Last month’s Boat Show was a great occasion for an unusual outdoor walk. Like many things here, everything was gleaming with wealth – there were even some boats with encrusted glitter. Playing the millionaire for a day – asking for the price of boats as I would for a pair of jeans – was also quite funny.

All these Italian and French boat manufacturers had made it to Kuwait to boast their capabilities and their famous know-how. But after a while the novelty wore out, and all the boats seemed the same to me. Not that the sales people weren’t trying their best to impress me with their boats, which they invariably presented as “the most luxurious and competitive on the market.” When it came down to it though, after ten boats, the two main differences I could notice were the material used for the bathroom flooring and the presence or absence of a champagne cooler. And when the news broke out that even the mythical Riva used plastic coating on its wooden deck, I felt like I was ready to go.  


But just when I was about to leave, despairing on the fate of the Riva, I noticed a perfectly shaped wooden boat. What was standing in front of me was a tremendous oriental interpretation of that famous old Riva. With pink, purple and yellow leather seats and a jet propeller, this was the precisely the kind of stuff I hoped I would see from the very outset. FYI, the brand which makes these incredibly beautiful/kitsch/wonderful wooden things is the Monte Carlo Marine company, and they really did make my day!