Kuwait Journal (pt. 2)

1/03/08: Today we went the traditional shipbuilder’s building/museum. It was really great to see all of the model ships. We were told what all the different ships are for, and were even asked questions to see if we understood what a captain of a ship should know. The shop room, where the models are made, was very cool. It is interesting to see how long it takes and the work that goes into the building. Afterwards we headed to the home of Sami. He is an expert regarding Iran and the politics of the area. He spoke at great length about Iran, weapons, and his career working independently from governments. He was very articulate, smart, and nice. We had a traditional Kuwaiti meal made by his sisters. It was delicious! The pumpkin curry was the best. I could not get enough of it. Meeting Sami is definitely one of my favorite moments of this trip.

1/04/08: Today we went to the mosque. Well, the guys went to the mosque. Cina, Saba, and I were trying to find a place for us to get covered up. We decided to drive to an area where we could get out. Cina actually drove the bus! Granted I can sort of drive a stick shift, but I was not about to drive a bus in Kuwait. It was a little nerve-racking, but it was fun! And it was hilarious how we had to maneuver around the other vehicles. Then after the guys were done they went the wrong way, so we had to go pick them up. That was great.

Afterwards, I guess we had a free day, so we went to a grocery store for water and snacks before heading to the Iraq/Kuwait border. I was hoping we could cross over for a second and get our passports stamped! The grocery store was interesting. I thought I would find a bathroom before going, and as I was looking a guy was following me. Then he kept asking me to follow him by waving his hand. I was afraid because he asked if I was American. And was I ever in for a surprise. As I was waiting for a key to the bathroom he came over closer and tried to grab my hand. Then he grabbed himself! I was so disgusted! Luckily, I looked upstairs and saw Cina. I said there is my friend and pointed before dashing up to her and Andrew. Cina was so surprised when I told her. I could not believe it. The good thing is we got out of there and headed for the border. It was pretty cool to be there and get our pictures taken. It is too bad the chaos of that country. Of course and the checkpoint we had to turn back.

On our way back we went off road to a tent. The guys didn’t seem that welcoming to us, so we left before too long. We weren’t going too long again before we were off road, and saw a bunch of camels. We spent awhile with them, and it was a lot of fun. Some of the group went for short rides, and the crazy thing is how afraid Saba is of camels! She had me watch Bebe and take pictures of her. We all really enjoyed being around the camels. It was the first time for some of the group to see camels in person! The Bedouins who owned the camels invited us to their tent. They were very nice, and it was fun to sit and hang out. Bebe accidently kicked my tea all over me because she could not sit still. Before we left we found out the guys offered to kill a camel for dinner for us. I am glad we didn’t do that. First of all, that is a lot of work. Second, I did not want to eat a camel especially after being around them! When we got back to the hotel we had time to eat and hang out a little. Later we went to Starbucks to drink coffee, talk, and hang out at a popular spot for Kuwaitis.