Souk it to me 12/15/2014

As National Day falls upon the sleepy little island of Bahrain, I sit at my work computer with the AC blasting directly into my face, little children screaming in the hallway for some reason, a stomach full of coffee and a little adventure to talk about.

 

 © See this?  No Copyright issues here.  Move along...move along.

I had been wanting to go to the Manama Souk for a while.  I had been to the smaller one at Riffa and had breezed through the one at Hamad Town, but I had heard this was one I shouldn't miss.

First of all, if you are like me, when you hear the word "Souk" you pictured this:

Looks like a bar in Key West I've been to...

While this isn't too far from the truth, you would find that this isn't necessarily the case.  Yes, there are shops everywhere, but they are "real" shops with "real" signs and "real" faded logos.

Instead of the nameless stalls you see above, you are basically surrounded by shop after shop that looks like this:

And this:

And of course one of these:

And when you put them all together, this is what you get:

While not the stereotypical mental image I had, it was still very much like I imagined.  Store owners showing you their wares as you walk by.  

Store owners following you down the road showing you their wares.

Store owners following you into other shops so now you have two store owners showing you their wares.

But it was quite marvelous.  To begin with, the Manama Souk lies behind this very impressive gateway, the Bab Al Bahrain, built in 1945:

It was difficult to get the fountain water to hold still for this picture...

A friend of mine who accompanied me for my first run at the Manama souk told me this gateway used to be basically beachfront not too long ago.  As it now lies in the center of the city, the rest of the land around it was put there by people who wanted to make more room for roods with no names.

I don't know how his neck doesn't hurt...

So this is my friend and I being led by a store owner through the souk.  It was amusing to see the defeated looks of some of the other shop owners as they saw this guy with his great catch walk proudly through the souk.  After some light negotiating, (I will wholeheartedly admit I was not feeling "The Haggle" that day - and while I paid a fair price I know I could have gone lower if I wanted to.  Next time, next time...)

I bought a few things for my family - some CENSORED and some CENSORED.  Oh, and I got this really nice CENSORED.  I think they will love the CENSORED especially.

(Nice try Mom, I know you read this thing...and I know how you are about Christmas presents...no hints!)

But all in all it was an amazing experience - I mean where else can you get one of these:

YES THAT IS A TURTLE ON A TURTLE ON A TURTLE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

And who doesn't want one of these?

Your pinkies had damn sure better be out when you drink out of these...

You can get clothes and lamps and puzzle boxes and camel bone jewelry and stuffed animals and flags and RC Helicopters and spices and felafel and hookah and bedazzled scimitar desk ornaments and human kidneys and you name it - the Manama Souk has it.

After spending about CENSORED BD (which is about CENSORED US dollars...NO HINTS, MOM!) we packed up and left for home.  I had a good sized box of goodies for the family, and my friend had priced some really nice looking lamps and picked up his gift for his wife at GOLD CITY! GOLD CITY! GOLD CITY!

Seriously, this place was crazy.  However, the name did not disappoint...

BUT WHAT DO YOU SELL!?!?

There are 52 gold and jewelry vendors here...

JUST ON THE FIRST FLOOR.

I don't think there is any real way to describe how many stores to give you the full effect other than to simply provide you with a listing of the shops which are inside of the aptly named "GOLD CITY!"

GROUND FLOOR
Sl. No.	FLOOR	NAME
1.	GF	ARIHANT JEWELLERS (P)
2.	GF	JASS JEWELLERS
3.	GF	KHAN ANTIQUE JEWELLERS
4.	GF	CHEMMANUR JEWELLERS
5.	GF	ALYAFY JEWELLERS WLL
6.	GF	MATTATHIL JEWELLERS WLL
7.	GF	FAREEDA JEWELLERS SPC
8.	GF	VIKRAM JEWELLERS (P)
9.	GF	MALABAR GOLD WLL
10.	GF	J & P JEWELLERS
11.	GF	BANSARI JEWELLERS.
12.	GF	ATLANTA JEWELLERS WLL
13.	GF	SAHIL JEWELLERY
14.	GF	SKY JEWELLERS WLL
15.	GF	ROSARY JEWELLERS
16.	GF	ALLSEASON JEWELLERY
17.	GF	MR. PADATHODI USSAN
18.	GF	CITY JUMBO JEWELLERS
19.	GF	DAMAS WLL
20.	GF	KAPIL KHANNA PERFUMES
21.	GF	KHANNA JEW
22.	GF	MISK JEW WLL
23	GF	NATURAL PEARL PALACE
24.	GF	POINT CENTER WLL
25.	GF	TIME ZONE WLL
26.	GF	OLYMPIA JEW
27.	GF	AMEENA GIFT
28.	GF	NEW LOOK JEW WLL
29.	GF	ORITZ JEW WLL
30.	GF	ABU YAHYA JEW. WLL
31.	GF	RAMZANA JEWEL WLL
32.	GF	KINGDOM JEW (P)
33.	GF	KANSARA JEW (P)
34.	GF	SHOBHA JEW WLL
35.	GF	CHICAGO JEW WLL
36.	GF	DHAKAN JEW SPC
37.	GF	RAMA JEW WLL
38.	GF	ANAND JEW WLL
39	GF	CITY CENTRE HOTEL
40.	GF	M G JEWELLERY
41.	GF	ALUKKAS JEWELLERY
42.	GF	MOHD.IQBAL JEW.
43.	GF	RAINBOW JEWELLERS
44.	GF	SHRINGAR JEW WLL
45.	GF	MR. ABDUL HADI
46.	GF	JAIN PEARL JEW
47.	GF	PINTO JEW WLL
48.	GF	CALIFORNIA JEW
49.	GF	SAI JEWELLERS
50.	GF	SHARIF GIFT CENTRE
51.	GF	AJMAK JEW
52.	GF	AAYUSHI JEW WLL
FIRST FLOOR
Sl. No.	FLOOR	NAME
53.	MF	HARI JEW WLL
54.	MF	KAPIL JEW (P)
55.	MF	MUSARRAT JEW WLL
56	MF	SAFA JEWELLERY
57	MF	MF MR.SAEED AHMED
58.	MF	MAHARAJA JEW
59	MF	DESERT DIAMOND WLL
60	MF	APOLLO JEW
61	MF	EDWARD JEW W L L
62	MF	ARABIAN CENTER WLL
63	MF	ALSARRAJ GEMS
64	MF	MALIM JEW (P)
65	MF	F G LIGHT HOUSE (P)
66	MF	MRS. BALQEES AHMED MOHSEN
67	MF	THAI JEW
68	MF	SEAN ANTIQUE CENT WLL
69	MF	SAMI KHAN
70	MF	ALSADIQ TRADING
71	MF	SHINE JEW WLL
72	MF	ELITE CITY GEMS CO. S.P.C.
73	MF	EVER SHINE JEW
74	MF	NEW SHINE JEW
75	MF	ZAIN EST. WLL
76	MF	GOLDEN CHANCE
77	MF	MR.THOMAS (SHINE)
78	MF	MESHKAT JEWELLERS
79	MF	AMAROOS JEW SPC
80	MF	BURHANI CORNER
81	MF	DURAT ALMADINA FOR JEW.
82	MF	CENTURY DIAMOND
83	MF	GOOD LUCK JEW WLL
84	MF	PRESTIGE GIFT JEW.CO.WLL
85	MF	DECOR JEW WLL
86	MF	GOLD ART
87	MF	SILVER STOP JEW WLL
88	MF	GN JEW W L L
89	MF	JASMINE JEWEL
90	MF	STATE JEW WLL
91	MF	MR. DAWOOD OTTUKULOTH
92	MF	VICTORY DIAMOND
93	MF	REAL JEWELLERY WLL
94	MF	CAMPUS JEW WLL
95	MF	RIDHI JEW WLL
96	MF	CITY TIME WLL
97	MF	CHARAN GAYIL EST
98	MF	SILVO JEWELLERY
99	MF	BLOSSAM JEWELLERY
100	MF	ATLAS JEWELLERY
101	MF	PURE JEW WLL
102	MF	ROHIT JEW (P)
103	MF	NEW GOODLUCK JEW
104	MF	SHAMSHUDDIN EST.WLL
105	MF	LALWANI JEW. WLL
106	MF	MUNAWAR
107	MF	STAR MARK JEW
108	MF	FASHION INTL WLL
109	MF	FLOORA JEWELLERS
110	MF	FADHEELA JEW
111	MF	ABU YAHYA JEWELLERY
112	MF	RAMU ELECTRONICS
113	MF	MULLOILI JEW WLL
114	MF	MR. ANWAR SIRAS
115	MF	LAZIM JEWELLERS
116	MF	MR. SANJEEV KUMAR
117	MF	ALZABEEL JEW WLL
118	MF	DIAMOND TECH WLL
119	MF	DEVONI EST. WLL
120	MF	ALOBEID PERFUMES
121	MF	ANSON JEWELLERY
122	MF	AQSA JEWELLERS
123	MF	SAM JEWELLERS
124	MF	INDO ARAB CO WLL
125	MF	FAWAZ JEW WLL
126	MF	PAK MART EST.
127	MF	CARMEL INTL WLL
128	MF	SEVEN STAR JEW. WLL
129	MF	MGE CONSULTING WLL
130	MF	MAHENDRA JEW
131	MF	SHRI SILVER JEW
132	MF	SILVER STONE JEW WLL
133	MF	PANDARIPARAMBIL JEW CO.WLL
134	MF	JAFFAR JEW
135	MF	ALIF TRADING EST.
136	MF	PRAVEEN JEW WLL
137	MF	BABER JEW WLL
138	MF	NEW SKY JEW
139	MF	CITY CHARM JEW WLL
140	MF	VIJAY KUMAR EST.
141	MF	ALAN TRADING EST. WLL
142	MF	PAROOS JEWELLERY
143	MF	SAMASH TRADING CO.
144	MF	ALTHEQAH WLL
145	MF	HAFSA JEW WLL
146	MF	SULTAN MAHMOOD JEW. WLL
147	MF	SHRI HARI JEW
148	MF	SHAUKAT ALI JEW WLL

And on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...

I had to look up photos of the actual gold pieces...I was fairly certain if I took a picture my camera would have melted from the sheer karat-oscity of it all...

So if you do end up in Bahrain, and let's face it, everyone does at some point right?, definitely get your Gold City experience in - and then take a quick walk to the Manama souk where you can argue with the same store owner in three different stores...seriously...I think the guy that led us around has an interconnected system of tunnels...he was everywhere!

As you leave they have some sculpture art, and I'll admit I kinda like it...

Side note:  I didn't know where this fit in with this blog entry so I will just tack it on at the end, but I was at the school gym the other day and our order came in...in one of the boxes was this:

A bag of squeaky rubber chickens.  Don't tell me you don't love this place...