Shopping in the Souk
Every trip that we make to Oman involves an hour or so in Mutrah Souk, it provides a real insight to the flavours, smells and wheeling and dealing in the Middle East.
We always stock up on frankincense which we burn at home and of course I always have to stock up on a pashmina or two.
Spices are in abundance and so are Omani daggers, maps and old artifacts, some of which probably arn’t that old.
One has to adopt the Middle Eastern way of bartering which comes relatively easily to me having cut my craft in the Venetian local markets many years ago. Whatever price they say I usually offer about half and then meet somewhere in between which they usually seem to be happy with and so am I, which is good business.
Alan’s interest in the Souk dosn’t go much further than seeking artistic inspiration. He has painted several on the spot watercolours of “Souk life” which one can see in his skectch book of Oman.
