Bur Dubai, UAE
Since we didn't get in to Illika's house until 5am (Dubai time), we all slept soundly until 2pm when Illika roused us. We had a brunch of aloo parahta (potato tortilla things) and dahi (yogurt), which served as our intro to the rip and dip method, common in the food of this area.
Hillary, Tahra, and Illika in an air-conditioned bus stop-- sounds frivolous, but it does get insanely hot
around the shops inside and the fountains outside, getting our first view of Bourg Al Arab (the world's only 7 star hotel) in the distance. We took a taxi to Jameira beach, and I had my first
7 Star Hotel: to get into the lobby, you just have to buy a cup of coffee (which happens to cost 70 US dollars)
dip in the Arabian Sea. We watched the sunset on the beach, then made our way back to Illika's.
With time to kill before dinner, Illika took us to Mina Bizaar, a shopping area near her house. Hillary, Tahra and I were a bit surprised by the agressiveness of the salespeople-- everyone spoke to us as we passed by, wanting us to come into their shop. The colors of everything, especially the clothes, were very vibrant.
The line up in a clothing store at Mina Bazaar
For dinner, we ate at Illika's house with some family friends. Dinner was cowswey, a Burmese make your own noodle type dish. After dinner, we showered, then tried our best to bed early.