This year the summer is cooling off earlier then usual which is a good and bad thing, I love the sea but I also love to ride. But while its still hot we are getting into the water as much as possible, and the other day the water was a bit rough but still amazing to swim in and so we headed off to Al Halah, a little island that pops up at low tide and disappears at high tide. It was a lovely cool breeze as we were on our way and honestly everything was just right, and we were have a bite from the watermelon we had packed in the ice box, took us about 15 to 20 mins to get there from our starting point.

There were a good dozen boats parked by the Island, and a few that got stuck because they went into shallow waters, honestly I would have made the same mistake if my friends didn’t tell me not to go there. The water was really nice there and we saw a couple of people that we knew. While in the water honestly the best thing to drink other then water is Shani, for some reason it just tastes so damn good and refreshing in the water, and I for one love Shani. We spent a little over an hour there before the current started to get stronger around the Island because the tide was coming back and it was dragging us away from the Island. Al Halah island is known to have whirlpools so we stuck close to the island while swimming, then we decided to head back since I knew lunch was on the way and we needed some time to get the equipment out of the water and take a shower. But while on the way back I made a quick stop to get the wakeboard out and try to wakeboard back which almost killed me, I love wakeboarding but I have NO stamina, I need to build up my stamina, I do love the water so much.

Usually when you go on trips with friends there was always someone covering someone, and at the end of the trip we figure out the balance. My friend, lets call him BAFI, was my room mate on a previous trip. So after all the details were discussed it amount to around 135 KD for the whole trip that he owed me, so I said he can pay me when we get back to Kuwait. He then proceeded to suggest that can pay me with a Amazon gift card instead if I was ok with that, I thought that was GENIUS! I’m always buying from Amazon, and I had another purchase in mind and that would drastically lessen the damage. I know that it is only in my head that I’m not spending more money on Amazon, but the travel expenses were already spent so to me this was a plus and made me get my purchase earlier then expected. Thank you Bafi!

(The Gift Card has already been used! lol)

Riding in California is one of the things that I look forward to the most while I’m in the States. We woke decently early for a morning ride up to Alice’s Cafe on the 9, then back down the 1 after having a bite to eat at Alice’s Cafe. It was Hamdy, Bassim, and myself on the bikes, I was on the Daytona 675, Hamdy on the R1, and Bassim on the CBR 600. All amazing and very agile machines. I haven’t been riding in the states in a while, too long for my liking, and I honestly forgot how nice every one is while you are riding. While riding up the hill there was a Ducati 916 which destroyed us around the corners and made us look like amateurs, he just flew by us on a tight curved which freaked me the hell out, I tried staying in front of him for a bit but at the end I let him pass I couldn’t keep up that speed around the corners. The weather was amazing in the beginning of the day but then it got a little cloudy and hazy so we weren’t sure if were going to continue to the 1.

When we stopped at Alice’s Cafe I was starving, and so was everyone else, we wanted to sit outside and were looking for a table. Two nice older gentlemen offered to share their table with us since they could see the whole place was filled, I loved that, they were old friends talking and chatted with us for it when we sat down before carrying on their conversation, just genuinely nice people. So many bikes all around, I kept looking around different bikes and you could see some mean machines on the road from the BMW S1000RR to the Ducati 1198S, Two mean looking MV Agustas and a couple of Multistradas and lots of Suzukis. So many beautiful machines I just can’t get enough of them, and then it started raining a bit. We were thinking of weather to cut the trip short or continue, after our meal and a little deliberation we decided to just keep on going with it. Its just a little water, but I was unlucky to wear an Air Textile Jacket so I was a bit soaked and freezing cold while riding. We took it to the coast and then the sun broke through the clouds, what a view, what an insane feeling. The roads were amazing, the ride was blissful, this is why I love riding, good people, amazing roads, amazing machines, and good food.

I love getting into the water, I love swimming, and just floating in the water. This past week the weather has just been unpredictable as to what exactly is going to happen but we headed to the shalaih and decided we are swimming this Friday.

It was a little bit of wind but not nearly enough to discourage us and we have gotten in the water in worse conditions. After about an hour of laying about watching tv we got into the water, and we were literally the only people in the water. No one else can be seen except for half a dozen jetskies in a 10 kilometer stretch. The water was a bit cold but not enough so that no one gets into the water, but it seems the weather is changing and the water is a bit cooler. Overall I think its been a fantastic summer and I’m hoping for more time in the water and less sandstorms in the near future but riding season is around the corner at this point.

After a long 17 hour flight then one stop in Dubai, then another 1 hour and 45 minute flight to Kuwait a person would be tired. But the prospect of getting into Kuwait’s lovely blue waters got me right out of bed and ready to jump in. I wasn’t going to miss getting in the nice cool water for the day, and getting some burgers in doesn’t hurt either. Out of the whole summer that day was the smoothest possible waters I have seen in a long time, it was crisp and amazing. As soon as we got to Kubbar I just jumped right into the water which wasn’t cold or hot, it was perfect, I was expecting it to be colder but it wasn’t. Lots of people around, and we even saw one small boat topple over because it had too many people on one side, then the Coast Guard dragged it back to the bigger boat and tried flipping it back but we didn’t know what they did at the end of the day. We had our burgers and went for a fun swim before heading home, and after that swim I got a really good nights sleep, a total of 11 hours before waking up the next morning.

Its been a little while since I have been online or at my computer to make any posts. I took a very nice vacation in California for the last 21 days, and during that time I barely sat at a desk or had a laptop to work on any posts. I tried to have as much fun as possible and go out as much as I could, I tried seeing as many movies as I could as well. Just got back from a 16 hour and 35 minute flight from San Francisco to Dubai, not including the short trip from Dubai to Kuwait which feels like a short trip to the supermarket in comparison. I will be back to posting normally, I have a lot to post about, thank you for everyone that emailed and asked if I just disappeared off the face of the planet but I think I was having too much fun for my own good. Still it wasn’t enough, it has been the first long vacation I have taken in almost two years and it has been much needed. I literally purged my brain of all work and any other responsibility as soon as I walked through immigrations & customs at San Francisco when I landed in the beginning of September. I didn’t even read anything from GoogleReader, and I’m looking at it right now and its the most I have ever seen, I wish the GoogleReader went above the “1000+” mark so I can know that I am denting it since its probably around 5000 to 6000, and I will go through them when I have a chance. Having the iPad 3G with AT&T service in the US basically made the laptop useless, I almost never was on a computer during my stay since the iPad 3G provided for all my internet needs, searches, email, and any type of connectivity, I basically lived off the iPad and I would recommend anyone traveling to the US to get the 3G version with them since their is 3G coverage in most major cities and locations.

Just before Ramadan we decided to spend the last weekend completely at the shalaih, having fun and relaxing watching tv and swimming. I piled up all the shows I had as well as a few movies that I wanted to see, some good, some crappy, and some just plain funny. The last few weeks have been good since we haven’t had too many dust storms making the water better and better to go swimming and enjoying all forms of water sports.

We got all our energy out on Friday, I think I have more parts hurting me now then when I did when after the gym. We were on a SportsStuff Bandwagon which really beat the hell out of us, because we tried holding on as much as we can and when you fall off its a hell of a fall. So the next day we decided to go to the little Island called Al Halah just at the tip of Mina Al Zour. We took the bought with about four jet skis following us, they kept jumping on the wave made by the boat. When we got there the water was crystal clear and a few people were already there, it was amazingly relaxing. We stayed there for a good hour and a half before heading back, the water was a bit on the warm side but we would get a nice cool under current every once in a while. It was the perfect weekend, water by day, and couch by night.

When going to the shalaih I looking forward to eating some juicy burgers as well as jumping into the water. With the Prime Cuts burgers I really had something to look forward to trying, but now I had to deal with the grill. I had the guys on bread patrol, cutting up the buns getting the ready, and the cheddar cheese was ready.

Now the grill is an interesting story, its big and can handle a lot of burgers, and I love coal bbqing except that you can’t control the flame, which makes professional gas grillers that much better. Now in this case this is a 15 KD griller made from a used barrel, and cut to fit a grill and welded together, and it works perfectly. Now the funny part is that it belongs to one of the guys from 4thringroad, and somehow ended up with us, but I’m using it and enjoying it so I’m not complaining.

Got the burgers on the grill and for the first time about 7 of guys were waiting behind for the food, I had to swat them away like flies. Usually I’m the only one stuck outside cooking in the cold, but this time around they were all just standing behind and annoying me because they were all so hungry. I kept flipping the burgers every few minutes since I couldn’t control the heat and I didn’t want the exterior burnt and the interior being under cooked. The first batch of burgers that were done, disappeared within seconds, they flew through them and some guys wanted more, these are thick burgers.

After about 18 of the burgers there were only a few left and so I cooked it on my time, making sure they are perfect. I would place each bun on the grill for about a minute to get it nice and crispy. The cheese melted perfected with the heat being nice and warm at this point, I took my first bite and loved it. It was really a juicy burger and very tasty, Prime Cuts now has a dedicated customer and these guys do catering too, so if you want someone to come cook your burgers for you, then they come out.

The one thing I have to look forward to every week is getting to the weekend. Since its too hot to go riding or do anything else that involves outdoor activities, water sports is your best option. We have been going to the shalaih every weekend possible, even when its an insanely dusty we still go out and relax their, even bbqing with a little dust in the air.

The last weekend the water so pristine and clear it was amazing, I still think that Kuwait has one of the best water fronts in the world and I love it. The one thing that drives me nuts is people not taking care of the beaches and trash in the water, thats not even taking out the damage our waters have taken due to the government’s neglect and our crappy water treatment plants. That aside I just can’t believe how nice the water was, even when we were a good 700 meters into the ocean you can see clear down. And luckily this weekend the water didn’t feel so hot that you are swimming in soup, it felt normal for once with some cool undercurrents. Wakeboarding is still on the map for me but I haven’t had a chance, we are just enjoying swimming and relaxing as much as possible.

The best thing in the shalaih after swimming to chill, get something to eat, and watch show after show, nonstop until your either done with a season or move on to a movie. Now Ramadan is coming up in this heat, its going to be interesting to see who comes back to Kuwait, and if people still go to the beach, I remember last year we still went to the beach house and got in the water and went wakeboarding, but damn we got thirsty.

Got walk up just before noon, and someone on the other saying we are heading out on the boat, get up, get up. I slept late catching up on some episodes and relaxing the night before planning to sleep in a bit, and the weather forecast was to be a dusty day, but they were so wrong. I jumped in the shower and changed into my swimsuit and headed straight to Koot. Food check, Drinks Check, iPod Check, Everyone onboard check,

Around 1:30 pm we headed out of the Port heading towards Kubbar at full speed, a few things went flying as usual but it was a very comfortable ride. It was a bit windy but the waters are always calm around Kubbar Island. Its been a while since I went to Kubbar Island so I was really forward to it, the water is always nice around there, and this time we brought a few floating toys to use while in the water. Music blasting, Ceasers tiny pizzas and some drinks made for a very quick ride. We passed by a few oil and natural gas tankers on the way there, those things are huge, I mean bigger then buildings, we are tiny right next to them and this isn’t a small bought, it really is a moving island.

20-25 mins and we got to Kubbar Island, luckily there were no more then 20 boats parked around the island and everyone stretched comfortable apart. Some people on the island bbqing, some people swimming, some people snorkeling, and the best part is the amazingly cool water. Being in the sun when we stop is a bit hot so we jumped right into the water, it was amazing, the sensation was fantastic. I always jump right in, sinking into the water, enveloped by this cool and shocking feeling, its refreshing. I know I’m out of shape because I can swim for a little while and when I’m out of breath I just float, but it feels good to move.

We saw a few friends there and we were having a blast. The Kuwait Coast Guard passes by every once in a while but they don’t seem to be bothering anyone. I got in a dingy and started the engine after almost pulling my arm trying to start the damn engine, and as soon as I got it start two of us went for a stroll around the parked boats. At full throttle that dingy is slower then a turtle but still a lot of fun, and when we were two heavy guys the diny was taking in some water so we had to be careful. The water was perfect, it was so much fun to get out and a complete change.