People enjoy a desert picnic in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait, Nov. 13, 2020. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)
KUWAIT CITY, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Camping season in Kuwait usually starts in November. As the Kuwaiti government decided to cancel this year's activities as a precaution to prevent spread of the coronavirus, many Kuwaitis turned to "Kashta" -- a small picnic in desert to enjoy the weather at this comfortable time of the year.
Houmod Al-Ali, a 35-year-old Kuwaiti citizen, said that most of the places in Kuwait are no longer as comfortable as before due to the strict measures taken to limit the spread of coronavirus.
"Hookahs were prevented and restaurants were no longer interesting places to spend the day in. Although the camping season was cancelled, Kashta still allows us to enjoy this great weather with desert view," he told Xinhua.
Many Kuwaitis, especially men, go to the desert and park their cars away from the city, laying down mat, preparing the teapot or coffee kettle, and play some traditional games.
Camping season in Kuwait usually begins in early November until March, where Kuwaitis experience cooler weather after months of high temperature.
During camping season, people of Kuwait used to set up tents in several desert areas specially prepared for this season.
For Hamad Al-Salem, a sixty-year-old Kuwaiti man, camping was a habit since his childhood. Now he leaves home daily to go to Kashta with his friends.
"Staying at home is not an option anymore. Every night, my friends and I go out to a desert picnic near my home in Mangaf area in Ahmadi governorate, sipping tea in the middle of the desert and chatting," he told Xinhua.
Kashta picnickers are keen to prepare themselves with all equipment for a more fun picnic.
"The prices of the tools and equipment used in Kashta were doubled during this period due to high demand," Mohammad al-Kandari, a 32-year-old young Kuwaiti, told Xinhua.
"After preventing gatherings, no family visits, no Diwaniyas to meet friends, Kashta was the answer for many of us," he said.
Meanwhile, the Environment Public Authority launched last week an awareness campaign with the participation of the Environmental Police to urge picnickers to clean up and collect their waste after they finish Kashta.
