Bahraini Souq

Today I have some pictures from the main souq in Bahrain. The day I went was a holiday so there were not many people. This is not normally the case.

Here is some of the grillwork at the mosque just outside the souq. It's a landmark that I use to find my way in since nothing is marked. I loved seeing all the decorative work on the buildings, especially the mosques. Here are some traditional special occasion dresses on view in a window on the way into the souq. As you go further into the souq area shops go from large display windows to smaller ones to none. Many of the shops don't even have doors as we know them. Instead they have metal industrial doors that they close when the shops are closed. To keep the cool air inside (many, but not all of them have air conditioning) they put see-through plastic curtains up that overlap.

This shop was open despite the holidays and had lots of bright clothes with shi-sha mirrors and metallic trims on display.

The back alleys of the souq are potholed and filthy, but sometimes you can find better deals off the beaten path. You have to be willing to run the gauntlet of vendors hawking singing camels and genuine imitation Rolexs!

I'm currently working on a dream plan for 2009. Time seems to be slipping away and there are so many things I want to do. Let me know if you have a list of things you hope to start, try out, finish or just do better at next year.

Merry Christmas all!

Lisa