Souk

The sound and smell of the souk can overwhelm even before you enter the narrow hallways.  A Souk is an Arab marketplace or bazaar. 

George and I have experienced quite a few of these labyrinth old shopping malls! My hubby is convinced that Hell will be like a souk.  He is not a fan of the aggressive venders who won't take no for an answer.  Over the years I've gotten pretty good at navigating my way down the narrow rows and avoiding the persistent vendors.

My personal rules for a souk:

• Avoid eye contact with a vendor
• There is NO need to say "No thank you" to each of their pleas to come into their store.
• Don't stop and look at anything unless there is some chance you will actually purchase it
• If they hand you something, don't take it because they are skilled at avoiding taking anything back
• If there is something you want, don't act too excited.  This lessens your bargaining positing
• Offer about 1/2 or less of whatever price they tell you and be prepared to pay a bit more than that
• If you are taking a photo of a person directly, ask first.  

With the recent downturn in tourism, the first souk we visited in Dubai looked like this.

Imagine the excitement that went through the place when 2 buses of American's descended upon them...

I can honestly say that I came away from this one with photos only.

No matter what you think of souks, they are very photographic.

 Can't you just smell those spices?

 Doesn't just looking at this make you want to try your hand at some exotic cooking? 

Our 2nd souk was the Gold Souk and it was a lot more crowded, although I think most of the people were just tourists and not real shoppers.

This is definitely the place to go if you are in the market for something shiny!

 I think I need one of those gold necklaces!

Some people were actually shopping and were being given personal attention by multiple salesmen! I would have gone into this store, had I been really thinking of a purchase.  It was so  inviting.

In Muscat, Oman we went to yet another souk.

The claim to fame of this one is that it is THE place to buy Frankincense and Myrrh. The woody, spicy smell of the frankincense tempted me and I did buy some although I'm going to use it in a display at Christmas.  I understand that it does have medicinal properties and that older Omanis use it to treat various ills, instead of going to the pharmacy.  This older American will continue to go to the pharmacy!

 Frankincense is an aromatic resin that hardens.  Traditionally it can be used to treat arthritis, asthma, stomach problems and even some cancers.  Myrrh is also a resin and can be used to promote the healing of wounds and stop infection.

 I bought some Christmas tree ornaments for a really good price from a man who agreed way too quickly to my price.  He was so unhappy that rather than wrap my ornaments, he just dropped them in bag. 

Another tip for shopping in a souk, have the amount of money that you really want to pay for something in your hand.  They will often take that amount even when it is low.  There must be an Arab equivalent to the saying, 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' because this is usually a successful ploy!

You can find lots of interesting 'stuff' at a souk!

 Naturally my eye went right to the Barça jersey

 One of these cute bags would be perfect for a church bag!  Why didn't I buy one?  I think sometimes it just is sensory overload.  There is so much to look at, that it is difficult to zero in on an item.

 Cutest locks ever....

 I know that some of the things sold in souks are actually 'Made in China' but who cares - it was bought in Dubai or Oman or Egypt or Israel.  Once while sitting on a bus in Jerusalem early in the morning, I noticed a huge truck near the gate to the Arab quarter full of boxes labeled, "Made in China" so I know this is true.