After a long swim, it was off to dress. We had plans to go with Julie's friend up to Dubai to go shopping at Dragon Mart, some computer mall, and the Dubai Mall. It was going to be a busy day! Glad I can sleep in the car.
Dragon Mart is a large market, probably closest described as a cross between a flea market with its rented booths and a department store for its focus on new home goods. It was packed with people, sales men, and goods. You could buy super-fancy chandeliers, clothing, electronics, shoes, tea, among other things down the back rows of booths that we didn't explore. Sales people stand outside their booths and try to get you to come in, but not nearly as aggressively as other places we went. When you enter by the Dragon, you come into an open plaza space, at the opposite side is a beautiful floor to ceiling wall covering depicting Chinese scenes. As you venture further, you see multiple home goods stores, ready to help you both remodel and redecorate your home. |
The next place we went was Computer World, which is a two-story shopping center that specializes in the sale of computer electronics and computer video games. Like Dragon World, it has small stores filled to the ceiling with items for sale. Like Dragon World, the sales guys stand out in the hallway trying to get you to come in and buy their goods. As much as I would have liked to have shopped for computer parts and accessories, I had to keep reminding myself that their plugs were not the same as in the US, so I wouldn't be able to plug anything into my wall outlets at home without an adapter!
I think my travels all come with bathroom adventures. This one was no exception. I will say, I have been in gas station ones that were worse. First, there was no toilet paper. Ok, that's forgivable, only because I keep a small pack of Kleenex in my purse. Then there were roaches on the floor of the stall. Umm... Food for though. Then, the kicker for me, there were no seats on the toilet. It's not like I had to flip it down. There was no seat! Not on any of them. I'm so glad it was more a comfort visit than an emergency visit. We passed and waited until we got to the Dubai Mall.
We headed out from Computer World to the Dubai Mall, with multiple multi-story parking garage and four story shopping, aquarium, gold souk, dinosaur and everything else your mind could image in a mall. Plus, its right next to Burj Khalifa (Khalifa Tower), the current world's largest building.
The day we were at the mall, they were attempting a Guinness World's Record for the most glucose tests in an 8 hour period. I'm not sure how it turned out for them, but I do know we were wimps and didn't opt to go down and participate. We did get to see the three-story indoor waterfall. With sculptures of people diving down the fall.
I had to swing by the Harley Davidson store to pick up a couple of t-shirts for a friend who always brings stuff back from his travels. Then, to find a Starbucks with the Dubai logo on it. Shame the two stores we found in the mall didn't have any! I had to get one from a mall in Abu Dhabi to add to my collection. We also stopped to watch the fountain show put on outside the mall and near Burj Khalifa. It was a pretty spectacular show, which I managed to catch on video and I've included below. As I haven't seen many that are coordinated with music and to this scale, I have nothing to compare it to, so check it out yourselves! It was spectacular! Just wish some more lights had been turned off before it began. Afterward, we went to dinner at Zahr El-Laymoun at the Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah. While part of their outdoor seating overlooks the fountain show, our seats on the terrace did not. We did get a nice view of the surrounding buildings lit up at night! The food was amazing there. We ordered a whole bunch of hot and cold mezze, some of which I identified below, plus meals for the three of us! Wowzers! It was a lot of food! The hummus was amazing! The dolma or grape leaves are the best I've ever had. I've had some really sour ones, but these were somewhat sweet. My kafta pistachio was good, though sadly, I was full by the time it came out! I barely had a couple bits of it. Inside the tortilla was log-shaped kafta meat that was moist and delicious. The tomato was cooked such that the skin melted off and you could eat the fruit inside. It also came with a pizza-like slice of bread with basil and sauce on it, in addition to the grilled potato. |
Weather Conditions:
High: 108 F
Low: 82 F
Sunny, light breeze
My Review of Places I've Been
"Half local, half tourist experience"
The Dragon Mall is a cross between a tourist destination and a chance to have that local experience. While there are no specific tourist activities or attractions, it does offer lots of shopping in a small place. Lots of mom and pop shops to find home wares and
"This mall is HUGE!"
The four story mall contains a dinosaur, aquarium, gold souk (all the jewelry stores down one hallway), plus a three story fountain, and an outdoor fountain famous for its show. All in the shadow of the world's tallest building. Oh, did I forget about the shopping until you drop? What's not inside the mall is in the "Village" attached to the mall. If you can't find it here, it's probably not worth finding!
The restaurant has a casual style, with colorful tables set in front of sleeper-sofas and dinning room chairs. The food is amazing. We order too many appetizers to fully appreciate our entree. Don't be afraid to try something new here, because given our selection of food, it's all good.