The Heat of the Day

There aren't many people here that move around during the heat of the day, so when we left our house at 1pm, we were hoping that our local "Office Depot" would be open (I use the term VERY loosely).

The girls and I had to walk over a mile, but it wasn't bad.  We didn't have to fight any crowds.

We walked straight through the bazaar where we nearly lost each other last time.

Empty.

Closed.

No shoppers.

 Just a couple of ladies, visiting.

Open, shaded terrain.

We finally made it to "Stationary Row." 

 
That's what we call it.

It's store after store of office products (which they call stationary stores here).

I'm so sorry I forgot to take pictures of the insides.  If you remember the pictures of glasses stacked higher than my head, just replace the glasses with pens, journals, staples, sticky notes, etc.

Office stores are my weakness, and I think I was so enthralled that I never even thought of my camera when I was inside.  It's definitely no Office Depot, but it will do.

The girls looked for journals and pens, and I looked for a stamp and a stamp pad that would make a document I was creating look more official. 

Found it!

The girls had been down here with another lady, so they pointed out the local water fountain to me.  I had never seen one here before.

Just use the cup and leave it for the next person.

Karis also wanted a picture printed off of her ipod, so we found a guy who said he could do it.

He then said, "Follow me."

We walked two stores down to another photo developer, and he gave THEM the ipod.

He bid us farewell, and then he left.

Confused, we waited.

Ten minutes later, we had a good photo, so I offered to pay, and the man said I would need to go back to the first guy two doors back.

At least I think that's what he said.  He wouldn't take my money, and he spoke and pointed back toward the other man's store.

We left, and headed back down the street to ask the man how much we owed him for what he "didn't do." 

He said it was free because we were Americans.

I coudn't accept that, so I paid him the equivalent of $1.50 for the picture.  He was very happy and went back to smoking his cigarette.

It had been two hours since we left, so foot traffic had picked up a little.

Oh wait!  Those are my girls.

But when we got back inside the bazaar, it was a little busier.

Lemon juice, right in my way!

When the intense heat starts ebbing, the crowds really do come out. 

Wait until I write about Ramazan, where night is day and day is night.