sook shopping

For Carter’s birthday we promised him a knife. It sounds a little strange, but there’s a traditional Omani knife with a curved blade called a khanjar that he has been wanting since we arrived and we told him when he turned 10 we would take him shopping for one.

This is an example of an antique one. They have leather sheaths that are covered by silver that has been handwoven. The more intricate the design, the more expensive they are. 

So we headed to the sook which is right on the harbor. It’s so beautiful there. A hot sunny day, a breeze blowing off the water . . . the kids didn’t complain too much about our hike in the heat.

We went to a bunch of different shops in the sook and Carter checked out all the different knives. A lot of them are really expensive, as in 100s of dollars, but we found some that he liked in our price range.

A happy kid with a knife. Isn’t that what birthdays are all about? 

After completing the purchase (and sharing a drink with the shop owner) we stopped by my favorite silver shop to order something special for my sisters. The shop is the size of a closet so the kids played outside while I told Mohammed what I wanted him to make for me. 

By this time everyone was hot and sweaty and it was time to head home. We left the jewelry section . . .

made our way through the clothing district 

and found our way out through the maze of shops. Tomorrow Mohammed should be finished with my special order so I get to make another trip to the sook to pick it up.