Ladies Night on the Souk
16/08/11 06:45
Last night, I donned my trusty Abaya and a bright red handbag and headed out on an ARAMCO Tour Bus to downtown Damman. We left Camp Sand at around 9.30pm and arrived back at Camp Sand around 12.15am - my girlfriend decided to hold a lecture series on Abayas, Mutaween (religous police - sounds like “ma-taah-aah”) and Blondes. Dependent on her generosity of a lift home, I was held captive for 45mins and eventually staggered in the door at 1.15am. Could I have walked - yes, would I have been safe - yes, but, I learnt a lot and that was more important than the bags under my eyes this morning.
This was a Drahran Women’s Group outing - and it was fun.
Damman is larger than Al-Kohbar and less “touristy” - but that really doesn’t sound right because “touristy” is absolutely not Saudi Arabia. “Less sophisticated than” would probably be better. We wandered around what is called a “souk” which is small streets with individually owned shopped, although I would suspect that one person probably “owns” several. Rents are much lower than Al-Kohbar and for that reason the prices are generally lower. An Abaya purchased there with a little bartering is probably 75% - 50% of the cost of one purchased in Al-Kohbar. Those shops were in abundance - they are what I would call the “The Blue Jean” of Saudi Arabia - everyone woman owns at least 1 if not 10. Rex gave me permission to buy a “Sporty Abaya” - we’ll my gang of friends almost fell off the bus laughing when I mentioned that! There was no end of choice and I was totally bamboozled. One girl wanted an Abaya with Mardi Gras colors. The choice was overwhleming. I came home with a small canister of Saffron. I will return to Damman with friends for a shopping trip and will take another look at the Abaya selection. I definitely need one more.
I was hoping to see a few touristy things like hand made cards, little gifty thing, but nothing like that was in the area we were in.
On the other hand I did see some incredible coffee and tea sets in glass and china. Some exception German cake baking trays with Xmas Tree and Easter Eggs on them, which I was not expecting. Out of this world jewellery. It was mind-boggling to see the array of necklaces, earrings, bracelets in sets that were available. They were large, bold and intricate and would have weighed a ton. Some of the earrings were so large they would have pulled my little ears off and I’d have needed a month at the gym lifting weights to get in training to support a necklace without toppling over.
7.05am - gotta dash, the sleeping giant needs to be aroused from the land of nod, fed, dressed and escorted to the door for his ride to the Miss Bunny Day School - 8am - 11.am.
This was a Drahran Women’s Group outing - and it was fun.
Damman is larger than Al-Kohbar and less “touristy” - but that really doesn’t sound right because “touristy” is absolutely not Saudi Arabia. “Less sophisticated than” would probably be better. We wandered around what is called a “souk” which is small streets with individually owned shopped, although I would suspect that one person probably “owns” several. Rents are much lower than Al-Kohbar and for that reason the prices are generally lower. An Abaya purchased there with a little bartering is probably 75% - 50% of the cost of one purchased in Al-Kohbar. Those shops were in abundance - they are what I would call the “The Blue Jean” of Saudi Arabia - everyone woman owns at least 1 if not 10. Rex gave me permission to buy a “Sporty Abaya” - we’ll my gang of friends almost fell off the bus laughing when I mentioned that! There was no end of choice and I was totally bamboozled. One girl wanted an Abaya with Mardi Gras colors. The choice was overwhleming. I came home with a small canister of Saffron. I will return to Damman with friends for a shopping trip and will take another look at the Abaya selection. I definitely need one more.
I was hoping to see a few touristy things like hand made cards, little gifty thing, but nothing like that was in the area we were in.
On the other hand I did see some incredible coffee and tea sets in glass and china. Some exception German cake baking trays with Xmas Tree and Easter Eggs on them, which I was not expecting. Out of this world jewellery. It was mind-boggling to see the array of necklaces, earrings, bracelets in sets that were available. They were large, bold and intricate and would have weighed a ton. Some of the earrings were so large they would have pulled my little ears off and I’d have needed a month at the gym lifting weights to get in training to support a necklace without toppling over.
7.05am - gotta dash, the sleeping giant needs to be aroused from the land of nod, fed, dressed and escorted to the door for his ride to the Miss Bunny Day School - 8am - 11.am.