Tell Me There Is Nothing In The Desert Again

Unfortunately there is a tendency among many of the foreigners who live in Kuwait to complain about how there is 'nothing to do in Kuwait'. While it is less developed in some aspects of 'entertainment' compared to many US or European cities it is certainly not true that there is nothing here to do. Usually, those same people who complain are the ones who then look all surprised when you tell them about a wonderful museum you went to or activities you took part in. Somehow it's a vicious cycle I guess - foreigners complain to newly arrived foreigners who then don't make the effort to look for - sometimes well-hidden - places of interest and things to do - and then there is consensus and we can all reassure each other of our belief. Sad, really.

Okay, so you can not go out drinking, or hang out in a bar for after-hours beers, you cannot go to discotheques and night clubs because there aren't any (at least not officially) and it's hard to find concerts, theater plays and the like. But that doesn't mean there aren't other things to do.

It's a bit the same with the desert - 'it's flat, boring and there's nothing worth seeing there'. A lot of people don't even go because they heard that 'it's flat, boring and there's nothing worth seeing there'. Others go and drive right through it in their air-conditioned cars and confirm that 'it was flat, boring and there was nothing to see'. That's just not true. I'm not saying we should all enjoy walking around in the desert looking for bugs and plants (nor do I expect that you all find it interesting to see my pictures from there) - I admit it is a bit nerdy but just don't tell me that there is nothing in the desert!

The pics are from 2nd March and we went to the same place as last time - my previous post is here: Day Out In The Desert.


(A wonderful sunny morning in the desert near Bubiyan Island)

It was extremely windy and probably not the best day to climb a sand hill - but we did anyway:


(My friends looking over the desert and trying not to get blown off the hill)

Down by the water there were still the funny mudskippers we saw last time and there were also some crabs who escaped as soon as we came near. I did get some pictures of the slower-moving creatures there, though:


(Moving around the mud flats)


(Hermit legs sticking out)


(Hello neighbor!)

There were still some flowers in the desert although it was clear that in the 3 weeks or so that had passed since we were last there, the desert has dried out a lot.


(Flowers in the desert)


(Flowers in the desert)


(Flower in the desert)

There were also still some desert hyacinths out there:


(Desert hyacinths)

It never ceases to amaze me how these flowers break through the hard and dry surface of the desert:


(Desert hyacinth breaking through)

The hyacinths aren't the only ones having to break through the sometimes really dry and hard surface of the desert:


(Small plant coming up through the dry flakes of the desert)


(Green plant coming up through the dry flakes of the desert)


(Plant casting its shade in the desert sand)


(Plants, flowers and some dry roots)

There were tons of butterflies everywhere that day:


(Butterfly sitting on some flowers in the desert)

And I managed to get some pretty nice photos of some of them:


(Butterfly on a desert flower)


(This one had wings so thin they were almost transparent)


(Getting ready for landing!)


(Butterfly on a desert flower)

There were plenty of other little bugs and insects - although I have no idea what most of them are (there were birds as well but they were hiding in the grass and flew away so fast that we couldn't take any pictures):


(Small flies inside a desert hyacinth)


(A beautiful shiny bug - copper-colored with black)


(Big ant)


(Another colorful bug - quite flat and with stripes)


(A fast-running bug - black with sand-colored back part that blends in with the desert)


(No idea about this one either - about the size of a big ant)

I finally got a good shot of a ladybug as well:


(Ladybug on a hairy desert plant)

We made a stop near the only tree visible in this part of the desert - unfortunately it is dead but at least it's still standing there:


(Not A but THE tree in the desert)

Nearby somebody must have had a barbecue or some other feast involving a small lamb or goat - all the bones are scattered around the area:


(Leftovers... been in the desert so long grass is growing out of its eye-holes)

Am I the only one who sees a person (two black dots for eyes) with his hands folded in front of him (fingers pointing forward)?


(Bone left in the desert)

With plenty of butterflies comes of course plenty of caterpillars (well, other way round):


(This one had crawled onto a small plant that it was feasting on)


(You can actually see its spiky 'teeth' used for eating)


(Didn't know these things have actual eyes!)

This time the desert was full of grass - it was very nice:


(Grass swaying in the wind - and a Kuwaiti flag from a nearby campsite)


(Grass swaying in the wind - a rare sight in the desert)

A little bit further along, close to where they are currently constructing a new road we made another stop and saw this funny caterpillar - if that's not the cutest thing...:


(Caterpillar of some kind - looks more like a caricature of a dachshund (gravhund))

At first I thought it was a joke or something left behind by campers but this really is melons growing in the desert (in between a table tennis ball and a tennis ball in size). My friend had taken home some seeds and planted them but so far I have heard no news of a desert melon plant at her house:


(Desert melons)

And last but not least a hazy view of the Kuwait City skyline before we went home:


(Kuwait City skyline and greenery)