Check out Parts I and II if you missed ’em!
The adventure: Our first non-essentials-shopping-related day trip into Dubai for some relaxation and sightseeing, and an afternoon in Sharjah.
We left Sharjah bright and early on a Friday morning, which is an ideal time to be out and about for shopping or sightseeing purposes because the first ‘call to prayer’ of the day isn’t until about noon, so most people are home with their families and at the Mosque until 1pm, so there’s no traffic on the roads (read: You get to feel marginally safe on the roads!!!) or crowds of people to contend with, so you can really soak up the experience in a leisurely way.
{Our first stop: The Dubai Mall – home to a gigantic aquarium, the world’s fastest indoor roller coaster, and Ski Dubai. Snow is a beautiful, beautiful sight when it’s 114 degrees out! I wasn’t really sure Ted was ever going to leave this magical place…}
{Window shopping and square donuts at Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah}
{The gold dispensing ATM…yes, it exists…for everyone who asked me to verify the rumors}
{We strolled around the gorgeous waterways of Madinat Jumeirah. In the first picture you can see the luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel and in the first two pictures you’ll spot the beautiful wooden abra “water taxi” boats. The slotted openings at the tops of the buildings are how traditional Emirati homes back in the pearl-diving days were designed – they serve as a cooling system that sucks in the “cool” gulf breeze and redirects it down into the interior of the home}
{Can’t ignore a good photo op location!}
{Then we took in the Jumeirah Beach. We walked down the pier and out over the water for a better view of the beach, skyline, and palm tree and world islands….and we all instantly melted into disgusting puddles of sweat}
{Lunch at Lime Tree Cafe. I had an incredible plate packed with the most delicious roasted and curried cauliflower, spinach, and chickpea salad, two salmon and asparagus risotto patties topped with dill cream cheese, a freshly-squeezed beet-pineapple juice smoothie, and a slice of their carrot cake. Seriously, you want to eat here immediately. I actually cannot wait to savor/devour their amazing food again…ASAP!}
{This shark had plans for me…}
{And this friendly eel mugged a big old smile for the camera}
{Back in Sharjah, Fereh accompanied us to the Sharjah Aquarium….which clearly has the best aquarium signs ever, as evidenced above}
{Sharjah views from outside the Aquarium}
{After the Aquarium, we shared dinner at a traditional Emirati cuisine restaurant. It was located right on the river downtown so it had beautiful water and sunset views, as well as really awesome outdoor seating…so, naturally, I decided we must be like the locals and sit outside, in the stifling heat and humidity, and eat hot food for two hours. I’m not sure what I was thinking. Ted still isn’t sure what I was thinking. But, aside from sitting very, very still and trying not to move at all throughout dinner so we didn’t melt into our food, it was really serene, the food was delicious, and I think it was a really great and memorable experience! Ted got some sort of pita, yogurt, and lamb kebobs and I shared a totally delicious Iranian baked fish and saffron rice dish with a pregnant cat – which was pretty much the highlight of my day! You can see her in one of the pictures above – and topped off the meal with a steaming hot kettle of amazing Arabic coffee, which is flavored with cardamom and tastes like a hybrid of coffee and tea}
{The restaurant had a beautiful view of the fountain show and the Al Noor Mosque at night, which was simply stunning, as you can see! Click the photo to enlarge – it’s worth it!}
More to come later! :)
