should primarily be experienced with a tour guide. Seeing them in person without someone to explain their importance is a bit dull. The burial mounds aren’t especially visually impressive. I only spent a few minutes kicking dust around before piling back into my driver’s car and zooming away.
An aside regarding something that makes me nervous; seat coverings.
Many taxi drivers and Uber drivers use seat covers to protect their vehicle from a volatile range of messy guests. Which I understand. But this often covers seatbelts, meaning that accident fatalities for passengers skyrockets.
Now, Bahrain is a relatively safe place to drive. But I generally feel a lot better with a seatbelt.
Sunset Gardening
Sadly, that wasn’t in the cards. Instead, I took my car to the Gardens at Bahrain Bay, mild feeling of anxiety decreasing as my driver proved his reflexes time and time again.
We eventually made it to my destination, at which point I enjoyed another walk. Sunset was inbound and Bahrain, for any other faults it might have, is the location of spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Great orange glows arched across the sky, contrasted by sweeps of blue skyscrapers. I watched boats chug past canals, bays and cafes, marveling st the glint of light in all directions. Greenery lived in legions here, cresting over parks and tiny, artificial islands. Visitors walked over bridges, admired wall art or rented out small kayaks from the canal area.
I took my photos, listened to my podcast and watched the strange interior windmills that makes the Bahrain World Trade Center so iconic.
I ended my short stay by enjoying a coffee and three colored slider platter. It was strange. Yummy, but strange.
I walked out to the impressive overhead gardens which dominated views of canals with artwork and plant life. Pleased with myself and my evening, I returned to my hotel, hammering away at some work for a couple of hours before calling it a night.
Pearling Path
I woke up the following morning for a work meeting, which took a few moments to connect but went smoothly enough. I grabbed a breakfast at my nearby Korean place and summoned a car to Muharraq.
Muharraq proved to be an interesting site to visit. I was especially interested in an extended walking route called the Pearling Path.
Since many people travel to Bahrain for the resorts, alcohol, clubs and upscale experiences, the cultural sites are often underreported.
This is a deep shame, as Muharraq was my favorite part of my trip.
It’s home to numerous features along the Pearling Path, including museums, merchant houses, incredible public projects and impressive forts. All of this ancient and modern infrastructure is dedicated to the preservation of the pearling industry, which once served as a vital part of the pre-industrial economy.
Pearling, as a feature of local income, can’t be overstated. Entire neighborhoods, for hundreds of years, were dedicated to supporting this specialized portion of the economy. This included defenses, jewelers, carpenters repairing traditional dhow boats, a robust traditional food economy, seaside repair stations and international merchant houses.
Only the establishment of oil as a more profitable industry and other economic and environmental factors eventually windowed the pearl trade down.
Still, the remaining route is easily walkable and enormously educational. I enjoyed it greatly. Especially since the route eventually folds into a historical shopping district complete with sweet shops, antique stores and other wonderful privately owned businesses.
Almost Vertical
For the next part of my walk, I sought out the strange concrete feature known as Vertical Garden. It’s a startlingly green concrete wall blanketed in moss and various plants dripping with hoses shooting mist, I spent a long moment gazing at the structure. There’s also an indoor portion, but required a ticket.
It took some hunting around, but I eventually found the actual ticket site, which didn’t just address the Vertical Wall, but a slew of other cultural attractions in the area.
In the coming hours, I spent three dinar (cash only) to see traditional coffee shops, art galleries, historic houses, museums and modernist gardens. I walked for the entire time, effectively shaving off another month of life from the soles of my boots.
My poor shoes, I put them through a heap of wear and tear almost monthly.
Thai Time
That concluded my time in Bahrain. I stopped by a couple of coffee shops looking for WIFI to get an Uber to drove me the short distance to the airport. While everything was pretty cheap, I didn’t find a good WIFI connection until I got to a small Thai eatery.
Quickly, I stuffed myself with vegetable fried rice and reached the airport. I hunkered down with Bahrain’s wonderfully convenient WIFI connection and eventually boarded my flight, where a remote keyboard underneath a try table allowed me to write this before the plane ever took off.
Now, engines are thrumming and lights are sparkling below, cut off dramatically by the dark sea nearby.
I’m returning to Riyadh, no doubt wearied by another international, if short, trip. I expect Riyadh to be charged when I return. Currently, every eye in the Middle East is darting between the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and the massive Gulf Country summit being televised.
However, my stay in Riyadh won’t be terribly long, however.
In the shorteningly (no, not really a word, but what good is writing if you can’t make up flimflam?) near future, I’ll fly abroad again. My company has a project update which negates my job for a week or two, allowing me some free time. In theory, this will be to one of my most adored parts of the world.
I can always dream. Soon, I’ll fly to Rome.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written November 11th, 2023
Read more about visiting Bahrain and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Travel Destinations.
Affiliate Disclosure: Leftfade Trails contains affiliate links, so using services or products through these links supports the website, at no extra cost to the user. All links are to tested services and products designed to aid travelers on their journeys. Some links specifically connect to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate this website earns from qualifying purchases.
Ten years ago, I abandoned my military surplus store backpack for a Farpoint 40 Osprey Travel Pack. I’ve never replaced my bag since. Two years ago, I bought two more Osprey Backpacks for my younger siblings on their first tour outside the country. I have nothing but praise for Osprey Products.
