Suddenly the black robes of her Abaya, tempted by the wind sheepishly rushing in through the open glass doors of the Crowne Plaza hotel lobby, fluttered wildly, rustled around teasingly, and finally flowed apart showing her soft milky thighs decorated with henna dyed in elaborate designs. Her lipstuck lips and eyeshadowed eyes broke into an unembarrassed grin and she openly rejoiced in her shocking nakedness. The Sheikh, presumably her husband, looking light and cool in his perfect-white Thobe and Keffiyeh simply strolled ahead, unconcerned, as if it was a logical order in the scheme of things that the seductive appeal of his wife's inner flesh must be swooned over by the rest of the horny world.
Welcome to the Royal Kingdom of Bahrain.
Islam is the coolest thing in this tiny, comfortably rich, air-conditioned empire of the Al-Khalifa dynasty. Some of the other elegant specimens include the beautiful, mischievous women and handsome, gracefully sculptured men.
Bahrain is the watering hole of the Gulf. It is the place whose one of the many palaces houses the kingdom's most famous royal guest — Michael Jackson. It is the island of pearls. It is an archipelago of 33 spectacular islands, one of which was used as a burial ground for hundreds of years by the people of the surrounding civilizations.
With most of the land reclaimed from the Persian Gulf, the entire country - including its districts, neighborhoods and even avenues - is crisscrossed with clear, sparkling, deep blue sea water. The islands are connected by a series of sleek steel bridges. The sky is blue. The sun shines white. The burning wind sears the skin. The desert is a constant presence but this writer's first edition copy of Andrew Morton's Diana - Her True Story had no dust layered on it, even after it was kept outside under a hot sunny sky, beside the spectacular Al Dana resort's swimming pool, for one whole day.
Bahrain is one hell of an artificial beautiful land.
It is unbelievable fun.
The Fun Starts Here - declared an advertisement on the $1.2 billion King Fahd Causeway (that can be seen from space) to the weekend crowd of neighboring Saudi Arabians not long after they filtered into the Bahrain side of the friendly international border. As the fancy, left-handed cars of the decadent multitude drove over the smooth four-lane highway built over the Persian Gulf by the Saudi government, connecting the Holy Land of Mecca-Medina to the pleasure pastures of Bahrain, the draped girls chucked off their Abayas and climbed over to take seats beside their men friends at the front of the vehicles.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - HC
So 'personal attacks are not allowed' according to Blogcritics' comment policy, under which they pledge to edit/delete 'terms offensive to groups when used in a pejorative manner.' This article labels a whole nation a 'whore'. How much more offensive to a group can you be?
Who compiles this stuff? Are they aware of their own guidelines, let alone common decency?
2 - Eric Olsen
HC, did you actually read the story? It's quite positive toward the whore in question. Thanks Mayank!
And the comment policy applies to comments
3 - Christopher Rose
Yeah man, the comments policy is to prevent ad hominem attacks on the people who "live" on this site. Public figures are fair game though!
Get it?
Good!
4 - troll
super evocative writing Mayank...I can't think of anything snarky to say...(except to HC who needs to delve into the ideas of Enlightenment)
troll
5 - Nancy
I'm a little surprised the more straight-laced Muslims in neighboring populations haven't said anything snarky about or to Bahrainis being somewhat on the non-observant, sinning side of Islamic restrictions & rules. Perhaps they keep their opinions & hands to home because the ultra-rich of Bahrain pay their dues by covertly supporting the more fundamentalist causes, a la the ruling family of Saudi Arabia?
6 - Ruvy from Jerusalem
If you want to run a society that is so straitlaced and "virtuous", you need outlets. The more "virtuous" Saudi society tries to appear to be, the more the rich and playful will sin it up in Bahrain.
7 - Nancy
Do rank & file Muslims even know about what goes on in Bahrain? What are their attitudes?
8 - Ruvy from Jerusalem
Reality is usually indicated by what the adman tries to sell. On my site there was a Google Ad in Hebrew for Israeli travelers to Bahrain selling travel insurance. It may not be just Saudis whoring it up in Bahrain.
9 - Mayank 'Austen' Singh
I regret if folks are hurt by me calling Bahrain the 'whore of arabia'. Of course if anybody cared to read it through the end, it would be quite clear that I meant it in the best sense of the term. I strongly feel that Bahrain is what an ideal islamic country should be. It lets the people follow their life style without obstructing their personal space. I also feel that Saudi ruling class do not mind the relatively freer society of their neighbouring country. They realise that it is good to have a release valve for their countrymen who need to air out from their pressure cooker of a country every now and then.
I stayed in Bahrain just for three days and now it all appears so unreal and dreamy. I wonder if anyone could fund a few-months stay for me there so as to enable me to write a series of pieces on that fantastic nation. What I have written in this piece is just one aspect of Bahrain. There are so many things to observe, see, study there....yes in that tiny kingdom! Its politics, its family values, its shia-sunni tensions, its society, its tremendous foreign workforce. Oh, the possibilities are endless.
10 - Richard Marcus
Bahrain sounds like the Berlin that Chrstopher Isherwood wrote about in the late twenties early thirties. There is a certain desperation underneath the having fun, like the fear that it could be all taken away from them at any time.
It also sounds like it's only the very wealthy can have this liberation, and these are all the children of the idle rich.
But this was beautifully written and wonderfully evocative. If only all travel writers had your eloquance. Your descriptions of the islands and the sea was was vivid enough to allow me to picture it in my mind.
Thank you for the nice trip to the Gulf
Richard
11 - sara
Have you actually ever been to Bahrain??
12 - Ruvy from Jerusalem
That ad in Hebrew for travel insurance to Bahrain is back, BTW. Mayank, I have to second Richard in his comments on your article...
You did an excellent job. Thanks!
13 - SFC SKI
THe last time I was in Bahrain was in 1998, and after 6 months in the MAgic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it was a welcome change.
I t sounds like it has become even more open and enjoyable
I have seen both men and women, probably Saudi Nationals, go into the changing rooms at the mid point on the cause way in robes and abayas, and come in fashionable western clothes.
Bahrain is worth spending some time in, no doubt. Great article.
14 - Mayank 'Austen' Singh
Thanks Ruvy. Thanks Richard. It feels good to be decorated with such pleasant compliments. I'm very glad that my piece was liked so much. But Ruvy, are you from Jerusalem? That is one place I want to go to since a long long time. There are many reasons why I am in love with Jerusalem, but my true passion for that great city started after I started reading Amos Elon's 'Jerusalem - A City of Mirrors'. Oh Jerusalem! Will I ever be able to go there.....
15 - SD
Very eloquent and precisely written. You have turned a 3-day trip to Bahrain into a short literary master-piece Mr. Singh.
But...as is the nature of people...there will be critics for every writer. Don't let the positive comments blind you; the negative comments must also be appreciated and accepted. I live in a coastal city 50 minutes from Bahrain in Saudi Arabia and I personally understand where these people are coming from (and obviously several negative comments must have been deleted).
The truth hurts...and Bahrainis (and even Saudis alike) are enjoying the 'whore' aspect of Arabia as it brings in money and pleasures but when it hits them in the face in this context...they are blinded by sheer patriotism...totally disregarding what they too were doing the past weekend and not knowing how much of hypocrites they are.
All in all...good work
16 - Dave Nalle
Bahrain sounds fantastic. It's one of the few countries in the region I haven't been to, and I wish I had. Your description reminds me of the more open Islamic society of the days of the Caliphate when a certain amount of corruption and decadence resulted in a cultural and social renaissance. It also suggested to me what Lebanon was on its way to becoming until the Syrians destroyed the country.
Dave
17 - Paul Roy
Great piece Mayank. I spent a few days there back in the mid-90's and it is just as you described. The United Arab Emirates is very similar, if I remember correctly.
18 - gazelle
I think the subtitle " the godess of arabia " might be more apt.
best
19 - gazelle
#5 nancy: this is total bs.
there are many exceptions ....
of course there are contending lifestyles and viewoints... cant help you if you only see bible thumpers in america.
best
20 - gazelle
#16 DN:
more bs. history shaken not stirred. just as dn likes it! please dont "remind" yourself of it.
best
21 - Dave Nalle
Sorry to have implied that I was actually alive at the time of the caliphate, gazelle. I suppose I should have said that it reminds me of the caliphate I have read about in literature from the period and in historical works. That better? The point is still entirely valid, though I know that you find history threatening.
Dave
22 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Mayank, if you ever make it here, give me a holler through BC or through my URL, and I'll be glad to spot you some coffee and show you around. But if you write about the place, please don't call it the "whore of Israel." If you write about Tel Aviv, on the other hand...
23 - BA
Well... I'm not here to deny whatever really and actually goes on in Bahrain... but, my friend I think you really was directed to the black side of Bahrain, I don't think you had the chance to shift your focus to see the conservative and really Practicing-Muslims!
I'm sorry to Say that you really need to at the other perspective...
EVERYONE..LISTEN TO THIS...EVERYWHERE IN THIS WORLD HAS THE DARK AND BRIGHT SIDE AS WELL AS THE BAD AND GOOD PEOPLE... BUT PLEASE NEXT TIME WHEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE RELIGION IT SELF "ISLAM" JUST MAKE SURE TO POINT OUT TO ITS PRINCIPLES NOT LOOKING AT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WRONGLY PRACTICING THE RELEGION...
Next time my friend when you are coming let me so I take tot he other world that you haven't get a glimpsed of…
24 - bubu
O plllllllllllz such a rep off i hear someones JELOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!! ;) just cause bahrain simply is the best country and were ever u come from just aint nice:P oh get a life hahahaha such a lozer !!! FREAK....!!:P Im LOVEin IT!!
25 - Mayank 'Austen'
Ruvy,
Be assured. Jerusalem won't be 'The Whore of the Holy Land'. It just do not fit in. Uhmm.....what will it be? Uhmmmm.....The Blood Clot of Israel? The Cradle of the World? (No! Too cliched) The Citadel of Despair? The Cradle of Conflicts? Ah the possibilities are endless.....
By the way thanks for the invitation for showing me around whenever I land there. Just in case if you happen to have a yearning for Delhi (The City of Tombs, The Seven Cities, The City of Djinns etvc.), let me know. You may stay at my place!