Deira Fish Market

This past weekend we cruised a few minutes to the north end of Dubai to check out the Deira Fish and Produce Market. The weather has allowed the windows in the car to be down quite often, which they were on approach to the market. As we pulled into the parking lot, Bode pipes up in the back seat, "Dad! There is sumfing smelly in my mouf!" 

The fishy smell lessened the longer we were there, perhaps us just getting used to it, but it did leave me wishing we'd happened up on the market earlier in the winter to pay it a few more visits, because when the heat sets in, in a few weeks, it along with the smelliness in the mouf will be intolerable.

 

Whittman had many adoring fans.Which he was unimpressed with.

 

The produce was far and away the best I have seen in Dubai. It was beautiful! Clean, fresh and undoubtedly the best prices I've paid since arriving in the Middle East a year and half ago. When you live in a region that grows virtually nothing, nearly everything must be imported, pushing up the price. It was a tough adjustment coming from Southern California where I could pop down to my local organic farm for a huge crate of fresh strawberries. That I still dream about...

 

We sampled pretty much everything.

 

I stood back and giggled as I watch Wade negotiate the price of sea bass and hammour with all these Pakistani's. "What?! No, no! You give me Pakistani price! Today, I am Pakistani man like you." It was one of those moments I get from time to time where I catch myself in a situation so far out of what once used to be our norm. Where I am snapped back to the fact we live in Dubai. In the Middle East. Wild.

 

Mohammed was a hustler. He grabbed us as we were getting out of our car and was ready with a wheel barrel to cart around our goods for us and to make sure we got what we wanted and how we wanted it. i.e. I did not want to shell my own shrimp or clean my own fish... He took right to Bode, as so many do. Bode was indifferent.

Here is with all his buddies, shooting the breeze in Urdu.

Hopefully we'll make it back one more time before the heat makes my want to poke my eyes out.