Rowland Ramble -

So I have had a few requests to post some pictures of my middle east adventures.  Recently there haven’t been as many and it might be time to re-evaluate that but for now,  think I can come up with enough pictures of my own and from around the web and some writing that might make things interesting.  If nothing else, it will be good for my own reflections in the future when I look back.

You might recognize these towers from another picture elsewhere on my blog.
This one I took right after I got to Kuwait.

The next pictures are some photos that I rounded up from various sources and I have in fact been to every place they depict with a few exceptions.  I will note those photos a little differently.

This sign was what I saw each day on the way in followed closely by the next image as I left.

This picture is of the chow hall and it’s called “Oasis”.  It’s decorated with college sports team pennants and schools flags.  It helps to feel a little like home.  As you can see, the surrounding area is starkly empty and the sky is devoid of any clouds.  I suppose that when you are living here, this building really could be considered an oasis in the desert but once you leave and look back, it’s anything but.  I didn’t eat here much because the food wasn’t good but the inside was OK.

This is Starbucks.  There are two on the base and they were pretty good.  Better in fact than the ones here in the states.  I have been to the original one as it’s just down the street from my office but it was here that I started drinking coffee.

This is a picture of Sadaam’s Chair.  I wasn’t here but this picture shows the chair.  This was given to Saddam Hussein as a gift by Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian terrorist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  It is rather pretentious.  You can also see the sweat stains from the many soldiers who have sat here for a photo op.

The next pictures are one I have taken along the way….but that will come at another time..