Jet lag got the better of us and we ended up going to sleep at about 19:00, so consequently woke up at around 04:00. Read the internet for a while and watched some TV, then got ready and headed out to the Souk which opened at 07:30.
Hopped in a taxi, got told the Souk didn’t open till 09:00 but decided to go anyway because we needed breakfast.
Most places were just opening but found a hotel that looked decent and had the options of Qatari breakfast, Middle Eastern breakfast and American breakfast. As we consider ourselves reasonably adventurous Song had the Qatari one and I had the Middle Eastern one, although I swapped the Turkish coffee for a cappuccino because I don’t like strong coffee.
My breakfast had 2 pieces of very salty cheese, 3 salty falafels, a salty bean and chickpea dish, hummus with flat bread, and 2 boiled eggs. Ah well, that’s what happens when you try something new sometimes. Luckily the coffee wasn’t salty, but it wasn’t very good either.
Song’s breakfast was a bed of vermicelli noodles with scrambled egg on top (not what we expected), carrot and cucumber sticks and a yogurt dip, chickpeas and some small pancakes with a sweet filling.
Cost was about $26 – pretty good for right next to the main tourist place.
Souk was open, had a wander through, didn’t buy anything. The smell of the spices hit us as soon as we entered. There weren’t many people around, maybe it was a bit early. The Souk seemed to be divided up into sections – the incense sellers, the cloth sellers, shoe sellers etc. After about 30 minutes more people appeared. It’s not a huge place, so we left, although did pick up a fridge magnet of a camel. Walked over the road to the Corniche, the promenade along the bay, intending to go for a walk, but decided to go to the museum of Islamic art instead because it was starting to get a bit hot, probably around 30c.
The museum is very interesting – we watched a documentary a few years ago about the construction. The architect was 91 at the time, a famous (among architects I suppose) American Chinese, called I. M. Pei. He spent 6 months travelling and learning about Islam so he could incorporate the themes. Go and look at the photos, it’s a fascinating place and at the time of the documentary we didn’t have any intention of visiting.
Before we went through the museum , we sat down to relax and charge the batteries, looking out over the bay to the city. Oh, and the museum was free.
We sat in the cafe for a while – air conditioned, free wifi, comfortable sofa – just relaxing and enjoying the start of the holiday.
Went around the museum – lots of carpets, some over 500 years old, with Islamic designs and motifs, pots, glassware, jewellery etc. Quite interesting although a bit samey to be honest.
After a couple of hours popped back to the cafe to sit down, used the free wifi and then back to the Souk, although Song said we weren’t buying anything.
It was a lot cooler now, with a pleasant breeze. There were more people around as well – obviously the cooler conditions brought them out, and the cafes were packed, the locals sitting and smoking from hookahs. Most of the women wear the burkha, with just their eyes showing. All were black, and we both wondered how they coped in summer.
Song bought some scarves and it was interesting to watch a Chinese woman haggle with a Souk trader – the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. After much too-ing and fro-ing, stamping of feet, insults in Arabic and Chinese, they eventually agreed on the price for 3. Song was happy she’d stiffed the shopkeeper and he was happy he’d ripped off another tourist, so the natural order of things was maintained. We carried on, visited the spice area where Song bought some dried hibiscus flowers (500g) to make tea. Went a bit further and Song saw a shop selling pearl jewellery, so she bought a pair of earrings. Glad we decided not to buy anything.
Starting to feel a bit peckish, headed along the street to where the restaurants were and decided on a seafood place. I had a fattoush salad and a fish tandoori. Song had a mixed seafood platter.
Bad food choice day today. Mine was very bland – a few pieces of dry fish and rice. Song said hers was fried in a sauce like sweet and sour. Some you win, some you lose. Cost was about $56 which wasn’t extortionate but not worth it for the quality.
It was now dark and we went for a walk towards the corniche since it was cooler and the city was lit up. On the way through the Souk, which was now packed, there was a strolling band – men beating drums and one guy playing a goat skin like the bagpipes and occasionally breaking into song. Lots of people taking photos as they wandered past. Carried on a bit further and there was another large group of men playing drums and pipes and singing and dancing, with a lead singer on a microphone and a large crowd of people watching. It was very pleasant, a great atmosphere and an example of what we see wherever we travel – most people just want to get on with their lives and have a good time now and then.
Hopped in a taxi, fought through appalling traffic (something else we see everywhere), where every driver appeared to have got a new car horn and was trying it out. The drivers were some of the worst I’ve seen – no courtesy, pushing in, leaning on the horn, going through red lights, and driving across the kerbs to take short cuts. At one stage there was a Lamborghini next to us, and I thought there’s a waste of money. It took us 45 minutes to go 3.8 km.
Finally arrived at the hotel, watched some TV, then sleep.
Tomorrow we fly to Sofia in Bulgaria for the main bit of the trip, a 5 hour flight, so not too bad.
