Away from Bahrain for several years, I came back to find it changed is so many ways. On my second week back I wrote the following article in the memory of what I longed for.

From the land of the one million palm trees, from the island of sweet sea water, coral reefs and sandy beaches, from the seas inhabited by dolphins and sea cows..I write to you..

We live in the northern part of island, well-known for its dense green foliage. Thanks to the numerous spring waters, most farms scattered across the villages grow exotic fruits and vegetables. Crops include melon, basil, watercress, papaya, okra, parsley, coriander and many others I struggle to find English names for.

It is meal time, and customarily, we are having sea food today. Are you a shell-fish fan? Crab, shrimps, crayfish or oysters? Are we craving fish today? For the list of that can be quite long! My favourites are Hamour (Grouper), Chan’ad (Mackerel), Hamam Arabee (Blackbanded Trevally), Byah (Bluespot Mullet) and Janam (Grey Grunt). A white pudding called Falooda is then served for dessert. Although very prevalent among the locals, few actually realize that the white strips used to make Falooda are actually seaweed (Agar Strips).

We planned a visit to the famed Hawar Islands, an archipelago of 16 islands 20 kilometers south east of Bahrain. A flock of Socotra Cormorants greeted us as we arrived. Not lucky enough to see the rare Sooty Falcon, we settled for the flamingos and the green turtles.

My inquisitive nature takes me to the southern part of Bahrain, where people camp during the winter months, when the temperature is more moderate and a light breeze cools the air. As I move down south I glimpse an Arabian Oryx, and a Reem Gazelle. The tranquility of the empty southern desert disrupted by the swift movement of a lizard, the food of the nomads and the cause of a phobia to myself and others. I always wanted to see the long eared desert hedgehog, but never could. Amidst the vast areas of desolate tract stands high the Tree of Life.