Travel Letters From an American Living in The Middle East-Bahrain

......Walking further in the souk on the narrow sidewalks and streets, we observed an older man chanting in Arabic. He was pointing his finger to no one in particular as he chanted. Two Arab men played Ouds or guitars. As we continued to walk further into the souk, a young boy juggled dates as we passed by. While we walked, the speakers broadcasted the prayers. Some ladies dressed in burkas were sitting on their Persian rugs resting. On down the sidewalks, merchants hailed sales pitches such as: "First quality watches!"( more like $9.99 quality watches).

.....Inside the pearl shop, the owner who is in his late eighties, was dressed in traditional, Arab clothing sitting at his desk. On the wall behind him hung pictures of his father, grandfather and his great-grandfather. These pictures were lined up in succession from old to "young"-all Bahraini pearl divers."Hello,how are you?"(This was the only English the shop owner could speak). Our Bahraini friend conversed with the owner in Arabic as Kent and I looked on as if we were watching a ping-pong match, listening and observing their conversation.

The shop owner opened the safe which looked like an old refrigerator(ice box). He placed a red,felt pouch tied up with string (resembled a small Santa sack) on his desk.Before opening the pouch,he felt the pearls through the material and then brought out three pearls for us to examine. ... he knew which pearls were which by feeling them while they were still in the Santa sack....