We wanted to make the most of hubby's 2 weeks vacay and we decided to have a weekend getaway to Lake Sebu.
We had the most relaxing and refreshing time. We mostly just sat in the balcony of our room and watch as the fishermen fed the tilapias and the birds take a break from flying in the bamboo railings of the lake, drank loads amount of traditional coffee, enjoying the cold weather, roamed around, took pictures, had a short boat ride and learning all about t'boli culture.
What a lovely weekend indeed.
It was lunch time when we left Kuwait with a lot of stuff in our trunk and a bag of snacks and food to munch on the road for 8 hours. And it was late afternoon when we reached the boarders. I was so nervous and anxious when I found out that females have to get out of the car and go to a private room for inspection and passport stamping.If only I could hide inside the trunk or behind my hubby like a child I would. It seemed that unfortunate events started when I entered the gates of KSA.
- It was too windy so my eyes got too watery (I know it's a shallow reason).
- Because I had watery eyes, the woman stamping the passport was looking at me with suspicions.
- I had a hard time communicating with her because she can't speak English. Good thing there was a woman behind me who translated it for me.
- I got lost! When I went outside I can't find my hubby's car so I roamed around crying and people kept looking at me as if i'm a crazy person. So in the end I just sat beside the building and cried. I got lost for maybe 30 minutes until the hubby found me. Just by remembering gives me goosebumps and makes me cry.
- I cried for another hour because of that incident.
After fours of travel from the boarders, we finally reached my in-law's home and after some hugs and chitchats we called it a night. The next morning my husband drove me around the little town; there for the very first time I saw camels walking on the roadside, a fence made of clay that looked like the one you see in fairytales and the shops that closes every time the prayer starts. It was the same day that my father-in-law proudly gave me a bowl of greens which he picked from his vegetable garden. We only stayed in KSA for two days before we fly back to the Philippines but I have experienced how people live in a farm in middle east. I didn't know you could grow herbs and vegetables with the kind of soil that they have!
It was the night before we left for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we decided to visit Souk Al-Mubarakiya. Sadly, my phone didn't do any justice of how nice this place is. I felt a bit sad that I left my camera at our unit.
Souk Al-Mubarakiya (or Souq Al-Mubarakiya?) is considered the oldest, if not, one of the oldest souqs (open-air market) in Kuwait. Tradition is what Souk Al-Mubarakiya has to offer. It is situated in the heart of Kuwait City and any cab driver and locals now where this place is exactly situated. It is filled with little booths selling everything from spices, meat, fruits and veg, to clothes, pots and pans, and fake designer bags. Restaurants which serves Arab dishes are also present.
Walking to the Souk Al-Mubarakiya. The view is lovely and we can see the tower full of lights from afar. We had to walk quite far because parking was just difficult but it's definitely worth it.
While walking I was thinking it would be lovely to take photos there during day time because lighting 'ya know. HAHA.
The place were flooded by tons of people that night especially the restaurants. I even saw a couple of chinese or korean travelers, I was really surprised since Kuwait is not that tourist-y.
I must say Kuwaitis are very patriotic, flags everywhere and the lights (even the buildings) are in colors green, red and white - the colors of their flag. As in grabe! I wish we Filipinos are like that or will do that too, sadly patriotism is slowly dying in our country. Even during our independence day, I barely see flags on streets and lights with the color of flag in buildings.
I was drooling for those tea sets. What can I say, I'm a sucker for tea cups and pastels.
Apparently, OOTD shots ala blogger style are not that common in Kuwait, if i'm not mistaken. A lot of people were staring at me while hubby is taking my picture. But that didn't stop me!
Him: Let's go to Friday Market.
Me: What can you find there?
Him: Everything
When the hubby said everything, I was eyeing him and I was thinking what does he mean by everything. He was right, everything you can think of can be found in this place! Clothes, jewelries, perfumes, shoes, bags, furniture, appliances, rugs, curtains, even spices and ointments, and a whole lot more.
I'm clueless why it's called the Friday Market when it's open 7 days a week. Maybe because weekends in Middle East starts on Fridays? I don't know. Well one thing's for sure, the place is massive!
Yes there is also a corner where animals like dogs, cats, and birds are being sold. And to be honest, I was completely heart broken. Watching all those dogs who are not well taken care of and some have poor conditions (they don't even place water for the dogs to drink!!!) just breaks my heart into tiny pieces. I wish I could save them all but I was thinking if I buy one i'll just supporting their business and I can't bring it with me to the Philippines. All I can do is pray for them and hope that these poor creatures can find a home where they are loved and well taken care of.
Well... Enough with the drama. I'll show you some random photos I took in the Friday Market:
Random photos of locals shopping.
There were tons of people shopping, locals and even Filipinos! Especially in the thrift stores corner of the market, I've seen mostly Filipinos. Maybe because we Filipinos love bargains.
My love bargaining with the locals/sellers.
If you ask me, my most favorite part of the market is the furniture section. The awesome part is, most of the furniture are affordable!!! If you compare the quality, design, and the price of the furniture there from the common furniture that are being sold in the Philippines, it's definitely a catch. For example the bedroom set that we like which includes a queen-size bed, two bedside tables, a cabinet with four doors, a vanity table and a chair with a price of KD 190 or if you convert it to Philippine Peso costs Php 29,000-30,000. You'll never see a bedroom set with awesome designs and good quality in the Philippines within that price range.
I went literally crazy for a minute or so! Everything is just so pretty (and affordable!!!) - from white shelves to colorful ones. Seriously, if I had all the money in the world i'd take it all home in the Philippines. Maybe someday or the next time I travel to Kuwait, who knows right? :D
Wide variety of rugs can also be found there. And yes, fur rug is available!
Lately, I've been into furniture and home decors maybe because Ali and I moved in together so i'm really excited to decorate our own home with designs that we love.
Creepy stuff are being sold there too!
I've been eyeing those vintage telephones but they're kinda pricey.
Second-hand things are also being sold in Friday Market, from sun glasses to jewelries, hardware tools to appliances, home wares... EVERYTHING!!!
Kuwait is a very small country and seldom visited by tourists but you'll be surprised of what you can see in this place. Tell my next adventure in Kuwait! :)
Other Kuwait posts:
