Show us your Hookah, Shisha waterpipes

[Flieger]

I don't know about the rest of you but I enjoy a quiet summer evening puffing away on my Shisha with apple tobacco, reading a good book and sipping a cold one.

I picked this one up on my recent trip to Egypt. I've customized it a bit by adding a new hose and bowl.

Is there anyone else on the Lounge who share my 'vice'?

/Flieger

 

[BeBopBaby]

I love to smoke from shishas. I don't have one of my own but there are coffee shops around town where you can smoke them. I find them to be very relaxing. My favorite tobacco is a green apple/black licorice flavor blend.

 

[Flieger]

I love to smoke from shishas. I don't have one of my own but there are coffee shops around town where you can smoke them. I find them to be very relaxing. My favorite tobacco is a green apple/black licorice flavor blend.

Mmm... that sounds nice. But due to the smoking ban at public places here in Sweden, I doubt we will see any coffee and shisha bars here anytime soon. It's a pity since the Shisha is best when enjoyed together with friends.

/F

 

[Smithy]

Lovely pipe Flieger.

There's a few Turkish places back home where you can puff away with some mates. Admittedly that's only at the outside tables.

 

[rikrdo]

I have one made by the now defunct "Hookah Bros".
It is a blue - based, 2 pipe model that gets some action about 1x / week.
I smoke mainly Tangiers shisha (made in San Diego) and Starbuzz but am looking to try others..............probably would smoke it more but its such a pain to set up and break down.

 

[Flieger]

Lovely pipe Flieger.

Thanks Smithy!

... probably would smoke it more but its such a pain to set up and break down.

You think so? Mine is pretty easy to get up and running and I have a couple of extra bowls that I can prepare in case I feel like having a longer session.

/F

 

[Tamamiko]

Oh how this makes me long for my nights at the Casbah... Lovely little Middle Eastern place in the Avondale district of Jacksonville.

 

[Vintage lover]

I too enjoy a good hookah every now and then. My family often jokes with me on the subject and most of my uncles have taken to calling me the Sheik of Araby.

 

[Slim Portly]

I have been wanting to try a hookah quite a while and I finally had a go this past weekend. A middle-eastern restaurant opened a few blocks away recently and they have a full bar, belly dancing, and a hookah lounge. Because of the way that the smoking ban is written here in Las Vegas, the hookah smoking does not need to be outdoors or even segregated from the rest of the restaurant.

Being my first time, the hostess was very helpful and informative. She told me that the apple and black licorice blend (mentioned by BeBopBaby) is very popular with the Egyptians, although not her favorite. I asked her to set me up with whatever she likes, and therefore I had a very pleasant peach tobacco.

It was evening and I was in the mood for a light dinner so I also ordered a pita with zatar and tomato wedges, and a glass of unsweetened iced tea. A host brought out my hookah, a large pipe standing over two feet tall, and proceeded to prepare it for my smoking. It was entertaining, rather like having a server prepare a food dish at one's table.

When all was made ready for me, he left me with my dinner and pipe. I had brought along a book that I am reading, and I spent a lovely evening with a good read, some tasty food, and the sweet yet mild smoke of the hookah.

All in all a very nice first experience and one that I will be repeating soon. I don't know that I am ready to purchase my own hookah yet, but I am now that much closer.


[edited to add link]

 

[Beowulf67]

I was recently in Memphis (TN not Egypt ) visiting friends and one of them had a hookah at his home. That was my first time to try one and it was really nice.
Then he and some of his family took me to a Persian restaurant and hookah lounge where we enjoyed a pleasant evening.
It is very relaxing. I don't know that I'm going to purchase one of my own but it was nice.

 

[Treetopflyer]

A nice little treat.

I like to hit the Hookah now and again but not as much as I would like. I was in Bahrain about six months ago, that is where I purchased mine, and heard on the radio that the university did a study and found out that one session of Hookah, about 30 minutes, was equal to smoking one pack of cigarettes. I do like the hookah but I also feel it in my lungs the next day.

 

[Scuffy]

Treetopflyer-

Thanks for that info! I've been wanting to try a hookah but... there really isn't anywhere around that I've heard of having one. I'd always wondered about whether the smoke was inhaled like cigs or if it was closer akin to cigars. I guess that answers that!! While I am a social cig smoker and don't smoke them all that much I wouldn't mind taking a bigger step and at least trying a bit of foreign culture out!! Know of anywhere in or near NE Ohio by chance????

 

[Flieger]

I've noticed that when I smoke my Shisha by my lonesome, I feel it in my lungs,throath and head the morning after. But If I smoke it the way it was intended - shared with friends - I feel just fine and dandy.

There's also the nicotine-free tobacco (like SOEX) if you don't want to risk your healt... too much.

/F

 

[Slim Portly]

I was in Bahrain about six months ago, that is where I purchased mine, and heard on the radio that the university did a study and found out that one session of Hookah, about 30 minutes, was equal to smoking one pack of cigarettes.

I have to say, that sounds astoundingly illogical and unlikely.

 

[HodgePodge]

I have to say, that sounds astoundingly illogical and unlikely.

In some places people use hookahs to smoke real tobacco, not flavoured shishas or non-tobacco herbals (no, I don't mean pot).
From experience, I know that the amount of smoke you can intake off a hookah is rather massive in comparison to what you can get off a cigarette. The water in the chamber brings the smoke down to room temperature, which makes it feel like you are just taking one big, loooong deep breath of plain ol' air. When I tried it the first time, I didn't think it was working, so I stopped to say "I'm not getting anything," but all that came out of my mouth was an enormous cloud of smoke.

I don't have the constitution for Narghile (I know it by it's Turkish name because of the friends who introduced me to it). Since I'm not a regular cigarette smoker - I smoked for about a week in highschool - it gives me an aweful nauseus headrush if I try to smoke much more than one or two good puffs in any kind of succession.

 

[Opas Coat]

I have herd of a Hookah before... I had the same head rush/ nausea issue when trying some Captain Black cigars tho I think I was inhaling.

From my one discussion i have ever had about a Hookah was that it was not tobacco at all and something else entireley to do with herbs and fruit.

Is there anywhere recommended to buy one online for a reasonable price for a first time?

 

[HodgePodge]

I have herd of a Hookah before... I had the same head rush/ nausea issue when trying some Captain Black cigars tho I think I was inhaling.

From my one discussion i have ever had about a Hookah was that it was not tobacco at all and something else entireley to do with herbs and fruit.

Is there anywhere recommended to buy one online for a reasonable price for a first time?

Well, you inhale the smoke from a hookah as well.

In the old days, and in certain areas still, the flavouring originally came from mixing the coarsely chopped tobacco with cut up fruit to dry. Some people even soak the tobacco in wine before it is dried.
The modern shishas are tobacco all washed in chemicals and then artificially flavoured. I have seen herbal shishas that are supposed to be non-tobacco online, though.
I don't own one myself, and my friends who do buy their flavoured tobaccos from arabic/middle-eastern grocery stores.

Here's a link to atleast give you some direction, though. The prices look pretty reasonable to me. http://www.hookah-shisha.com/store/pc/viewCat_h.asp?idCategory=3

 

[djhatman]

I don't have a hookah anymore as i rent from people that I go to church with and they don't want any smoking in the apartment. I house sat for some friends the weekend and they have one so I smoked it at least once a day while they were gone. I made me miss mine.

 

[Tamamiko]

Wow...

I know I'm diggin' this one out of the graveyard, but I'd love to know of the location of said restaurant. I'm a downtown-er here and I've been really itching for some good ethnic cuisine.

I was recently in Memphis (TN not Egypt ) visiting friends and one of them had a hookah at his home. That was my first time to try one and it was really nice.
Then he and some of his family took me to a Persian restaurant and hookah lounge where we enjoyed a pleasant evening.
It is very relaxing. I don't know that I'm going to purchase one of my own but it was nice.

 

[thecardigankid]

I love a good hookah, and havent had some for quite some time. I used to have my own hookah but it was stolen by my landlord about 3 years ago when I was moving out of my apartment.

Mike