Pacing the Cage in Manama
Trip Start
Apr 03, 2011
1
3
19
Trip End
Apr 26, 2011
Manama, Bahrain
Monday, April 4, 2011
There's large group of Jains dressed only in white robes made out of a single piece of simple homespun cotton. They tiptoe delicately among the middle eastern wok smugglers, business men and Filippino workers who'll be returning home after long months spent caring for children, cars and homes that are not their own. There's a look of quiet desperation on many faces. It seems that life in the Gulf states is tough, unless you happen to be born with a jewelled spoon in your mouth.
A group of young men strut past, full of back slapping bravado now they're going home. A sweet faced boy catches my eye and we exchange grins. He wears a t-shirt bearing the legend, Police Body. No Copy. It's at least a couple of sizes too big and the hanging fabric emphasises how skinny he is. He looks incredibly young and very vulnerable. I imagine him returning to his family, in rural India or Indonesia and hope his homecoming is everything he expects it to be. Then the group closes ranks around him and he is gone.
After a few hours in this bum numbing seat I'm keen to be gone too. Next stop, Kathmandu.
Comments
You make airport stop overs sound interesting!
Are you sure they weren't vat smugglers?
Vat smugglers, undoubtedly.
Whatever was in there with 'em was big.