Kingdom of Bahrain. . .and Somewhere Else!!

I headed to Kuwait City and Bahrain again, but this time, I got the inside scoop! I met some friends of a friend on the airplane, and they met me the following day to drive me around a bit during the 4 hours I was actually on the ground. It was great!!

See the 2 towers? One side is Bahrain, the other is a country I can't even dream about going in to. . .Saudi Arabia!

The closest I'll ever be to Saudi. The tower is inside the country.

The waters separating the two countries. . .what we call the Persian Gulf, but what the locals correctly call the Arabian Sea.

Me facing Bahrain.

And me facing Saudi. I was told by my escort, "You're welcome to climb the fence, but you will then be under the care of the Saudi Police. And I'm not coming after you!" :o )

We were going to try to climb the tower, but it was under renovation. Bummer.

By the way, did you know that Bahrain has a Formula 1 track? One of the many things that were pointed out to me on my quick drive-by tour!

Remembering 9/11

What did I do to remember what happened on September 11, 2001? Well, I kept doing what I do, flying. And I treated my military passengers with honor and respect, and a little TLC (moved them up to first class).
And I remembered my colleagues. Although I wasn't a flight attendant on the original 9/11, being a flight attendant now sure makes that day much more potent. I can picture the atmosphere on the airplanes, and I knew how big they were, what the layout was, and where people would be positioned. I'm so thankful for what has developed since that awful day. We are more cautious onboard our aircraft. We have Federal Air Marshals that accompany us on many flights. We have self-defense training for aircraft situations. We have ways to communicate that had not been developed until it took a tragedy to do so.
A lot of people ask me, "Aren't you scared something like that will happen again?" The answer, "That would almost be impossible." I say that with full confidence in my fellow team members, my fellow airport staff, and my fellow passengers, who would not give up without a fight.
Most importantly, I am held in the hand of my Heavenly Father, and NOTHING can happen to me without sifting through His hands first. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Ps. 91:1
But still, I remember. And in so doing, thank my Lord and Savior for what HE did on the cross so that in tragedies like this, there is still hope.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Cookies, Anyone?!!

Come on over! I even have some milk to go with them. . .or coffee or tea, if you'd prefer.
:o )

Midnight In the City!

When we got back to Kuwait City, we went out to the "suk" or market. We were HUNGRY, it being Ramadan (the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset) and all the stores/restaurants didn't open until around 8:00 p.m. We could eat in private, but only what we could scrounge from the crew lounge. So, we went on an adventure!

The time we left. . .

First glimpse of the suk. Incredible colors.

We ordered food from the little place with the brick picture.

THE FEAST!!!!!

The feast-ers!

Another camera reaction. . .the dust in the air when the flash went off. YUCK!

And the tower. The big fan on the ground blew little mists of water spraying out of little hoses over the tables. It's hard to explain, but it actually worked and we were quite comfortable.

On our walk, we saw this old truck. I though United should try this advertising!

The time we came back. . . .

The rest of the trip. . .sleep as long as possible, and work 14 hours coming home. We arrived back in D.C. just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. NICE!

Kuwait City and Bahrain Again!

This picture speaks for itself. . .I just need you to notice the temperature. 48 degrees Celsius is 118.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Yup. It was HOT!

I got a window with a view of the Persian Gulf this time!

And a corner room, to boot, with this view out the other side.

Insert sleep here. . .and then we were off to Bahrain. Ok, I just have to explain. . .my camera lense, AS SOON AS I stepped off the airplane in Bahrain, was fogged up by the humidity. My glasses did the same. I thought that only happened in winter time, only stepping out of the cold outside and into the warmth inside. I learned something new!

The reason for the picture. . .the control tower at the airport have these three men painted on them. They're everywhere! Even McDonald's! They must be important. . . . :o )

View from my hotel window.

Tessa, one of my flying partners. She and I hung out quite a bit, both being only about 4 months apart in seniority.

The path we walked.