Touring Our Way Around
Other than eating our way through Bahrain, we have made it to some "tourist" spots and we have managed to do a bit of exploring around the island. The other day we made it to the Bahrain National Museum. To be honest, neither of us had high hopes for the museum, but figured it was worth our time to at least check out. Plus, it's air conditioned. It was a marvel! We learned all sorts of fascinating information about Bahraini and Muslim culture and history. They had some amazing exhibits with clay replicas of people, homes and ancient artifacts, and the whole museum was set on this beautifully serene stretch of water in an incredible modern building. It was worth way more than the 1BHD ($2.65) that we paid for it.
Later in the evening we ventured out to the Manama Souq, which is a huge market snaking through side streets and back alleys with a variety of vendors and shops. I made the mistake of eyeing some fabric outside of a tailor's shop and, like a good businessman, the owner of the shop immediately pounced on us and with a swoop of his hand invited us into his pleasantly air-conditioned shop. Before we knew it, there I was, being fitted for a custom-made linen shirt. In the States that would might set you back a pretty penny, but here, we paid a mere $17 for it.
The souq was a special experience, not unlike experiences I've had in many other countries. The men standing outside of their shops can spot Americans a mile away and the smell of money apparently emanates from us (this is nothing specific to this region of the world though, this happens all over). Aside from constantly being asked to come inside of shops or look at some item being held right in front of us, as a woman, I am unashamedly stared at, predominantly by men. It does not feel just like staring though (which is bad enough); it feels like their eyes are tearing into you. And to be clear, I do not wear shorts or anything above my knee or calf and my shoulders never show. In fact, when I was walking around in the souq, I was wearing long black pants and a black long- sleeved shirt in an attempt to avoid such stares. Spoiler alert: it didn't work. I also happen to have dark features, dark hair, dark skin and dark eyes, which I anticipated might help me blend in maybe even a little here. Once again, it didn't work. It seems that unless I cover myself completely, I will stand out.
But, those intense stares haven't deterred me from venturing out and they haven't made my time here any less enjoyable. I find myself becoming more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and out of place. After all, despite our differences in dress, we all put our pants [or dresses] on the same way.
