Kuwait

September 2005

the Marina Hotel - we could walk out of our room directly onto a private beach and down to the Arabian Gulf

the marina

On Sunday we sightsee with Jeannie, Susan, Denise and our guide Iman

we first visited a private musem called the  Tareq Rajab museum but no photos were allowed, then we headed to the famous Kuwait City water towers.  They looked like something from Alice and Wonderland and we never realized how huge Kuwait City was until we got that high.  Then it looked enormous!

the texture was created by thousands of what looked like ceramic discs.  Perhaps they help with keeping the water cool?

the viewing deck and some of the view

Then we had a lunch break at the Marina MallI liked this view of the roof of the mall as you could see all the tables in the courtyard reflected, they looked like huge slices of fruit floating in the ocean, two gentleman ride the escalator to the upper floors in the foreground

Iman then arranged for us to have an unexpected treat.  A private tour of the Grand Mosque!  Of course we covered up fully out of respect and the building is so beautiful.  We of course could not take pictures but we got to go into the Emir's private reception room and we could take photos there.  The people at the mosque were very pleasant and after our tour put out tables for us with fruit juice and cookies.  Iman was the best of guides and answered lots of questions for us.

Iman is at the far left

Iman takes us down to the harbour to look at the Dhows, traditional Kuwaiti boats

Dinner at a wonderful Lebanese restaurant in the evening, I have been up for almost 24 hours in this photo and it looks it

next day, shopping in the souk and I buy a complete covering so that when I next tour a Mosque I'll have my own and won't need to borrow

meDenise tries one on as wellbuying nuts

a pleasant lunch at another Lebanese restaurant

this one had a cat named MimiMimi preferred to eat out

various views of people and the city

I don't know who this man was but he had bodyguards and came to our hotel on a helicopter and then an SUV with guards running along beside it as it slowed, just like they do for presidents and kings.  They gave us a dirty look because we pulled up to the hotel at the same time. SORRY!

passing the water towers very fast at night

JP and Denise's lovely apartment and cats (some of them)

Fluor pin party

teapot and offering bowl from Afghanistan