Afghani and Turkish Souks of Jeddah

Jeddah afghani souk from Susie Khalil

Jeddah afghani souk from Susie Khalil

Special thanks to Alicia Ali and Nomad Tours for organizing this fantastic outing.   

Fish Fry with a Friend

I haven't had any visitors from back home since I moved to Saudi Arabia five years ago - until this past week when an old friend from my hometown of Douglas, Arizona, came to Jeddah for business.  Mike Brady has been living in Riyadh this past year on a work assignment with his company.  Mike's sister Margaret was in my class in school. 
 
My husband suggested that we take Mike out for a very typical Jeddah style meal, so we took him to an open air fish restaurant with Bedouin style seating.  Since Jeddah lies on the coastline of the Red Sea, there are many fish eateries around the city.  Some have individual dining tents or private rooms for families.  Most restaurants have a separate dining area for single men who are not accompanied by female family members. 

First we went inside to hand select the fish we wanted from today's catch.  The restaurant staff then gutted and cleaned the fish and cooked it to order.  We ordered the fish to be deep fried. 

There was a nice undersea mural painted on the outside walls of the restaurant.  

While the fish was being prepared, we went to our seating area, which consisted of red carpets and cushions.  There were no tables and chairs at this restaurant, but most seating areas did have TVs where some guys watched a soccer game.
 
Since the restaurant wasn't that crowded, we occupied an area in the far corner in the men's section away from the other diners, and I sat with my back to them.  It was great catching up with Mike while we waited for the food to come. 

The fried fish was brought to us along with big platters of three different kinds of rice, sauces, lemons and hot green chili peppers.  My husband likes to take a bite of hot chili pepper with each mouthful of food as sweat drips  down his face.

The weather was great sitting outside eating under the stars halfway around the world from where Mike and I grew up.


Next time Mike comes, we're hoping to take him out snorkeling and fishing on the Red Sea.

Carpet Cleaner

R  ight next door to this medium sized neighborhood supermarket that we frequent sits a roomy open lot with 8 foot high lofty walls all the way around it, except for a sizable opening in the front where the massive gate is. From the top of the steps of the supermarket, I could peer over the sturdy wall and see dozens of carpets in different colors, styles and shapes hanging over long rods and baking in the toasty sun.

When I first noticed the lot, my first thought was that it was a carpet sales market. However since there is no roof of any kind, I quickly dismissed that idea. Rain is very scarce, well, practically nonexistent here in Jeddah, but the settling dust and the exposure to the bright sun day after day would destroy new carpets sitting out in the elements like that.

My husband told me that the place was actually a carpet cleaner, and I was intrigued. So one day after our shopping was done at the little supermarket, my son and I walked over so I could hopefully take some photos.

Now I must admit I have never before been inside a carpet cleaners in the states to observe the actual operation of such an establishment, so I am not at all familiar with the process. But I thought it would be interesting to see how it was done here in Arabia.

We walked in looking for someone I could ask about taking some pictures. Amidst all the carpets was a little shack of an office toward the back of lot. A man tumbled out and approached us, speaking in Arabic. I asked if it was okay if I took a few photos. He didn't speak English, so I held up my camera and acted out like I was taking pictures as I made little clucking sounds with my tongue, and then I said, "Okay?" He was miffed because I'm sure he's never had a crazy person like me come in to take photos of the place, but he skeptically gestured that it would be all right.

Adam and I ambled through the lot as I snapped away. We saw a guy spraying with a water hose who was scrubbing and rinsing the carpets. In another area, there were dripping carpets that he had just finished cleaning.

We turned around to head back to the entrance and noticed that about six other men had come out of the tiny office to watch what we were doing. One of them stepped forward and said something in Arabic that we didn't understand. I guessed that he was in charge. So I went through the same spiel with this guy, doing my clucking noises and acting out the picture taking again. I smiled and said "Thank you" in Arabic.

And then Adam and I just resumed our stroll toward the gate as I snapped a few more photos, and the stunned carpet men just stood there with their mouths open.

I wished I could have asked about how much it costs to have a carpet cleaned in this manner, how long it takes to dry, what type of shampoo or cleansers they use, or whether they treat all carpets the same regardless of the materials they are made of like wool, or synthetic, or whatever, but I couldn't. I felt I should just hurry up and get out of there before the guy in charge thought he better throw his weight around!

At least I got my photos.