Asia

[Visited: March 2020]

Before driving to Medina, we realise it is a Friday and decide to pay a visit to the Friday Market in the north of Hail. Expecting a bustling market, we are surprised to see only a few people around, and for a while, doubt whether it is on at all. But then, we turn a corner, easily find a place to park, and start walking. There is a central section with a roof over a platform, and around it, we see more market stalls. We have not had breakfast yet, and when we see a stall selling coffee and tea, we stop for a drink. The lady in an adjacent stall makes small pancakes, and gives us plenty, with a sauce. They turn out to be yummy. When we want to pay, neither the coffee seller nor the pancake woman want any, no matter how hard we push. Hail has been known for a long time for their hospitality.
We see cars, with their trunk open, and sellers offering their goods from the back of their car. We see stacks of jars full of olives. We see bags of lentils. Dried ginger. Spices. Nuts. Dates. Many dates, in big piles. Many of the vendors and buyers are welcoming us, and ask us to take their picture. We find out that many vendors are Yemenis, their country at war, doing business in the country that is a main actor in that same war. When I tell one of them that I love Yemen and its people, I get a spontaneous hug. A little further on, we find an older seller with different kinds of coffee, all in big jute bags. A group of men are negotiating a big buy, and in the end, the deal is blown off. One of the guys explains that the vendor is Yemeni, and is asking too much for his Yemeni coffee.
It is time to explore the platform. This is where we see the first women, if only a few, and all completely dressed up in a black veil, and wearing black gloves. They sell chicken and eggs, the chicken jammed under dome-shaped cages. Another vendor sells pigeons, and proudly shows us one of them, and asks how much we offer for it. There also is bird-food, and small singing birds for sale. Rabbits, but no big animals here. There is plenty of open, unused space here, and it is easy to walk around. Outside again, we find vendors selling vegetables and fruits, and cars packed with potatoes. Others having all kinds of dates, again, their vendors proudly posing for the picture. What strikes us, is that business here is done in a quiet way, there is no shouting, no yelling, giving the market a relaxed atmosphere. It is time to leave this colourful market and embark on another long drive.

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Hail Friday Market (Saudi Arabia)

Hail Friday Market > Saudi Arabia > Asia

[Visited: March 2020]

Around the World in 80 Clicks