One Friday we decided to take a drive along the desert outskirts in Kuwait. There´s nothing much there to see actually. Of course there´s less to expect from an almost barren desert fields. Aside from dust, dust and arid landscape,you might end up thinking like you are in the middle of nowhere.But for a foreigner like me, the sight of a caravan of camels, Bedouin tents (nomads) and the long range of power transmission lines to name a few sounds interesting for me.Kuwait is a very small country and you can absolutely explore the whole country in one day. The best way to explore the outskirts?—of course driving along because you can´t do it by walking or cycling since it´s almost 48+ degrees outside.The roads are well paved and camera-monitored.

And this is why this roadtrip became memorable for me.

I recalled asking myself, have I ever really experienced a real foggy misty day in Kuwait?

Look at the photo below, is it foggy , misty or dusty? could you tell the difference?

Probably not, since oftentimes, I have mistaken mist as dust, because the blurred visions made me felt like it´s all the same. It is scorching hot, humid, and uncomfortable that my eyes hurt.

Anyway, one time while admiring the herd of camels in the Camel farm in Wafra, my iPhone had suddenly shuts down due to long exposures to heat and I received an impromptu message ” Wait until this iPhone cools down..”! So at least that can give you an idea what to expect if you decide to go on a roadtrip in Kuwait and make a pit stop in the desert.

Looking back,in Kuwait, these power lines symbolizes it´s power resources.With it´s high crude reserves, still, it has it´s high´s and low´s. There, water is more expensive than oil.Due to heavy use of air conditioning, reliance on desalination for water, and highly subsidized electricity prices, Kuwait’s per capita electricity consumption is among the highest in the world, at roughly 14 000 kWh.We lived with air conditioning almost all throughout the year and we never paid any electrical bills and you pay peanuts for petrol.

On a clear day, it means no duststorms, one can appreciate the simple beauty of the desert with these power transmissions lines as background. Time flies fast as we venture on appreciating the local scenery.Further on we made many quick stop- overs to admire the dunes, looking for wild desert flowers and breathing fresch air in the secluded beaches.I totally enjoyed killing time there, just watching the desert sun sets and paint the skies with beautiful palletes of purple, and burnt oranges.

Along the way, a small roadside “Bakala” ( or convenient store) , or the 711 of the desert can be seen just like the photo above. They sell almost everything, from cigarettes, drinks, ice cream, toys, I don´t know exactly what are those sacks, but for sure they have something to quench your thirst. Sometimes they sell some vegetables and fruits coming from the nearby farms.

You´ll feel lucky to see some ” infamous war- torn ” walls like this. There hasn´t been Graffiti or public art in Kuwait, only barren walls, a reminder of its painful past.

I can´t say that´s it´s a county side thing, but in the outskirts, these sand dunes are quite pretty sight. People loved to drive around here and just have a breather, camping and BBQ; and of course, enjoy the beach.There are no rivers to amuse us, only rough beaches and coastlines.

Of course, our road trip won´t be complete without a sight of the local desert trees . They looked fragile, and yet very resilient which I really find so unique.Sometimes I thought that this landscape made me think if I am in the middle of nowhere but then a sight of a single tree, swayed by the shy desert winds can be reassuring.

If allowed, one can further explore the roads leading to Kuwait´s neighbouring countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq as long as you obtained entry permits.Crossing these borders illegally is really a big hassle and without Arabic, you might really get in trouble.The road distance from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia is approximately 796 kms. Saudi is located on the south side of Kuwait so if you travel at the consistent speed of 50 KM per hour you can reach Saudi Arabia in 15 hours and 46 minutes.

I ´ve definitely not seen a mist in the roads of Kuwait but yes, I wished I have gathered a pocket of sand in a bottle, because somehow, I´ve been there.

This post is inspired by Wandering Dawgs, for Lens -Artist -Along back country roads.

Until then, Salam and Tschüss!