Badr Ghulum house is the last of the Muharraq pearl houses on this list, and it is a good place to say something about the island as a whole. Muharraq is small, flat and low, joined by causeways to Manama and, farther south, to the main island of Bahrain, and the whole country of Bahrain is a little archipelago in the Gulf,. From here a longer causeway runs west to Saudi Arabia, and it carries heavy traffic at weekends, which gives the island a feeling of being at a crossroads.
The climate is the main thing to plan around. Summer days are long, humid and extremely hot, with the sea warm as a bath and little relief at night. Winter is mild, between about fifteen and twenty-five degrees, with occasional rain, and wind from the north-west called the shamal that raises dust and cools the air. Wise riders set off at dawn or after dusk, wear light-coloured gear with ventilation and carry water at all times. Sandstorms can reduce visibility sharply, and a day with a brown haze is not a day for the causeway.
The architecture of the house follows the same pattern as the others on the trail, built around a courtyard with high walls and decorative plaster, and it has a story of its own that the on-site displays explain better than any guide. What you see more clearly from this part of town is the transition between old and new, with the glass towers of the financial district on the skyline across the water and the low houses of the old quarter close at hand. The Bahrain International Circuit, where the Formula One Grand Prix is held each spring, lies on the main island in the desert south of Manama, and on race weekend the whole country hums.
Bahrain is easy for a rider in practical terms. Fuel is cheap and plentiful, roads are generally in excellent condition, and the distances are short. Helmets are required, and speed cameras are common. Food is varied, with Indian, Arabic and Persian cooking everywhere, and a good meal costs little. Be respectful of local customs, dress modestly in the old quarter and ask before photographing people.