How Bizarre, How Bizarre

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Stereotyping comment: my favorite part of Dubai was the shopping (and the Burj Khalifa). Ana had wisely arranged for our driver to drop us off in the old part of Dubai so we could go shopping instead of back at our hotel. Since it was lunch time we were hungry, and so were shop owners, thus the stores were closed. We wandered around trying to find some authentically good food and finally decided upon a little shop where we ordered little bits of this and that -- all of it was AMAZING. One of my favorite things about middle eastern dishes is that instead of free bread while you wait for your meal, you get a plate of fresh, delicious pickled vegetables.

Once we energized ourselves, we trekked back to the spice market and began to browse around. Ana wanted to try to find arabic eye liner, so I followed suite. Along the way we found peculiar products such as vaginal tightening cream, breast enhancing soap, soap that turns you into a virgin (?) and more (yikes). We both thought it requisite to buy a few spices before we headed to the gold market a few streets down and walked away with anise, peppercorn, rose petaled tea and saffron.

Let me tell you, these shops were amazing. Most definitely catered to the Indian population, providing heaps of ornate, 24 K gold necklaces, earrings and bangles. Poor Ana only wanted sterling silver but there was none to be found! I on the other hand hadn't planned on buying anything but went into one shop and decided, "why not?!" I originally went in to see these beautiful aquamarine earrings, which I most certainly couldn't afford, and perhaps try them on for fun. After sticker shock I quickly diverted my attention to gold studs. Ana helped me pick out a few gold posts (22K) to try on and finally decided on some oval posts. Then I turned my attention back to aquamarine. Calculating in my head what I was getting for a freelance story I'd just written, I decided to #treatyoself and purchase both the gold studs and the aquamarine 4K studs.

It is safe to say that two pair of earrings for $1,000 is worth it but is also the most I've ever spent on jewelry or any souvenir! I didn't let these two items out of my sight for the rest of my time in Dubai not.for.one.second. Not during the rest of our meanderings through the oud markets, where I bought Mukarram some Woody oud (smells amazing) and various little bottles of oud for myself. Each were a few dollars and now looking back I wish I had bought larger bottles as well as bought my newest favorite perfume/oud that was 1/2 the price it was in the airport. Oh well, you can't buy everything ... and I did already treat myself! When in Dubai ...