Band of Boats
It must depend on when the fish are running; there is a band of boats a few hundred yards off shore, the shuw’i , the old fashioned kind of fishing boats. Late in the afternoon, they are easier to see than in the morning, where the haze obscures them. Best of all, early in the morning, before the sun rises, they form a necklace of bobbing, flickering lights, and, for some reason, it makes me feel warm and secure to see them out there.
(Some things don’t have to be rational, they just are what they are.)
The description of the shuw’i at the Science Museum along the Corniche:
While the weather is so perfect for walking, and for being outdoors, visit the Science museum on the Corniche. The old boat exhibit outside is totally FREE, and a fabulous peek into Kuwait’s past, which, every morning and night, I am reminded, carries on to the future – the historic shuw’i are still in use, as are the larger jalboot.
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I like this place 🙂 I remember taking my dad’s cousin (who is from UAE) to the scientific center where he spent most of the time outside by these boats rather than inside the center. He talked and talked a lot about them, he was well informed.
Mmm interesting place. Im confused, are you Kuwait right now or in Seattle?
I have a model of those boats at home. I love their design, i actually bought them as gifts for some friends back in lebanon.
That’s the first time I hear the term Shuwi.
Again, learned something new today – thanks 😀
Last time I’ve been at the SC I only have seen the huge big boat out there, I must have totally missed these 🙂
Ansam, what a great memory to have of a day with your Dad’s cousin. I bet he took back a great impression of Kuwait. That boat museum is really really cool.
ZuZu – I am back in Kuwait. I like to be here for the best part of the year (winter!)
Fonzy – they really ARE beautiful, aren’t they, spare and efficient, and very good for their intended purposes. Have you visited the museum?
Nicole – Go to the blue shuw’i (text in first line of this entry) and click on it. This guy has collected so much good information about some of the older things in the Gulf, including why houses were built the way they were. I love his website.
nope, i havent but i have been to the boom restaurant 😛
It’s funny, we don’t like the food at the Boom very much, but we love the restaurant, and we love having coffee upstairs. It’s a fun place to take visitors.
I’ve been there at night, I didn’t notice the actual exhibit but I did notice the boats! I thought they were just there for regular display! They’re lovely to look at for sure.
It’s such a great place. We loved learning the difference between boats with diagrams. Great place to take visitors, N!
Another great place to take first time visitors to Kuwait is to take them online to Kuwait blogs, such as yours.
Morning, BL . . . you are too kind.