Women in Black

One of the first reactions I usually have to deal with when I tell someone I live in Saudi Arabia is: "Ohmigod, do you have to wear a burqa?!?". After getting this for the umpteenth time yesterday, I decided it's finally time to cover the topic of female attire in the Kingdom.

First of all, a burqa is a garment seen only occasionally in Saudi Arabia. It's a type of outerwear that covers a woman's entire body, and even includes a veil which covers the eyes. Burqas are a rather extreme form of Islamic dress, and are mainly worn in countries such as Afghanistan, where they are imposed on the female population by the regime. In Saudi, women wear abayas, hijabs, and, very often, niqabs. The abaya is a loose-fitting black garment, worn over regular clothing, which covers the body like a long dress, from the neck down to the feet. The word hijab usually refers to the headscarf that serves to cover womens' hair, but can also be used to convey the concept of modesty in general.  The niqab is a black cloth, about the size of a handkerchief used to cover a woman's mouth and/or nose.
 Women will be women everywhere, so even with this seemingly limited choice of clothing, each one strives to create her own personal style. Abayas can be found in all sorts of designs, always maintaining the appropriate amount of modesty, of course. They are often adorned with embroidery or sequins, mostly along the sleeves and hem. What's really surprising though, is the variety of ways a hijab can be worn. You'd think that a cloth covering your hair could only look one particular way. However, I have found that wrapping a hijab around your head is something of an art. I haven't managed to do it myself yet, but the local women seem to have hundreds of different techniques. What also varies, is the amount of face and/or hair each women chooses to reveal. Some wear their hijabs low, covering their faces down to the eyebrows, while others wear them pushed farther back, sometimes even omitting a few locks of hair on purpose. Certain women also wear dark sunglasses indoors to hide their eyes, while others even wear black gloves. The amount of skin revealed is based on each woman's interpretation of Islamic law stating that believing women should cover their bodies and hair. There is no requirement for faces and hands to be covered, yet some women choose to do so. It's all a matter of personal belief.

Expat women are only expected to cover their bodies with abayas, and in some places, such as the souk, it is simply prudent to wear the hijab as well, to avoid unwanted staring. Now, what follows the first question is usually:  "Doesn't it offend you,  being forced to cover your body in an unflattering black thing every time you want to leave the house? Don't you feel oppressed?". Nope.  Sorry to disappoint, but I don't feel oppressed or offended by this. And it's not just because I'm generally not especially fussed when it comes to clothing. Imagine for a second that you are staying over at a friend's house for a couple of nights. Your host politely requests that you don't walk around the house in your nightwear, because he/she doesn't feel comfortable with it. Do you feel oppressed because you have to wear a robe, whereas at home you never do? I don't think so. You probably oblige happily, respecting the person who let you into their home, even if you don't necessarily agree with his/her views on decency.
 This is exactly the case here. I am a guest in this country and Saudis are my hosts. This attire is not only a religious requirement, but also a remnant of bedouin tradition wanting wives covered up, for fear of them being stolen by rivals. Therefore,  it's an extremely important part of Saudi culture. I don't mind wearing an abaya knowing that in this way I respect the local culture. It's only clothing after all. And besides, abayas are even practical in a couple of ways. At least when you're not tripping over them on staircases or getting them tangled in the wheels of your shopping cart. That might just be my complete lack of grace though. Anyway, one of the main perks of wearing an abaya is that they keep you nice and warm.  You're probably wondering why one would need to keep warm in the desert. Well, it may be blazing hot outside, but in all indoor areas, from malls and restaurants to banks and supermarkets, the AC is always on full blast, making it absolutely freezing. The best part of wearing an abaya though, in my opinion, is that you never have to fret over clothes. It's the answer to womens' age old dilemma of "what shall I wear".  It practically eradicates the dilemma, since there is barely any choice.  All you need to do is pick out an abaya. Under that you could be wearing a color combination as eye-watering as Dora the Explorer's, or even go stark naked and no one would ever know. Yeah, I'm not the worlds biggest fashionista. Whatever.

Wrapping up, I request that next time you see a woman in Muslim attire you don't hasten to pity the "poor oppressed soul".  Remember that this dress, conservative and oppressing as it may seem, is the product of their religious and cultural beliefs, a personal life choice. Unless you see this woman in a country where it's deemed mandatory by some sort of dictatorship. In that case, you can weep your eyes out with my blessing,  although I'm willing to bet clothes are the least of her worries.

Perspective.

PhotoEssay: Jeddah's Bizarre Artwork Top 10

When I first arrived in Jeddah, one of the first things I noticed was the presence of all sorts of artwork (sculptures,arches,fountains, etc.) seemingly strewn about the city's main roads. After living here for a month I found out why. Apparently, one of Jeddah's former mayors was something of a visionary, and hoped to turn the city into the world's largest open-air art gallery. Many artists, Arabs as well as Europeans, were summoned to produce works of art for this cause. As a result, Jeddah today is adorned with dozens of pieces of art, mainly sculptures. Because it is prohibited in Islam to imitate Allah's creations in any way, art here takes the form only of inanimate objects. Some of this artwork is quite nice, some interesting, but a lot of it is just plain weird. I decided to create a small photo essay of the strangest, most bizarre, artistic creations from the streets of Jeddah to show you what I mean. Most of the following are found along the coastal road or roundabouts throughout the city. Here goes:

#10

This is just one of those things that are supposed to be "modern and abstract", I guess. Maybe the artist should have worked more on "aesthetically pleasing" though. 

#9

I can only assume these are enormous chocolate ice cream cones, just chilling in the middle of the road.

#8 

It's a gigantic red faucet. Enough said.

#7  

Sometimes I like to think that this sculpture is making a statement, perhaps about the value of fair play, or the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle. Then again, maybe it's just a huge yellow whistle.

#6 

There's actually a whole series of these, not just the pliers.  There's also a saw, cutting through some wooden boxes, a hammer, banging on some enormous bricks, and a spade, sticking out of a block of concrete. I really don't know why though.

#5 

 

This thing just looks like the product of a minaret and a really big seashell mating.

#4

Is it a wave? Is it an octopus? Nope, it's a bunch of blue tiles and it's ugly.

#3 

This can only be a tribute to Saudis'  driving skills.

#2 

This is probably one of my favorite artworks in Jeddah's open- air gallery. I mean, it's a car riding a flying carpet. Doesn't get much cooler than that.

#1

I didn't manage to capture this as I would have liked, since I was in a moving car. In case you can't tell, it's a boat overflowing with massive fruit, riding tile waves. I'm pretty sure it's the most random thing I've ever seen.

Well, that's my Top 10 of Jeddah's most bizarre art, but it's really the smallest possible sample of the incredible artwork to be found in the city's streets. If you'd like to see more, please comment below :)

Dubai Days, Pt.II

So, continuing from where I left off on my last post, more things I enjoyed in Dubai:

*Dubai Museum

The Dubai Museum is located inside Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 to protect the city from invasion and renovated into a museum in 1971. Some of its exhibitions are what you would expect to see in most museums: jewelry, weaponry, all sorts of everyday artifacts. What's really impressive though, is the lifesize dioramas in the galleries, which depict life in the U.A.E. before the discovery of oil. Scenes from desert and marine life,  trading in the souks, date harvests, religious practices, and more, come to life while walking through this amazing exhibition. The figures are so lifelike it's almost eerie.

*Sand in a Bottle Art

This man had a little stall, at which he sat creating a very unique form of art. I stopped to watch him and he explained the procedure to me as he worked. Around him were many bowls filled with sand that he had dyed earlier in a variety of colors. Taking sand from these bowls, he poured layer upon layer, switching colors as he went, into a glass bottle, until he had created an image of camels with rippling sand dunes in the background. He packed the sand in tightly, sealing the top with glue, so, even if the bottle were to be shaken vigorously, the image would not be ruined. He made this little masterpiece in less than 10', and of course I bought one, the only souvenir I got from Dubai.

*Cruising the Dubai Creek

The Creek is essentially the reason Dubai exists as a city, since this is where members of the Bani Yas tribe created the first settlement. Not only that, but it was also where the pearl trade with the outside world began. Today, trading still commences on dhows (traditional wooden boats) on the Deira side of the Creek. Taking a cruise on the Creek is a rather touristy thing to do, but very pleasant. Large or smaller dhows carry passengers along the Dubai Creek, passing by key points of the city, such as souks, the Dubai Museum, the Heritage Village, mosques and more.

*National Pride

 December 2nd and 3rd are U.A.E.'s national days, celebrating its formal nationalization from the British Protectorate Treaties and the unification of the seven emirates (1971). This means that when we got there, preparations were in full flow, and Dubai was completely decked out in celebratory decoration . The whole city was a haze of green, red, black and white. Flags were the main decoration, as it happens on national days around the world. Simply everywhere, ranging from tiny ones clasped onto car windows with little plastic rods, to enormous ones, that seemed about an acre wide, draped on skyscraper exteriors. It wasn't just the flags though, everything seemed to be U.A.E. themed. I even saw a few cars with a U.A.E. paint job, complete with the faces of the local rulers on the side doors. That's another thing I get a kick out of, and it's done in Saudi Arabia as well. The rulers' faces are everywhere, often blown up to enormous proportions, so wherever you go, you have Sheikh Something-or-Other staring down at you. I just love visiting cities when they're all "dressed up" and festive :)

Dubai Days, Pt.I

These past few days, I spent in a very different part of the Arab world, one that is familiar to most westerners, as it is one of the world's leading travel destinations. Dubai.
Dubai is truly a remarkable city, especially considering the fact that, within mere decades, it has transformed itself, from a quiet coastal settlement to a bustling metropolis. The discovery of oil in the region was, of course, key to this incredible growth and prosperity. However, the insightful leadership decided not to rely solely on oil revenues, which wouldn't last forever, by investing in creating a quality tourism destination. Within approximately 30 years, modern Dubai emerged, exciting and culturally diverse, a true cosmopolitan city.
Having said all that, Dubai wouldn't be on my list of "must see" destinations, the reason for this being that it is a bit too superficial for my taste. Its iconic towers, massive shopping malls, theme parks, extremely luxurious hotels and  a wide variety of leisure activities, ranging from skydiving to yachting, have practically "buried" the region's Islamic and Bedouin heritage, creating an enormous playground for the wealthy tourist. Hints of Dubai's heritage can only be discerned  in  things such as the plethora of  mosques in the city or the traditional attire of the few locals(locals represent only 8% of Dubai's population, the rest being expatriates and migrant workers).
Even though Dubai is not "must see" material and quite lacking culturally , in my opinion at least, it would be impossible not to admit that I had a very enjoyable time there. After all, it is a city with the capability to satisfy the entertainment needs of any tourist, very different from Jeddah, where fun is kind of difficult to come across.  Here are some of my favorite things from my trip to Dubai :

* Burj Khalifa , "At the top"

The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, rises 828m above Dubai and has 162 floors. With this height, even New York's famous skyscrapers are dwarfed by comparison. This architectural wonder was built to resemble the desert flower Hymenocalli.
Visitors can take the "At the top" journey, to the floor-to-ceiling glass observation deck on the 124th floor. There was a very long line and airport style security measures to wait through, but it was entirely worth it. Crammed into one of the building's 57 lifts along with 10-15 more enthusiastic tourists, the ascent took just over a minute to complete, before we exited to a stunning view of Dubai landscapes, city, desert and ocean.   Walking around the observation deck there is barely an inch of Dubai that goes undiscovered. Surprisingly, I wasn't able to see the trademark of Dubai, the Palm Islands, which was a bit of a disappointment. The rest of the view made up for it though, and being so high above the world gives you a truly amazing feeling.

The view from above

* Dubai's Dancing Fountains

Located in front of Burj Khalifa,on the Burj Khalifa Lake, Dubai Fountain provides a spectacular show of lights, water and music every half hour during the evening and twice around midday. Music starts playing and the performance begins, with great jets of water shooting out of the fountains as high as 150m. Twisting and turning in different patterns and combinations, following the song's rhythm, they seem to be dancing like synchronized swimmers. Colorful lights are projected across the water adding to this magnificent sight. The technology behind this performance is incredible. The fountain's "dance recitals" are extremely popular and huge crowds gather round it before every show.

* Dune-Bashing

This is one of the things you absolutely have to do if you ever find yourself in Dubai, or any place with an abundance of sand for that matter. There are many agencies in Dubai which organize "dune-bashing" expeditions. We opted for an evening expedition, so, round 4 'o' clock, a driver in a white Hummer picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the desert about 30' away from the city. Upon arriving we were greeted by a convoy of more white SUVs from the same agency. The driver gave us a few minutes to take pictures, while he released pressure from the tires. I took this opportunity to remove my shoes and walk in the sand. It was pure bliss. Soft and warm, I sank into it almost up to my knees. Never before have I encountered sand with such lovely texture. Soon, we were in the car again, ready to start "bashing the dunes". We raced up and down incredibly steep dunes, kicking up sand in our wake, rolled along the top of others, jostling terribly in the back seat, until, with an abrupt swerve, our driver sent us speeding down again. At certain points the car was practically moving on two wheels, leaning so much that, if the window were open, I could run my hand along the sand. It was excellent! Slightly terrifying and immensely thrilling, a great adrenaline rush. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who suffers from motion sickness though. After about 40' of "bashing", our convoy gathered at a "Bedouin" camp, created by the agency, for supper, shisha smoking, camel riding and a variety of other activities.

This post turned out quite longer than I would have liked, so more on Dubai in the next one!

Traditional Dining

Last night I got my first taste of the local cuisine, in a small village on the outskirts of Jeddah, called Dhabhan. I knew we were going to have fish from the Red Sea and that the restaurant was supposed to be very traditional, so what I was expecting was basically a simple restaurant with traditional Arabian decor, maybe low tables with pillows arranged around them, something to that effect anyway.  When we arrived though, instead of entering a restaurant, we were led by one of  several employees milling about the parking lot, through a garden with little fountains and as much greenery as the desert permits, to what seemed like a few dozen bungalows. He stopped at number 21 and opened the door. This was to be our own private dining area.



Inside, this bungalow-type structure was quite spacious and divided into two parts. On the left side of the door was a round table with red (probably fake) velvet covered chairs all around it. A heavy curtain, also red and of the same material, hung across the large window to ensure customer's privacy. It is very important that customers feel safe from prying eyes, since in these dining areas women remove their headscarves, as to be able to eat more freely.

On the left side of the door was a rectangular, low table with large, bright turquoise couches arranged around it, like in any living room. Drapes behind the couches were turquoise as well. The color combinations weren't very tasteful, but seemed fitting. There was also a grimy little bathroom in the back.  The room was a bit run down in general, some holes in the wall, probably the work of some careless electrician, and the furniture seemed a bit worn as well, but all this just added to the charm, in my opinion.

After settling in, we walked along a path through more bungalows, to a building which held the kitchen in the back, and had the fish on display in the front. There wasn't a great variety of fish, but they all looked (and smelled) extremely fresh lying there in the ice. A bored-looking employee followed us around the display, chucking everything we picked out into a bucket. We chose hamour, a type of fish that's very popular here, parrot- fish, which have lovely silver and blue scales, as well as crabs, calamari and shrimp, all from the Red Sea. As a side dish we ordered two platters of brown rice and returned to our little bungalow to wait.

Our final choices.

 When the food arrived on a huge tray on top of our waiter's head, it had to be placed on the "living room" table, as we were a party of  ten and didn't fit at the round table. We sat round the table on large cushions from the couches and it was quite comfortable. No silverware was brought to us,except for some plastic spoons, nor plates, so we had to eat bedouin-style, with our hands. I'm hardly a fan of fine dining and savoir vivre, so I enjoyed tearing  the flesh right off the fish with my hands immensely, it made the meal that much more delicious. Everything was incredible, from the fish, which didn't need anything, not even lemon or oil, to enhance the flavor, to the rice, which had just a hint of curry, to the shrimp and calamari, cooked in a way I've never tried before.

 Hamour, deep fried, Parrot-fish, grilled, crabs also grilled, shrimp and calamari in white sauce, brown rice, fried, khubz arabi (arabian pita bread)  and salad, consisting only of rocca leaves and fresh onions.

OK, I realize this looks absolutely revolting, and I was very hesitant to try it, but it was actually my favorite part of the meal. This is shrimp and calamari cooked in some sort of white sauce, with a lovely, creamy texture and a hint of spices I'm sure I've never even heard of.

Aaaand that's me, keepin' it classy and stuffing my face with hamour like there's no tomorrow...

Silver Sands

Yesterday was the last day of the weekend, so my family and I decided to spend the day at the beach. Not wanting to swim in our abayas, which is what local women do at public beaches, we opted for Silver Sands, one of several exclusively expat beach resorts, about a half hour away from the center of Jeddah.

The beach is located in part of a small gulf and is completely man-made, meaning that a wealthy local bought the land and created a beach resort from scratch. Silver Sands is pretty much what you'd expect from any beach club.  Palm trees and umbrellas provide much-needed shade, comfortable chaise lounges placed strategically under them, a concession area serves all sorts of tasty snacks and cold drinks, and the locker rooms, showers and restrooms are relatively clean, albeit sandy. There is even a tiny artificial island just a few meters out into the water. The island itself is bare, except for some palm trees and sand, but the rocks around it are home to dozens of menacing-looking crabs the size of my fist.  On the edge of the beach are a few bungalows, rented out by expats, and the owner's personal villa.

The water was a pleasant surprise. Coming from Greece, a country with some of the most gorgeous beaches and waters in the world, I have very high standards when it comes to these things, and, I must admit, I treated claims that the Red Sea is lovely with suspicion. However, I found the water wonderful, refreshing without being cold, practically clear, and clean.


There is quite a variety of activities to engage in at Silver Sands. There is a net for beach volley and goalposts for football, as well as a trampoline for children. Water sports are generally very popular in the Red Sea, so sailboats (Laser), jet skis and windsurf boards can all be rented right on the beach. It is also possible to hire an instructor for these activities and the best part is you can enjoy them all year round, since it's always summer!

Generally, I'd say Silver Sands is a great weekend getaway, as it provides a relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere, the sea and constant light breeze being the perfect way to cool down after a week in the city. The only downside is the entrance fee, which came to about 20 Euros per person. And here I thought that spending  5 Euros at my local private beach back home (which,incidentally, provides almost the same things as Silver Sands) was extravagant. 

This post isn't just a review of Silver Sands beach, though. There was also an "incident" worth mentioning. While walking down the beach with my father, a man  hears us speaking and greets us in Greek. He strikes up conversation with my father, and soon, in typical greek fashion, he's offering us ouzo ( I honestly don't have a clue as  to how that got into the country), soft drinks and snacks, even taramosalata, which is a pinkish sort of greek spread. We are soon joined by my mother, a couple more Greek guys and the first man's girlfriend, who is, in her own words, "Saudi by nationality, international at heart". So at this point it's almost a party.  Our "host" has lived in Saudi for 30 years. And I'm wondering if I can get through 6 more months... Anyway, he talks about the Greek community in Jeddah, which was very large when he first came, whereas now, there are only about 400 Greeks in the city.
At some point his lady-friend asks if I'd like a ride on her jet-ski to see the gulf a bit. There was no way I was going to say no to that. The whole gulf seems to be laced with the country homes of the wealthy. I'd never seen such massive and incredibly luxurious houses. Some of them had what seemed like acres of lawn and palm trees, some had pools, and all of them, no exception, had their own private pier, where a boat or a couple of jet-skis would be docked. The strange thing is, there were hardly any people enjoying these houses. I guess oil sheikhs have more important things to do than chill at the beach...

Shopping Malls in Saudi

Saudi Arabia's religious leaders consider music a sin, there is a 3 decade ban on cinemas, also initiated by the powerful religious police, plus, alcoholic drinks are banned in Islam, Saudi being the only Muslim country where drinking results in a public lashing. Don't  forget to take into account that gender-mixing in public is a big no-no, as it can lead to arrest, and you'll realize why the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hardly the Kindom of Fun & Games. So, because of this situation, entertainment here mainly takes the form of (over)consumption. During weekends (weekends being Thursday and Friday), hordes of people, families, single men and groups of women, locals and expats, flood the malls and shop till they drop. Saudi Arabia is renowned for its massive shopping malls. Enormous and modern, with their designer stores and food courts including all the usual fast food joints, you could almost mistake them for malls anywhere in the world. Almost, because, after all, this is Saudi Arabia, where unique rules and customs apply. These are important things to watch out for while shopping in Saudi malls:

1) Singles' and Families' Sections / Shops

To avoid men fraternizing with women, all restaurants, coffee shops, etc, are separated into a singles' section and a families' section. All women who are unaccompanied by a male relative must be seated in the families' section. Vice versa, men who are not accompanied by a female relative, must sit in the singles' section. This division, although strict, is not always apparent. Some places have screens or walls, but others have only signs stating which side is which. It is prudent to look out for them, unless you want to find yourself in the awkward position I found myself in today, when I entered Starbucks through the singles' section and got plenty of stares for my trouble. Of course, I was also targeted, because, as a non-Muslim, I usually don't cover my hair. It was almost as embarrassing as walking into a men's room back home ( if I made that mistake here I'd probably be lynched or something). 

There is also a number of stores which don't allow entry to single men. These are usually womens' clothing or lingerie stores, and carry signs at the entrance: "FAMILIES ONLY" or "LADIES ONLY".

2) Beat Prayer Time

One of the 5 pillars of Islam is "Salat", the obligatory prayers which are performed 5 times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, lasting a half-hour each time. These prayers pretty much determine the rythm of the entire day. When it's time to pray, customers evacuate shops so they can lock up. All restaurants and coffee shops stop serving anything and the mullah's voice reverberates throughout the mall via speakers. However, if you have already been served before prayer time, you can continue sitting in the restaurant and finish your meal, no problem. The thing is, after the noon prayer, which usually starts around 12.00, most stores don't open again until 17.30. So between 10.00 when the mall opens for business and prayer time, you only get a couple of hours to squeeze in your shopping.  Shopping in the evening is a bit better, as long as you make sure to avoid the two prayers, which start around 17.45 and 19.15 each. Malls close at 23.00.

3) Fitting Rooms

There are none. Well, maybe not none, but most clothing stores don't have them. I assume it has something to do with obliterating the chances of a man getting an accidental view of female flesh. It's obviously very impractical, since to try on an article of clothing you must buy it, go to the mall's bathroom and put it on there. Changing clothes is a bit of a hassle on its own, considering you're wearing an abaya and regular clothes underneath. The good thing is that, upon returning something that didn't fit or you didn't like, you get your money back and don't have to search for something else to swap it for.

4) Toilet Paper

Same thing that applies to fitting rooms. Except here, I actually mean that there is literally none. Honestly, this might be the biggest culture shock I've had yet, because, although I had a general idea what to expect from Saudi Arabia, nobody thought to mention this particular, very important, er...custom. Apparently, the Saudi way is to use a shower nozzle attached to the wall, which shoots out a jet of water with surprising force. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how they do it without messing up their clothes. I assume this is what the locals do at home as well, and there is a very good chance that this way is more hygienic than using paper, but I don't think I'll be able to adopt this...technique.

So yeah, shopping in a Saudi mall can be the same as shopping in any other mall in the world. As long as you remember where to sit, plan your shopping around prayer times, know your sizes as best as possible to avoid unecessary trips to the bathroom and carry plenty of tissues when it's time to actually go!

Red Sea Mall, one of Jeddah's most popular malls.
*I do not own this photo*

Souk Photos

There are a few more photographs from my day at the souk than the ones I included in my previous post that I would like to share. So, here they are:

This young Saudi was really ticking me off, because he kept passing in front of my camera while I was trying to take a picture. This happened a few times, until at some point he turned slightly towards me and muttered "Speak Arabic??" as he walked by me. I guess he wanted to hit on me or something. Apparently foreign girls get this a lot. Anyhow, I caught his back accidentaly in this shot and it turned out to be one of my favorite pictures, so maybe I should even be grateful.

 These are prayer rugs, decorated with verses from the Quran. A local man was selling them along with books on Islam. When I asked if I could take a picture of his display he agreed willingly, but made sure to get out of the picture. Locals generally feel uncomfortable in front of a photographic lense, and may even show hostile behaviour towards a photographer, so it is crucial to be discreet.

 

A young woman shows her colorful sleeve under the abaya.

One of the souk's many small alleyways flanked by crumbling buildings.

I just love how shopkeepers display their merchandise.

 

A few Saudi men conversing, a pair walking hand in hand and, of course, one toe-picker!

 Spices everywhere!

 

Men like him will carry your shopping for you for as little as 5 SRs. That's about 1€.

 

I'm a bit embarassed to admit I don't have a clue as to what these buildings are exactly. Probably mosques. I was just impressed by their authentic Arabic architecture.

 That's Bassam, perhaps the friendliest, and certainly most persuasive, salesman I have ever met. The dude could sell ice to an Eskimo! He was nice enough to give me the pashmina I'm wearing in the picture for free as well :)

Souk Shopping

I finally ventured out of the compound to one of the places I was most eager to visit, Jeddah's Souk (open-air market). Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9.00 a bus departs from the compound, taking residents to the marketplace. It's the easiest way to get there if you don't have a car at your disposal, as there is no such thing as public transportation in Jeddah, except for taxi or limo service.

The souk was as traditional as I had hoped, with almost nothing to remind you of the Western world. It is actually said to be the last truly authentic souk in the Arab world. The setting, the people, the smells, everything made me feel as if I were right in the middle of the Middle East! The souk consists of several wide streets and more narrow alleyways. Its architecture is unique, as all buildings, ranging from crumbling to well preserved, retain their original Arabic style. Shopfronts open out onto the street, products on display, and salesmen praise their merchandise in loud, singsong voices, or call out "Hello!Welcome!", once they realize you are a foreigner. Literally anything can be purchased at the souk. Most popular merchandise are abayas (the traditional black garment women wear), spices, jewlery, prayer rugs, leather sandals, dates and colourful pashminas, but you could just as easily find electronics, beauty products (henna body paint seems to be very popular), even winter coats. The quality of most things is probably mediocre, but prices are more than reasonable, and by haggling you can usually get the shopkeeper to lower the price 5-10 SRs (Saudi Riyals).

Strolling through the souk, there was plenty of opportunity for people-watching. It was quite crowded, due to the presence of the remaining Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) pilgrims. Some men in traditional, mostly white, thobes walked down the street hand in hand, as a mark of respect to each other. Others sat in the streets smoking cigarettes, talking, and picking at their toes. It seems Saudi men have some sort of fixation with their feet. I noticed many of them rubbing their soles and between their toes, digging under their toenails and, twice, I even saw men clip their toenails on the sidewalk. It's every bit as appealing as it sounds...

Women are more discreet. They move in groups, chatting and shopping. Clad in black from head to foot, hijabs (black headscarves) and veils concealing their features, only their eyes give some clue as to their identity. I didn't see any women simply sitting around. Women who walk alone are usually beggars.

You will certainly see paupers at the souk. Elderly men, women of all ages and dusty children sidle up to you, palms outstretched for a few riyals. Show any sign of charity, smile even, and you will most likely be followed for a while. These beggars are virtually harmless though. Some men who are not exactly beggars, but certainly seem very poor, wheel cardboard boxes in steel trolleys, offering to carry your shopping bags for you, in exchange for a small amount of money.

All in all, I enjoyed the souk very much and look forward to going back again. If you ever find yourself in Jeddah make sure to check it out, it's definitely a unique and very authentic Middle Eastern experience!