After wandering around Bahrain last weekend, I decided that I probably should get out and about here as well. There has been some stuff I have been wanting to accomplish, which normally gets back-burnered when having one day off a week. Thanks to the holiday, I have two days off this week. It seemed a good an opportunity as any to get out and do stuff.

After checking the internet, I determined that the Harley Davidson dealer opened at 10AM, the same time as the Friday Market. This made it doable to go out and catch both in one outing. I snuck out about 10:30, and hailed down a cab on the street. The trip from my building north to the Harley dealer was about 20 minutes, and took me from the south end of Kuwait City up to the northern industrial area.

The taxi driver was a nice guy and the ride was smooth. The Harley dealer, when I got there, was closed. They decided to take a two day holiday instead of a one day holiday like the internet said. That was the first of two stops. Stop one was a bust.

I flagged down the same taxi I had just climbed out of and headed for the Friday Market. Fortunately, he hadn’t driven off on me, yet. That was good. The Harley dealer isn’t in one of those places you are going to get another taxi easily.

The Friday Market is a Kuwait City institution. The place is an absolutely massive market area, selling everything from clothes, to rugs, to furniture, to junk of every kind.

I decided that the only way I was going find what I wanted was to start at one point and systematically work my way through. This I did. And, at the other end, came up dry. Or better put, without success, because I broke a good sweat walking around. Just to make sure I had done due diligence, I turned around and did it all again. Round two in the books, having bought nothing, I was apparently done for the day.

I walked back out of the Market area and flagged down a taxi. Back south and to the apartment building. All in all, I spent 11 1/2 KD, and about 3 hours. With a .300 exchange rate, that boiled out to about 37 dollars in taxis.

Back south, I walked next door to Mr. Subs and got some shawarma, and called it a day. Better luck with the next go!

The entrance to the Friday Market. A warren of unorganized little sections of stuff. All of it under big steel awnings.

Anybody need a wrench or a screwdriver?

There were many rugs, of every shape and size.

A quick stop at the Shawarma shop to get me some food. Food is good!

Next time, I’ll have it figured out. Nevertheless, getting out and about is good. You get a good cross-sectional view society at the Market.

Get out there. Meet the locals!