Armchair Traveller
1 total work
For centuries prior to the discovery of oil, the sea was the mainstay of the people of the Arabian Gulf. Located on a strategic trade route between Mesopotamia, India and East Africa, they became expert sailors, boat-builders and fishermen. Amongst them were the pearl-fishers, notably from Kuwait and Bahrain, who would spend the hot summers on board ship, diving over oyster beds, right along the Arabian Gulf and even as far away as Sri Lanka. This book takes the reader on a journey from Kuwait to Muscat, following in the wake of the pearl-fishers. After an opening chapter recounting the history of pearling and the lives of pearl-fishers, the text then deals with seven different countries or emirates in turn. Through lively travelogue, it emphasizes the distinctive character of each, but there are also several common threads to the story. These include: the transition from the traditional to the modern, and how attempts are being made to strike a balance; the resurgence of Islam, in counterpoint to westernization.