Kuwait City Sightseeing

A WhatsApp message wakes me at 01:30 from Walid, the guide we have booked through Viator for a sightseeing tour of Kuwait today (not arranged through Undiscovered Destinations like the rest of the trip) asking if we can do the tour at 08:30, rather than 13:00 as previously arranged. I explained to Walid when I booked the tour, that I specifically wanted an afternoon trip so that we could finish at Al Shaheed Park at dusk, as they have a water fountain display after dark which I’d be interested in photographing. Feeling too tired and more than a little travel-weary at this stage, I capitulate and agree to leave earlier than originally agreed.

The original message back in September

The message in the early hours of this morning

I go back to sleep feeling a little peeved.

As soon as we leave the room and head for the lift this morning, I notice a glorious sunrise over the city from the lift lobby and rush back in to get my camera. Breakfast can wait.

In the breakfast restaurant, I notice a glass screen wrapping around the entrance to the gents’ toilets and remark that you’d never get a wheelchair around that corner. With both my parents being wheelchair users towards the end of their lives, and now me needing one at certain times, I have become increasingly observant to the fact that most buildings are not easily accessible for anyone with limited mobility.

City Sightseeing

We wait in the lobby for Walid to arrive, and are disappointed when he doesn’t even bother to get out of his car to greet us, just sending a WhatsApp message “I’m here”.

While not as messy as it has been, my cold sore is still concerning me, so I ask Walid just to drive around for me to take photos from the car, rather than risk exposing my mouth to the strong sunshine here in the Middle East.

The inside of Walid’s car is shockingly messy, and I am quite appalled when he asks if we mind if he vapes in the car. Despite me answering “I’d rather you didn’t”, he leans out of the window when stopped at junctions to take a quick drag.

The city is modern, and the buildings are close together, making it quite hard to get a good picture of a cityscape on more than a couple of occasions.

From across the bay

Instead, I concentrate on photographing architectural details, closing in on patterns, shapes, and reflections.

After a couple of hours, I am fed up with Walid, his messy car, and his vaping, and as I feel I have photographed more than enough architectural detail, I ask that we go back to the hotel, where we chill for the rest of the day. Walid is the only guide we have not tipped on this trip.

Dinner

Penne Pasta with Cajun Chicken and Cream Sauce

Moroccan Lamb Shank

The sightseeing tour of Kuwait was a disappointing finish to an otherwise superb trip, but it is rather telling that the excursion here is one of only two that were not arranged through Undiscovered Destinations.