Into the Desert

I think it was Thursday night after school that we went into the desert. Now, you may be saying to me, “Stephanie, I thought that all of Kuwait was a desert,” which is very true; however, there is a definite distinguishing between the city and the desert for the locals. If you take a look at a map, you can see an area called “Al Jahra,” which is west of the city and probably 10km south of where we were. Upon invitation, we went out to our friend S’s farm, with farm being a term I use very loosely.

The premise of having a farm seems to be so that one can get away from the city smog, keep some animals like chickens, turkeys, goats, and sheep, take in a good barbecue with friends, and just relax for the weekend. Although they are called farms, many of them are more like desert cabins that have a cement border around them. There are actually dairy and camel farms, but the one we went to was mostly for R&R.

With about six of our apartment friends, our four Kuwaiti friends treated us to a fun evening of grilling, playing sports like volleyball, air hockey, and foosball, and scouting the desert- a new experience altogether. We piled into two large SUVS, and set out for the sand just like we would do doughnuts in an icy parking lot at home. (Did I actually type that?) At one point, our driver got stuck in the sand and we had to wait for the other vehicle to tow us out, an apparently common occurrence. Then, we set out for the nearest camel farm to get up close and personal, after which we went hunting for desert creatures. At this time, I was kicking myself for having forgotten my camera at home, but I will try to get some pictures up from the others.

The highlight of the evening was when we were driving around looking for some critters, and a few of the guys were riding on the sides of the SUVs- standing on the running boards and holding on to the roof racks. I wish I had done it, but at the time we were scouting, and found, a desert mouse. Somebody had to drive once everyone else jumped out of the Tahoe, right?
I think I had enough beef ribs, soda, and falafel to last me the rest of the fall semester, but I think the fun has only just begun.

Photo: At the Fish Market