Bahrain
September 21-22. I flew to Bahrain and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found out that there used to be a big industry of pearl diving, which was demolished by the introduction of cultured pearls. There is still amateur pearl diving, and I tried to get a spot on a dive boat but was not able to. I later found out that it was a holiday weekend in Saudi Arabia, so many Saudis spent the long weekend in nearby Bahrain.
It was easy to get around on Uber. I went to the Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al Fateh Fort, by the water. I would like to visit again and go pearl diving. I believe that at some sites snorkeling for pearls is possible.
I stayed at the Swiss-Belhotel Seef, which was excellent.