Asia

[Visited: May 2004]

It was only 6 am and I was soaking wet with sweat when I walked to the taxi station in Al Hudayda to go to Bait al Faqih. The taxi filled quickly and soon we were on our way. I was left at a junction since the taxi continued further South and took a ride on a motorcycle to get to the market. It was a Friday, and the Friday market of Bait al Faqih is one of the biggest and most interesting in Yemen. Since I would continue to Zabid later on, I carried my backpack on my back while I explored the market. Soon, I was absorbing the delights of the market and I forgot about my bag.
The Bait al Faqih market is mainly fresh produce from the region, but I also saw other things for sale: extremely old TV sets, clothes, calebas, baskets and other items. I walked on and came to the sheep market. Although I didn't fancy buying one, it was still an enjoyable place to be. The men, sellers and buyers, in mostly white dresses with Arafat-like clothes to cover their heads, the sheep and goats tied to a tree, to a car, not knowing their fate, and the sellers and buyers discussing the best deal.
From there, a short walk took me to the cow market, where beautiful brown and slender cows and bulls were waiting to be traded. Whenever I thought I had seen the market, I would find yet another alley, another square, another area where more items were being sold. After a few hours of walking in all corners of the market I realized that sweat was running down on all sides. I desperately needed a drink, and I decided it was time to go.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Bait al Faqih (Yemen). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Bait al Faqih.
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Bait al Faqih > Yemen > Asia

[Visited: May 2004]

Around the World in 80 Clicks