Formula One In Bahrain

F1 BAHRAIN

FOREWORD

Although people are too polite to say that my blogs are very lengthy and boring, I take pleasure in writing all the details. Its in the details that you live your life. They are written for the purpose of flashback so that when I read them after 10 years or so, the maximum amount of information, and hence satisfaction, can be regained. Now, here's the story:
I started following Formula 1 in 2004. Prior to that, had only caught glimpses of an old season where legendary names like Damon Hill, Juan Pablo Montoya and Mika Hakkinen were being mentioned. Gradually, interest developed in the highest levels of engineering and precision required in the sport and found that no other sport could match those standards. After following for 2-3 years, I started to dream about the real life experience of seeing Formula 1. It was too far fetched. The amount of capital required was too massive. What else can you expect from a sport where large auotmobile manufacturers like BMW, Toyota and Honda have dropped out because of the cost factor. But the flame kept growing when I saw some of my old friends attending the event overseas and then narrating the experience. I had vowed that someday, this dream will be fulfilled.
Then one winter evening in December, with friends over some Old Monk, Nilu introduced the idea of going to Bahrain to see F1 LIVE. When he asked me if I would be interested, I suppressed my excitement and said Yes, very quietly. I didnt want to get all too excited as there were so many things that could go wrong. We booked the flight tickets early. Farah and Alicia, who reside in Bahrain, arranged the F1 tickets. The visa was a big worry. Bahrain wasn't considered a tourist destination for Indians, so we could not get an on-arrival tourist visa. Then Nilu found about special F1 e-visa that could be obtained directly on the website. He had got approved visa within an hour of applying. Eagerly, I also applied for the same and got approval the next day. We were still skeptic on the process whether it could be that easy. This skepticism lasted till we entered Bahrain. One other criteria was holding the F1 ticket. They arrived by DHL one week prior to our departure. I cannot explain the excruciating pain that Nilu, Sam and I had to face till we held the tickets in our hands. It was a golden moment for all of us. Goosebumps and rubber legs are an understatement.
The pain was still not over. Now we had to last one week waiting for the departure date. Yes, the skepticism over the visa didnt help. On Thursday, 11th March, the anxiety reached its peak. I had never seen time drag so slowly. Being experienced in dodging work on the day before departure, I was able to get out of office at 4 PM. Our flight was at 8:20 PM. We reached the airport well in time at 5:30 PM. We did a quick currency exchange at the PNB outlet and made for the Gulf Air desk. There we received a shock as one staff member mentioned something missing in our visa. It looked like the dream was going to be shattered even before departure. I had expected something like this to happen, but in Bahrain, not in Delhi. But, to our utter reliefs, a senior staff member said the visa was OK. This is the thing about special e-visas as the airport staff is so ignorant. We quickly got our boarding passes, checked in our luggage, and made for the immigration counter. Why is it called so, when we are leaving the country, I still cannot understand. One can notice a large number of labourers line up for Middle East. The emigration process was smooth after which we lounged around at the departure gate. The duty free store at the lounge was so tempting. Our mouths kept watering till the call for boarding came.
The service abroad the flight was disappointing. For one, they played a rubbish hindi movie called, "aao wish karein", a copy of "Big". Then, we got only one peg to drink of Grant's whiskey. On asking for a second one, they said it was finished. I think its some protocol they follow to avoid passengers from drinking too much and creating a scene. Then there was the tasteless low calorie meal. I now know why they prefix it with "low". Nilu could make out some oil wells when we were crossing over Gulf region. After a 3.5 hour flight, we landed at Bahrain International Airport.
Immigration process here was ultra smooth. No hassles. There were 2 special F1 counters, but they were closed. It seems they dont expect many Indians to come specially for F1, a fact found to be true at the circuit. We were welcomed in Bahrain by Farah, who escorted us to her Outlander. It was quite late now. The whole city was dressed in F1 colours with posters all over.

The air reeks of wealth this tiny country makes. Bahrain is growing as a business hub as the policies here are more friendly here for outsiders and the wealth flows in from neighbouring Gulf countries. In the Outlander, Nilu and I were left swinging our necks side by side to stare at the gorgeous vehicles. Most of the common vehicles are found in India too, but the eye-catching were the rare seen models of BMW, Fords, Hummers, Corvettes. Plus, the superbikes, Suzuki GSXRs, Hayabusas, Harleys. Farah explained that in the Gulf, Fridays and Saturdays are the weekends and all the neighbours arrive in Bahrain on Thursday eves. It also has to do with the fact that in Bahrain, liquor is sold openly.
The apartment that we stayed in was ultra-luxurious. There was ample space for 10 people to stay with all amenities available. I quickly took in the master bedroom that had a king-size double bed before Nilu could make his move. Farah was kind enough to load cornflakes and milk in the fridge for our breakfast. We decided to check what TV was like in this part of the world. It turned out to be very informative. More than half of the channels did not come. The majority of the channels that did turn up, were for friendship calls, if you know what I mean. What was amazing was this was supposed to be a very conservative country. We found some of these channels had Hindi commentary too. It was a laugh. Finally, we settled on "Super Tennis" even though it had Arabic commentary.

FRIDAY

It usually happens that you lose sleep when in a foreign land. Also, you wake up early. Maybe, it was the sheer excitement of F1. We woke up well in time, had a light breakfast and were ready in no time. Today, we had to explore this new country. Just before noon, Farah picked us up and we went to her place to meet her parents. They welcomed us very warmly. The view from her home was fantastic. We could see the Grand Mosque just across the road with the modern Financial Harbour, World Trade Center acting as backdrop. It showed how Bahrainis gelled with the modern world and yet preserving their tradition.
For lunch, we had chicken and rice, which tasted out of this world. Home cooked food is always so nice and when Aunty cooks it, its special. We even had some of the amazing homemade dessert. Then we set off to do sight-seeing. We still had to catch up with Sam, who had arrived the day before and was staying with his sister and brother-in-law. Picking up Alicia, all of us gathered at Bahrain City Center Mall. I always tend to feel lost in malls as I hardly do any shopping. Nilu, on the other hand, was being spoiled silly. I utilised my time by gawking at Bahraini women. I should mention here that you cant stare at them for long. Of course, you can still act brave and do so, but then you would have to part with your life.
We caught up with Sam's family in the evening and sat down in a Turkish Restaurant, Kosebashi. It had been rated one of the finest by Lonely Planet. Dont remember the dish names, but everything was lip-smacking. After the meal, Sam's relatives had to return to Saudi. We went to their hotel, where they were seen off and then Sam joined us in the Outlander(I fancy the name. Sounds like outlaw-ish). Now began the quest for booze. The hunt led us to an Indian Restaurant, Clay Oven. It was a typical Indian style Bar and Restaurant. For a brief moment, it felt as if we had not flown more than 4000 miles. We were just in our country. But the price of liquor did give it a total foreign feel. Being desperate, we picked up a few beers only.
Back home and Cheers-time, super-excited we all were. Sam took over the role of DJ over his Macbook.

SATURDAY

We had been invited over to Alicia's place for lunch. But, important matters needed to be taken care of first. We had found the booze store in Manama. It was to open at noon. The waiting time was utilized in visitting the Gulf Hotel, one of the first hotels in Bahrain. As Sam and I entered the booze store, we let out a sigh. This place looked so beautiful. With F1 being the flavour of the season, we picked a bottle of Whyte & Mackay. This was left in the car as we went up to Alicia's place. A lovely place. I would have liked it even more had I been more of a pet person. As usual, Sam did most of the talking. Nilu and I busied ourselves with the food. Chicken rice cooked in traditional Malayali style. It reminded me of the Mallu back in college. He used to cook extremely spicy chicken. Aunty was kind enough not to make the dish extra hot so that we could digest it. And we ate it to our full. Uncle was a jovial person. All in all, a wonderful family.
We left from Alicia's place towards the BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, SAKHIR. Farah had got qualifying tickets at the main grandstand arranged for us. The highway was super smooth. I imagined how difficult it would be for people to stick to the speed limit of 100 kmph on such roads with all their heavy duty, supercharged vehicles. The inhabitants here are very disciplined on traffic. I guess they have to be in a land where the cops drive a Nissan Patrol. Its a scary sight to be seen in your rearview mirror.
We got excited like a bunch of kids as we neared the circuit. We had got somewhat delayed in reaching the circuit. In the parking lot, Nilu pointed out the sounds coming from inside the circuit. I opened the window immediately. The whine of V8 engines running at 18000 rpm was orgasmic. In our hurry to get inside, we just took our tickets and made for the grandstand entry. I cursed my leg as I could not run due to a recent ligament surgery. The tempo rose and rose as we neared the entry. We could only imagine what the crescendo would be inside the circuit.
Unfortunately, when we finally reached inside, the qualifying session ended. We were unable to catch any car whizzing by. But, just to be there, at the spot where I had dreamed for so long to stand, watching the most advanced automobiles in the world, was prize enough. We still had the Race Day to watch. Still, all was not lost. We saw the safety car arrive, a Mercedes SLS AMG. This car had been unveiled recently at the Geneva Motor Show and it looked stunning. We heard it growling as it did the safety lap. That growl, however, turned into a puny purr when the GP2 cars arrived. These cars are called as Baby F1s. They have different engines, so that they give a modest 650 bhp instead of the mad 900 bhp of F1 cars. As the cars did their formation lap, the howl of the engines was overwhelming. The covered area of Grandstands and pit lanes does not waste any of the sound produced and you can drown yourself in the pure symphony of the engines. Nilu and I were just wondering if this is how baby F1s sound like, what would the real deal be? The thought in itself was scary.

Sam and Alicia preferred to stay outside the stands and watch the live performances. When we caught up with them, they told us how amazing the performances were. Nilu and I were unable to narrate our experience as we were still in a trance. Farah pointed out how both of us were still smiling stupidly. We hung around to look at the official merchandise stores and also to look at the huge glamour that had arrived for the occassion. It pays to watch the crowds in a desert environment.
While returning from the Circuit, we stopped at a roadside eating joint to have shawarma and coffee. A memorable phrase mentioned here was "park nicely". The details are classified. For dinner, we were looking for a quiet place where we could have a couple of drinks too. Farah knew just the place and we arrived at an Italian Restaurant, Roma. The lounge area was exquisite. We were really thirsting for some liquor after such an intense day. Orders were lasagna, pasta, Bourbon, Scotch, Long Island Ice Tea. Oh yes, we were being thoroughly spoiled. Navin arrived sometime later to join us. Just as described, he gives a very calm first impression, though I suspect he is very naughty from the inside.
The day had been long and we were exhausted by the time we reached our apartment. But more stuff had to be taken care of first. Whyte & Mackay. Sam resumed his job as a DJ as we discussed about the day and expectations from the next day.

SUNDAY - RACEDAY

I was up before dawn and started to get ready. This was THE day. We had to get to the circuit well in time. No excuses. Our special Force India Tees and the Indian Flag were taken out. We got ready well before time and walked to Farah's place to have breakfast. Aunty made some lovely pancakes with fruits. We lost count of how much we ate. Lunch would be very late today. Uncle gave us ear plugs. He had warned us earlier that many people come and say that they want to hear all the sounds and then later look for earplugs. We kept them as security and just prayed that we would not have to use them.
Picking up Alicia on the way, we reached the circuit by 11:30 AM. The race was to start at 3 PM. But the whole day was packed with exciting events. After some necessary pics the occassion demanded, we entered the Turn 1 Grandstand to take our seats. Porsche Super Cup was in progress. In India, we gawked at Porsches. But here, they had become quite common. Still, since the racing ones were GT3 RS versions, it made exciting watch. The best thing about Turn 1 Grandstand is you get to see the cars and overtaking action. When the racers downshift gears, the sound of unburnt fuel escaping the exhausts synchronises with the heartbeat. Its like Heavy Metal Drumbeats. At the main grandstand as the cars speed by in max throttle, you have to turn your neck at 200+ kmph and risk displacement, pun intended.
At 12:15 PM, the Champions Parade started. This race was extra special as it was opening race of Formula 1's 60th Anniversary. So, we had all the classic F1 cars that Bernie Ecclestone brought out and the legendary drivers. Names like, Andretti, Fangio, Nigel Mansell, Jack Brabham, Mika Hakkinnen, Damon Hill, Sir Jackie Stewart. It was mentioned in one of the handouts that except for Kimi Raikkonen, all the other surviving championship winners were present at that parade. It was a treat to watch historic F1 cars. This race also marked the comebacks of Michael Schumacher(from retirement) and Felipe Massa(from injury). Photographs were hard to come by because of the tall fence, so we just soaked in whatever was visible.
The Brits sitting close to us gave out a loud cheer when Sir Jackie Stewart passed by. I joined in. The next ceremony was the drivers' photographs, followed by the drivers' parade. They all piled into a lorry and completed a round of the circuit. It must have been so special for our Indian driver, Karun Chandhok, to stand besides such legends in his maiden race. Since, Nilu and I refused to budge from our seats, the rest went to get some packed lunch. Meanwhile, a Gulf Air F1 special airbus did a low flyby. It passed very close to the top of Sakhir tower. That must have been a very skillful pilot to keep the plane in air at that slow speed. Then, a Saudi Hawk came on to do aerial stunts. Another very skillful pilot.
By now, the F1 cars had lined up at the start. Grandstands were getting packed. As the cars did their formation lap, I had my first hand experience of seeing AND hearing an F1 car LIVE. If the GP2 cars had a whine, these cars had scream, more than anyone can imagine. And they weren't even driving at full throttle. It promised to be a very, very exciting time. As the formation lap completed, everyone stood up on their seats.
This was IT. This was the moment that all my years of following the sport, all the research done on the background, all the dreams of hearing the engines, all the talk I bored my peers with, all the weekends of visitting sports bars/friends' places with beer, all the miles travelled from India, came down to.

THE FORMULA 1 2010 RACE ONE

As the five red lights came on one by one, the engines of 24 super-hyper, super-hyper cars reached their maximum pitch. As the red lights went off they burst forward. Within a couple of seconds, they covered the distance to Turn 1. Our loud cheers were easily drowned by engine rhythm. The gearshifting at Turn 1 gave out loud bangs. I was waving the Indian flag like mad. But my enthusiasm was dulled when Robert Kubica struck the Force India car of Adrin Sutil, sending them both into a spin. AWWWWWWWWWW. Meanwhile, Alonso had overtaken Massa to take 2nd place behind Vettel. Theres only half a km of track that is visible from the stands. The rest has to be seen on the projectors. We had to wait for another 1 min 30 secs for the cars to come round again.
During second lap, the gap between Vettel and Alonso increased. Another disappointment came when Karun Chandhok crashed. I really wish he could have got more time to practice in his new car. As the number of laps progressed, the crowd stopped standing up at Turn 1. I guess, most of the crowd is not really so enthusiastic about the sport. They are here just because they can afford it. We should get these people to come and watch cricket in India to show what crowd enthusiasm means.
With each lap, Vettel was increasing his lead. He was flying. He was unstoppable. Schumacher was another disappointment as he was sticking to his 6th place. Nilu strategised that once his car gets lighter, he would show his true colours. The twist in the race came after some 32 laps. Vettel had pitted a couple of laps before and was still in the lead. But now, the gap between him and Alonso began to decrease. After another couple of laps, we could hear that his car was getting louder as if he was having exhaust trouble. Yes, we could make out the loudness in those deafening circumstances as our ears now could detect supersonic levels. By the next lap, his speed had reduced so much that both Alonso and Massa overtook him at the straight. I was so very happy for Alonso as I expect him to conquer the Championship in a Ferrari. He is one of the best drivers, but always failed by his car in the past races. His move from Renault was rewarding.
Now Alonso was the unstoppable one. He kept on increasing his lead over Massa. Meanwhile, Bruno Senna, nephew of one legend, Ayrton Senna, was also driving very slow. He had been lapped many times. But the reason came out to be a mechanical failure as he took his car out of the track and stopped very close to Turn 1. His car was pushed into the service lane and he was driven to pit lane atop a Suzuki GSXR. Thats what the service engineers had been riding all the time in the service lane. Being a sport, he waved at the crowd and gave a thumbs up.
Another high moment of the race was when Force India driver, Vitantonio Liuzzi overtook another to take 9th place. The action happened right before us and we were overjoyed. The positions were largely unchanged after this except when Lewis Hamilton also overtook Vettel with 2 laps to go. It proved how much lead Vettel had built up. Alonso took the checkered flag and we applauded everyone as they crossed the finish line. As Vettel crossed the finish line at 4th position, he stopped his car right in front of our grandstand. His car must have been giving lots of trouble. We could hear many people say, "That is one pissed off driver". As he stepped out, the escort vehicle for him turned out to be a scooterette. Vettel pushed the driver behind and took control of the vehicle. He waited for the track to clear and then drove the scooterette right across the road and made for the pitlanes. It was hilarious to watch. You don't get to see such stuff on television.
With the race over, Nilu and I looked at each other. We were grinning from ear to ear. There was no need to say the words, "Yes, We have done it". We did congratulate each other. My purpose of touring Bahrain had been achieved. For the rest of the time there, I played a tourist. And we did not need to use the ear plugs. I could now die a much happier person.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Stepping out of the grandstand, we bought some more F1 merchandise. I bought a special F1 number plate. This has been rivetted onto the back of my Scorpio now. Looks spectacular.
On exitting the Circuit, we caught up with Farah's parents at Al A'ali Mall. They had also come for the race with tickets for Main Grandstand. They asked us about how our experience was. I was at a loss for words. We turned our attention to the next most important thing, Food. Al Abraaj Lebanese Restaurant. It had a very pleasant setting. Again, I dont remember the names of dishes, but everything was tasteful and we stuffed ourselves.
With heavy stomachs and dazed minds, we reached back to our apartment. Nilu had this crazy idea of going for a dip in the pool that very instant. The rest of us passed as he went to the roof. Despite our bloating bellies, we still could manage to have a couple of pegs. It was a celebration drink that was very appropriate. The Cheers that we did that night was with all our hearts and a very special one. It was a Cheers to a dream fulfilled and to many more dreams to be fulfilled.

MONDAY

Having achieved what I had came out for, the day started lazily, for me, at least. We reached the Al Murjan Center at 11 AM to start the day ahead. Our timing was matched by Navin who had come in his Lexus RX300. Last night, he had offered to take us sight-seeing today. An offer that was too good to refuse. Farah and Alicia were in office and they were to meet us later for lunch. We piled up inside Navin's SUV and made for the King Fahad Causeway. This road over the sea links Bahrain with Saudi Arabia. The checkpoint stands exactly halfway. So, tourists can drive upto 12 kms without crossing the country. The water looked crystal clear. It seems they have no industrial discharge on this side. The same Arabian Sea when looked at in India is so murky. The colour of the water varied with depths. So, the shallow parts came across in different shades.
For the benefit of tourists, watch towers have been created on either side of the checkpoint so that you get a good eagle's eye view of the surrounding. The view of the Arabian Sea was spectacular with different shades of blue. We went upstairs to what seemed like a crow's nest and just gazed at the open view. It was gorgeous.
After the Causeway, our itinerary listed Al Jasra House. Enroute, we stopped at the Handicrafts Center. Not a very manly thing, but a very tourist-y thing. It contained different sections on weaving, gypsum, pottery, musical instruments, woodwork, etc. The most attractive thing though was the water cooler. Its one of the rarest things to be found in Bahrain.
As we entered the gate of Al-Jasra House, we saw a very small structure. It was hard to imagine that the current King's Father had been born here. It turned out that the real Jasra House was to our backs. But, this one was no grand sight either. It looked more like a summer hut than a palace. We spent little time here and went to the street shops known as Souqs. This area has been cordoned off traffic. It gave a very homely feeling walking along the market lanes. As we entered the backstreets, the environment turned more Indian. Most of the shop owners here are Indians. Sam found his long-seeked Indian coffee here. I found an interesting item in one of the shops, a 4-way use of a smoking pipe. Another tourist was enjoying when the owner of the shop was showing the 4 different ways. Unfortunately, I didn't have the utility nor the money for such an item.
Farah joined us after we had made a few turns around her office due to lack of parking space. For lunch, we went to Al-Bukhari restaurant. This seemed like a traditional place. Again, dont remember the dish names. The most noticeable thing was the lack of plates. They just lay out the dish in one big plate after covering the table with plastic sheet and then you are supposed to dive in and eat from the same plate. So, we improvised. The rotis were used as plates. The taste of the meat was so delectable.
We went to Alicia's office to see her. The view from that building was fantastic. She treated us with juice. Our next visit was Bahrain Fort. Compared to our Rajasthan Forts, it was a kid. Plus, it was below sea level and not built atop a mountain. Things are different in the desert. While on the way back, we stopped at the Grand Mosque. Sadly, visitting hours were over.
Farah's parents had plans for the evening. We went to a Thai restaurant, Monsoon. The welcome greeting was "swaadika". The ambience of the place was marvellous. I had sushi for the first time. Its more about the way you eat than the actual taste. Farah taught us the correct manner. Then there was the chicken wrapped in charred leaves. We were unsure if the leaves had to be eaten or discarded. The waitress told us the leaves were not be eaten. Unfortunately, Sam had already bitten into them by that time. Moreover, he was encouraging us to try the same. We were saved from eating ash.
For dessert, we went to Farah's place. Her Mom makes one of the most delicious desserts. Even though we were stuffed, we managed to squeeze in two helpings. Reaching back to our apartment, we finished the last drops of the Scotch and went to sleep.

TUESDAY

This day was planned as a heritage walk. We woke up early and got dressed. Still, we were late for the morning prayer call. So, we decided to postpone the Mosque visit and took a taxi to the Bahrain International Museum. The driver was very warm person, just like all the other people we had met here. He even opened the door for us when we reached the museum. It was a huge place. It preserved all of Bahrain's history and culture. Even more impressive was the way the history was presented. We all agreed that India had so much more history, but our preservation and presentation is far behind. Time passed so swiftly that we got late for the next prayer call too. Since, the Beit-Ul-Quran, the House of Qurans, was nearby, we headed there. Unfortunately, the visitting hours here were over too. It only opened between 10 AM - Noon and 4 - 6 PM.
We were roaming on the streets of Bahrain under the hot and glaring sun without finding a taxi. Finally, we did find one, a Toyota Camry. The driver welcomed us and then asked why we were walking in the heat in his accented voice. We asked him to drop us at Alicia's office. The short ride was spent well in conversations. He recognised Sikhs. We went back into the Souqs to shop in case we found something interesting. All the shop owners were Mallus. It reminded us of the Lajpat Nagar market.
Later on, the girls joined us and we went to Bahrain City Center Mall. Sam had yet to shop for himself and asked Alicia to help him out. I also joined in. We roamed around the mall for a good 3 hours. I also checked out the official Ferrari store. Everything was obscenely expensive. Luckily, I hadn't carried enough money, else I would have been carrying some useless expensive stuff. After the shopping, Sam and I went to the World Trade Center. It was nearing sunset and the building proved to be a good model for photography.
Relaxing on the sea side, we got thirsty. We asked around for the closest booze store. An Indian shopkeeper suggested a store behind the nearby Gulf Gate hotel. Walking along, we must have asked every Tom, Dick and Harry for the store. Some were even looking for the store themselves. When we finally reached the place, it turned out to be something much, much more. It was titled Mehfil. We entered into a dingy, dimly lit place. There were loud, Hindi songs of the 70s playing in the background. A waitress guided us to a table. We asked about the prices of the drinks and they were sky-rocketing. The waitress told us that it was normal. We were desperate for booze and not the accessories. There were some stairs heading up to the next, even darker floor. Hell, we could have been in a cheap South Indian bar at that time. We bailed out and laughed at ourselves. Had the waitresses been Arabic, Sam and I would have given the place a second thought.
The time that followed was an unforgettable experience. We were roaming the streets trying to find a decent coffee shop and stumbled upon a traditional tea place. Its places like these that give the real taste of country culture. The locals were chatting loudly and playing Dominoes. Realising that this would be good learning place, we took a table. Sam got eager in the game and asked if he could learn the game. The locals, being their usual warm selves invited him to sit along with them. One of them explained the game as it went along. This was accompanied by boiled chanas and lemon teas. We could have sat there for hours. But, time was slack. Saying goodbye, we bought a Domino set from the neighbouring shop and caught up with the others after some time.
We headed into Ritz Carlton. Trader Vic's. A-Class crowd. This place is known for its cocktails. Tiky Puka Puka came highly recommended. The Scorpion sounded tempting so that was also ordered. We were joined later by Navin, Munish and his fiance, Priyanka. Munish and Priyanka came out as highly interactive. They invited us for their wedding to take place at Mumbai in December. Sam was the most excited person here as he kept on repeating, "tonight's my last night here". Maybe it was the cocktails. It would have been the first time that we drank more and ate less. I should mention here that Nilu took fancy to the bass player playing in the live band. He's still poked at over it. The snacks that came had to be grilled over flame. So, it was also a camp-out feel. I just wished that we could have recorded the conversations there. They would have provided so much amusement when heard in sober times.
The whole gang came back into our apartment. Navin gifted us with a bottle of champagne that later turned out to be wine. We could have chatted longer if the following day would not have been a working day. Goodbyes were exchanged with promises to reunite soon. It had been an amazing evening.
Now, only 3 of us were left in the house. Since, it was the last night, we decided to make the most of it. Nilu and I took the bottle of wine and went for a dip in the rooftop pool at 1 AM. Sam had to pack his stuff as he had his flight early the next morning and so had to skip pool. We returned an hour later and Sam was still packing. He had decided to skip sleep altogether to catch his early 5AM cab.

WEDNESDAY

Nilu and I had our flight in the evening at 11 PM. This was our last day in Bahrain. We had had a gala time everyday and today promised to be nothing less. We woke up in time to go to the Grand Mosque and catch the morning prayer's call. On entering the Mosque, we were assigned a guide. He turned out to be a jovial fellow, smiling all the time and interjected jokes within the tour. A sense of calm and peace envelops you as you enter the Grand Hall of the Mosque. There were few people. Its crowded on Fridays. This particular Mosque is relatively new, i.e. 25 years old. The guide asked us the reason as to why there are 12 windows on the dome. We racked our engineering brains to find out if it could be to denote the 12 months of the year. The guide replied with a smile that theres no reason. They could have built even 13 or 15 or 20 windows. Our guide showed us the timings of the prayer calls and the place used for the calls before microphones took over. Just then, the call started. The sound of the call is overwhelming.
We roamed around a little as the guide went for his prayers. Farah took us to the Vegas Strip next. Its called so because thats where most of the American Military persons reside. So, the market place is very American. We entered Chili's to have Steaks and Fajitas. Another stuffing lunch. Next, Farah took us to the vehicle showrooms. Nilu and I had been screaming out model names since the time we had arrived. The others had been polite enough not to show too much exasperation. We saw and drooled over Suzuki and Honda superbikes, Ferraris, Maseratis, BMWs. Rolls Royce does not suit our taste. Jeremy Clarkson's comments echoed in our ears as we looked at the models. The rest of the time passed slowly as we neared our departure time. Farah's Mom came along to see us goodbye at the airport.
At 11:20 PM, we took off from the fabulous desert island. In the coming newspaper issues, the F1 race has been listed as boring. But for me, it has been the most thrilling experience of my life. This was backed by Steve Slater's comments in the next race that F1 has always had low overtaking. The Middle East people floored me with their friendliness and hospitality. If there's a chance for me to revisit in the future, I surely will.