Feb 04 2009
Kuwait city
For my anniversary my husband decided to take me to Kuwait city.. Why he choose here I will never know.. I was not sure what to expect from a city that had been ripped apart over the last 20 years and is slowly recovering from war. After my 5 days I was pleasantly surprised. The city is very wealthy and pockets are lined with gold just from oil alone however, tourism is booming here as well and Kuwaiti’s are finally starting to get out and live their lives, without fear or fighting.
I knew the instant I got off the plane that I was in a different world. Many western countries can now apply for a visa on arrival, and we were whisked through immigration quiet fast. We then went over to the luggage area. The soldier on guard waved me through to the front of the customs line and my partner was at the very end so I went through to look for our luggage. I spotted one of our suitcases coming around on the belt so I attempted to lift it off and immediately dropped it back onto the belt due to the fact that I was being screamed at. I was surrounded by 4 or so official looking Indians who all dressed like bell boys were and stood there shaking their heads at me and trying to pull my suitcase from off the belt where I had dropped it but it was my luggage so tried to take it back from them, but they wouldn’t let me. Luckily I could see my husband rushing towards me and he had that angry look on his face and he yelled at these Indians and eventually they ran off to bother someone else. We found out later that these Indians come to Kuwait from India desperate for work, and they try to handle your luggage to get tips and once they get hold of a piece of luggage, apparently they become very aggressive and won’t let go until they are paid. Thank god my husband turned up when he did….
Kuwait airport is very impressive its very modern with plenty to do here. We walked around a little before heading off to look for a taxi to the hotel. If you have never been to Kuwait, then be aware that the heat here is completely unimaginable. From the minute we set foot out of the air-conditioned airport onto the street, it was like stepping into an oven that was turned to full heat. It was hot hot hot and extremely heavy and intense.
We then jumped into a taxi for an half hour drive into central Kuwait, where the downtown area is. We saw many interesting buildings and houses on the way. We were booked to stay at Movenpick another surprise from my husband. The Movenpick is located on the banks of the Persian Golf and the hotel itself was beautiful and I felt very spoilt staying here. I was also very grateful that it had a pool. The Movenpick is located in the Salymia area which is also known as the entertainment area where we wandered around but not for long due to the heat but we found some shopping malls and of course Starbucks I shouldn’t of been but I was surprised that they had quite a few Starbucks here.
That evening instead of opting for food at the hotel we went out for dinner and tried some authentic Kuwaiti an food which was ok. You also have to do your daily activities such as shopping and getting groceries during the evening because everything is closed from 13:00 in the afternoon until 17:00 because it is so hot, and then everything opens again from 17:00 until 22:00
The following day we jumped in another taxi and although they are expensive it is far to hot to walk anywhere. Our taxi driver was awesome and gave us plenty of information about the city as he drove us past various buildings and sites. We saw the Liberation Towers which represents the Kuwaiti liberation from the Iraqi invasion( and are closed to the public) we were then dropped off at the Gold souq here you can buy gold ranging from 9K to 24K for relatively cheap prices and my husband wanted to get me something and who was I to say no. After that we decided to check out the fish markets. There was a small area for fruit and vegetables and stinky live chickens crammed into cages, ready to be killed and plucked for the customer. However the smell coming from the fish market was something else all together…It was fantastic to wonder around each stall, with each fish monger trying to grab your attention for a sale. It was really something else and it was a huge place…
The following day we headed to the Kuwait Towers, the 3 tower water storage towers with round observations decks over looking the Gulf. We had a great 360 degree view over the city and there were also photos on display of the devastation that the towers went through during the Iraqi invasion it was very interesting to see a city that had been ravaged by war to becoming the city that we were seeing today. After the tours we took a tour around the ports and various buildings before we headed back to relax and replenish ourselves.
That evening we sat and watched the sun set into the Gulf before heading out for a meal at another local Kuwaiti restaurant. The restaurant was very nice and decked out in traditional decor. We ate Fattoush and pickles and also opted for a local dish of something I think was called Moutabath which was a stewed dish of lamb and bread dumplings which was delicious all served with fresh chapatti style bread…..I still don’t understand how they can get used to heating such heavy meals in the heat I would have though that all they would have eaten was salads but this is not the case..
The next day we decided to soak up some culture and went an had a look at the mosques and cathedrals located in the city. We saw the Grand Mosque in Kuwait, the Lady of Arabia Church and the Holy Family Cathedral. All were very different and very interesting . The Grand Mosque is decorated with Islamic designs and calligraphy both on the inside and the outside. The gardens of where the Mosque sits were also beautiful with a huge variety of flowers, palm trees, fountains and waterfalls. I m amazed at how the flowers don’t whiter in the heat. Our Lady of Arabia Church was built by the Carmelites and it has the honour of being the first Catholic Church in Kuwait. The modern Holy Family Cathedral which is known for its unique architecture began being built in 1956 and was finally finished in 1961 when the Cathedral was blessed and sanctified. After some culture things we headed for the new Marina Mall and had dessert in The Chocolate Bar, which was a funky cafe selling all kinds of chocolate which was very yummy…
The day before our last day we visited Failaka Island. We had to obtain a special pass to go there in Kuwait even though it is the most visited tourist destination in the country. The island is situated in the northern part of the Persian Gulf and is about 20 kilometres away from the Kuwait city. The island is situated opposite of the Failaka Bay which is 50 kilometres away from the southernmost tip of Iraq. Failaka Island is a magnificent islands which combines the ancient history of Kuwait which dates back to the early Stone Age and the modern history of Kuwait. It is the home of Kuwait’s main archaeological site and Failaka’s history goes back as far as the Bronze Age Dilmun civilization. It is assumed that there was inter-Gulf trade between 2200 and 1800 BC. The Greeks landed on the island in the 4th century BC in the form of a garrison sent by Nearchus, one of Alexander the Great’s admirals. A small settlement existed on the island before this, but it was the Greek town of Ikaros when the settlement became a real city. The Greeks lived on Failaka for two centuries. The remains of a temple can be found on the Island which was interesting.
That evening from the safety of our hotel room we witnessed a sand storm. The storm comes in from the dessert and slowly descends over the whole city it was very eerie and I was grateful to be indoors at that point.
Kuwait is an amazing city and it was a great experience going there and seeing its development from the war.. The only down side is the heat which I was glad to escape after our five days had finished…
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