F1 Bahrain Blog: Lifestyles of the neither rich nor famous

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Written by Gaz

Friday, 12 March 2010 11:41

Seeing as there's nearly an hour to go before the second practice starts, I thought I'd tell you a bit more about life in Bahrain.

After all, it's more than just a racetrack.

Bahrain is, without a doubt, the friendliest country I have ever been to, and I used to live in the good ol' US of A. Being somewhat new to all this trackside journalism, I have made a number of mistakes since I arrived. The biggest was not checking where the media shuttle pick-up point was when I got dropped off. Foolishly assumed that one of the eleventy billion people working here would know, but the journos all seem to have hire cars, and none of the circuit staff knew what I was on about.

So last night saw me dragging my suitcase around the entire circuit complex, desperately trying to find a way back to my hotel. In the end the security guards took pity on me and phoned a taxi, and while I was waiting they took me into their hut and gave me endless bottles of water. Conversation was a bit of a challenge, but hospitality and generosity need no translation.

When the taxi arrived I was surprised to find they'd specifically requested a car with a female driver – pretty much all the Bahraini I've met are appalled that I am a woman travelling on her own, and they all want to look after me. The taxi driver offered to let me stay at her home, as she wasn't keen on the idea of me staying in what she called a traditional hotel – didn't think it would be up to my western standards.

But I checked in nonetheless, and was more than pleasantly surprised. The lobby was all marble, and had chandeliers, and my room is one of the biggest I've ever stayed in. Sure, it could do with a bit of an update, but I've discovered that my total hotel bill isn't far off what most journos are paying per night. Who cares about the odd scuff on the paintwork, or a very 1980s bathroom?

The online reviews have really done the hotel a disservice – my room was clean, the hot water and air-conditioning were both operational, and there was nothing discernibly sticky about the floor. This morning they drove me to the circuit in a private car, and I seem to have travel sorted for the rest of my stay.

Life as an F1 hack is getting more glam by the day. The shower certainly helped, as did the fact that I finally managed to find the catering tent! So I now have access to endless bottles of water, a fairly decent cup of coffee, and endless amounts of food. There was a Thai prawn stir-fry on offer for dinner last night, and lunch today offered more hot options than you could shake a stick at. Given the intense heat, I stuck to salmon sashimi, salad, and a plate of dragon fruit.

Breakfast seems to be the real star of the show – they've taken loads of nationalities into account, so there's the cold meats and cheese you'd associate with Germany, all the ingredients for a British fry-up, and the fruit, yogurt, and pastries on offer in much of the rest of the world. Wish I knew what all the pastries were called – there was an awesome pain au chocolat pretender that was filled with a pistachio cream, and I could have eaten the whole tray of those. Managed to stop at one, but it took a lot of self-control.

There's also loads of non-racing stuff going on at the circuit today. Wandering around the public bit of the circuit you'll find bars, food and merchandise stalls, loads of random concerts – the media food tent was treated to a lunchtime serenade – and lots of stuff for race fans to do. I am loving the relaxation areas, which are filled with people lying around on cushions enjoying the sun and listening to music.

Next stop, more racing! With half an hour to go before the afternoon practice session, air temperature has climbed to 33 degrees, and the track is a rubber-melting 48.

So far none of the drivers have succumbed to the girlracer hat – maybe it's a sponsorship conflict thing? Might have to see if I can get some of the team support staff to give it a whirl. Kate Walker Girlracer Magazine http://www.girlracer.co.uk

Comments (2)

|2010-03-12 18:10:19 Julia Watson - Wow! F1 AND local color! Great blog...

Thanks, Kate, whoever you are. Logged on to graze on news of the world's best sport. And found sooo more than I bargained for. Love the local color story. Friendly femaile taxi drivers in Bahran? Who knew! Great read. Keep it up!
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|2010-03-13 09:17:51 Kate

Glad to be of service! Even the travelling's an adventure for me, and I'm trying to show the whole story.

The only place Bahrainis aren't quite so charming is on the roads - following an obviously drunk driver last night, we were amused (and horrified) to see him roll down his window and throw up while driving.

Apparently the FIA's road safety initiatives have yet to have much of an effect here...
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