Exploring the world in one day

So on Smonday we had an "international" adventure by "exploring" the world in one day.

We started our day by exploring the Khan Murjan Souk at the Wafi Mall.  

Set in the splendor of a 14th century Souk, the Khan Murjan Souk was inspired by an infamous ancient subterranean Souk in Baghdad.  The Souk is designed to give you the authentic feel of Arabic life.  Souk's have been an integral part of Arabic life for centuries.

Throughout the Souk, you can find beautiful wood carvings.

This 50,000 square foot market consists of two floors divided into the four corners of the Arab world, Syria, Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt, with the design of each influenced by the architecture of the respective region.

 This beautiful stained glass ceiling window took a team of skilled craftsmen several months to create.  They used types of glass especially selected from mosques and temples across the Islamic world.

It is one of the largest windows of its kind.

As soon as you walk down the stone staircase, you find yourself in a labyrinth of intricate hallways.

When one see's this..............

One has to do this!!

At the heart of the Souk is the award winning Khan Murjan restaurant.  It offers a variety of cuisines from all around the Middle East, including dishes from Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, and Turkey.

The Souk is located on the underground levels of the Wafi shopping mall.

The atmosphere is underlined by the pervasive smell of incense, spices, and tobacco pipes.

 There are around 150 stores in the Souk

Firebolt wanted me to get lots of pictures of the way the locals dress.  This was the perfect place for snapping pictures.

Only the most exquisite handmade pieces are sold.  Like Persian woven carpets and rugs.

Hand-sewn clothes.

You can buy things like, tables inlaid with pearl, mosaics, wrought vessels, furniture, and art.  If I could have got this home somehow, I would have made it mine.

You can also purchase antiques, jewelery, herbs, spices, calligraphy, and perfumes, and souvenir's of any shape, size, or kind. You can even get "pimped" out Dishdasha's, at least that is what that one looks like to me.

After thoroughly checking out the Souk, we made our way into the main part of the Wafi Mall.....

There are over 350 shops and 30 restaurants all of which are styled after ancient Egypt. 

The atrium, decorated with a presentation of the ancient Egyptian Sky God, Horus, who protects the pharaoh in his afterlife and wards off any evil.  Depicted as a Falcon, the dominant color is green.  Depending on the time of day, the eye is either of the sun or moon.  

The Eye of Horus glass sculpture.  This is about three stories tall.

 All of the walls and floors are the color of the light brown stone that can be found on all the structures in ancient Egypt.

Dominated by its modern interpretation of the pharaohs, whose epic splendor is conveyed through exquisite stained glass.

With intricate mosaics and sculptures.

You can find images of pharaohs everywhere.

When one comes across a pharaoh statue..........

One must do this!!

This is one of many pyramid shaped stained glass ceilings.

 You can also find columns reminiscent of Karnak.

The mall has its own leisure complex, The Pyramids which has The Pharaoh's Club and Cleopatra's Spa.

I keep meaning to tell you all about the parking garages.  It's really awesome.  They have lights above each parking space.  The lights are either red or green.  A red light means that the spot is taken, a green light means the spot is empty.  It is a really nifty thing.  It should be implemented here in the states.

There is even a 5 star hotel, Raffles.  It is built in a pyramid shape.  It has 248 rooms and 18 floors.  A standard room size is 753 square feet which apparently are the largest "standard" size hotel accommodations in Dubai.

The biggest store at Wafi is the 'Salam' department store.  It covers an area of more than 107,639 square feet.

 After our shopping at Wafi, we went back to Aaron's house to rest, eat, and prepare ourselves for our next adventure..............Global Village!!

Global Village started out in 1996 as a small site by the creek where little kiosks sold products from different countries.  Dubai Global Village has since grown into a huge crowd-puller.

Huge pavilions from around 65 countries are at the heart of Dubai Global Village, bringing together diverse world cultures, selling native foods, goods, and handicrafts.

It is a very popular place for the locals to visit and do some shopping.  It is open from November to April.  It is open 7 days a week from 4:00 pm to 12:00 am and open until 1:00 am on Thursday, Friday, and public holidays.  Monday's are Family Day (except for public holidays).  Global Village has dedicated Monday to families only, so children and parents can spend some quality time together.  I think that is really cool.

Home to 120 food themed kiosks offering street food experiences covering a large variety of cuisines, providing guests with authentic flavors and the ultimate street food experience.

Each pavilion, from Egypt to Italy, Vietnam to Oman, transports visitors to the country through smell, sound, and colorful decorations.  No two pavilions are the same, setting visitors on a true global adventure.

I had quite the experience.......So, you see the shirt I am wearing?  Well it's my BYU breast cancer awareness jersey.  It has a little teeny BYU logo right above the number one.  I was also wearing my Young Womanhood Medallion.  The sun had already set and we were just walking around checking out all of the sights.  Out of the blue some guy came up to me all excited.  I have no idea what country the guy was from but he pointed at my shirt and in broken English said, "BYU University?"  It took me a brief second to register what he had said, then I quickly said, "Yes, BYU.....GO COUGARS!!"  He gave me a huge smile, a thumbs up and said, "GO COUGARS!!" He then disappeared into the crowd.  It totally made my night!!

The entertainment also showcases the world with up to four nightly concerts, featuring artists that serve up a mix of magic, music, and comedy on the world culture stage.  Global Village will be hosting shows ranging from stunts, street performances, and cultural shows from around the world.  Over 12,000 shows will take place in a five month season.  There are firework displays on Thursdays and Fridays and a parade on Fridays at 8:30 pm.  When we were there they had a Monster Truck stunt show.  It was a bit cheesy, but the stunts were all really cool.

It has both a global feel and a country fair feel

Each pavilion infrastructure is constructed to represent its respective global landmark.

Over 3,500 shopping outlets and 150 kiosks showcase various authentic products and handicrafts.  Almost all of the things sold in Global Village are made in their countries of origin.

It is a great expense for vendors to come and sell their wares at Global Village.  A large sum is required to rent a stall.  If vendors come from outside of Dubai, they must stay in hotels, and pay for daily transportation.  It can be quite complicated for the vendors from Gaza and the West Bank to get their goods to Dubai.

Each stall is managed by local people in traditional dress.

Unique handmade global items, but also multicultural entertainment, and cheap street food.

The fairground rides help promote a distinctly carnival atmosphere, as does the broad spectrum of stalls and activities which include music, dance, and theater.  Be prepared for a fair amount of walking.

The Haunted House is one of the most exciting features.  You walk through a scary maze covered with all sorts of gruesome objects that will make your skin crawl.

The Global Village amusement Park is known as 'Fantasy Land' and offers a variety of rides for kids, families, and adults.  They even have a canal running through Global Village and boats for you to take a canal ride on.

There are some real treasures too, including fantastic cottons from China, nuts from Syria, honey from Yemen, carpets from Iran, textiles from India, furniture from Morocco, Argon Oil from Morocco, engraved necklaces from Spain, dried fruits from Thailand, coffee beans from Ethiopia, Baklava from Turkey, Saffron from Iran, Zataar from Lebanon, Olive Oil from Palestine,  and tea from Morocco to name a few.  

 The participating countries are: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, UAE, Turkey, Jordan, Russia, The America's, Pakistan, Italy, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, Morocco, Thailand, Kuwait, Yemen, China, Africa, Spain, Afghanistan, Qatar, Bahrain, Germany, France, UK, KSA, India, Egypt, and Syria.  And I believe I got my picture taken in front of them ALL!!  It was a LOT of walking and by the end, I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it to the car......BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!

The information I have obtained for each of the countries I got off the Global Village website.  www.globalvillage.ae.  I found their descriptions of each country pavilion to be highly entertaining....so, enjoy.

Our first stop was to TURKEY:  The Turkey pavilion resembles a piece of hand-made aesthetic items put together in harmony.  Sets of glass and ceramic home ware with fine Anatolian designs come in lively colors that reflect the country's epochs in terms of form, calligraphy, and design.  The pavilion is a bustling hive for visitors who flock to try the Turkish delicacies and shop for aesthetic items that are on display.

We next made our way over to JORDAN:  The Jordanian pavilion showcases a wide range of Jordanian traditional food so passersby can enjoy the taste.  You can watch the Jordanian folk group do live shows.

Jordan also had a camel statue for visitors to pose by....naturally I had to do this!!

After Jordan, we trekked over to RUSSIA:  The Russia pavilion takes you on a spectacular journey from statues of the famous onion domes of Red Square to Matryoshka dolls, ladle spoons, Samovars, and traditional Russian costumes, the whole package awaits you!!

While in Russia, I saw this shirt that I knew Lion Heart would get a kick out of.

IRAQ came next on my whirlwind world tour:  The main attraction is the art, original oil paintings and other art forms straight from Baghdad.  Some art is sold directly from the artist.  You can even have your portrait drawn.  Guests will also be able to see well known Iraq artisans around the pavilion creating pottery, blowing glass, knitting, and embroidery.  You can also buy the latest Iraq pop music.

Welcome to PAKISTAN:  The Pakistan pavilion hosts a large number of exhibitors showcasing leather goods, cotton fabrics, and various traditional items and home accessories.

I even decided to make a trip to the UAE (United Arab Emirates):  Designed to portray the country's heritage and the old Emirate architecture.  Incense burners are displayed at the pavilion to welcome visitors in sheer hospitality.  Meanwhile, locally made oil perfume shops are widespread.

A hop, skip, and a jump later we arrived in EUROPE:  The Europe pavilion showcases a wide range of products that are unique to the European continent.  The varied styles of products on display will have visitors reeling from the mixture of choice.  Visitors can pick up everything from typical European styled clothes, perfumes, and memorabilia.

A plethora of Roman Soldiers guard the wall to Europe.

We took one very disappointing trip home to the "AMERICA'S":  Supposedly the "America's" was.....well, read for yourself the description.......The America's pavilion is bringing a wide range of interesting products that represent North, Central, and South America.  The products and services offered within the pavilion allow for a sampling of the life styles and tastes of the 48 countries in North and South America.  Well, their "wide range" of interesting products was solely limited to Mexico.  There wasn't one single iota of anything from North America.  Yet, the building had Mount Rushmore on it as well as several other sites in America.  Last year, my parents said that they had represented America.....except that it looked like it had stepped out of the old west.  I had really been looking forward to giggling hysterically over their representation of America.  And I knew going in that this was supposed to represent everything from North and South America.  I was highly disappointed to find that the only thing they had there to "represent" the Americas was all from Mexico.

Ah, beautiful BOSNIA and BALKINS: The pavilion welcomes guests to discover the culture and traditions of these countries and experience live performances.

Lovely THAILAND:  The Thailand pavilion is a miniature model of bustling Bangkok; heaps of glittering accessories, hair and head bands, clothing, children's wear, as well as cosmetics, massage shops, and food.  Every now and then, exhibitors start their bids loud to call out on enthusiastic visitors to buy from them at knock-off prices, giving you first hand authentic Thai street shopping experience.  Foremost, dried seafood, and Thai fruits are packed in all colors and tastes.  Home grown dried Mangoes, bananas, and countless Thai fruits are also showcased to express the feel and flavor of the bustling city.

Epic head wear

Somehow I don't think it would look as good on me.

We moved onto SYRIA:  The Syria pavilion is traditionally friendly to visitors.  The feel of the design retells the story of the evolution of Islamic architecture.  Pavilion shops are a replica of the market Hamidiya in old Damascus, showcasing homemade expertise in cotton wear, antique furniture, copper works, and art pieces in calligraphy.  Sweets, roasted nuts, and dried fruits are part of the Syrian culture and Baklava tasting is also part of the pavilion tour.

You can even get pajamas with head coverings.  Wouldn't that be way too uncomfortable to sleep in?

Epic chairs

This could be my throne.

We moseyed our way over to AFGHANISTAN:  The Afghanistan pavilion represents a country known for its mountains, valleys, and historical strategic location.  Apart from the experience, the leather products with simple designs at the pavilion are not to be missed to express some of the country's finest products.  The signature Afghani leather socks are part of the country's harsh-winter rituals which are available at the pavilion too.  Known for its various agricultural products, this years harvest of mountain almonds, pistachios, pine, walnuts, and dried black and white berries, apricots, figs, and raisins are on display.

We had a lovely visit to LEBANON:  The Lebanon pavilion showcases a large number of popular homemade Labneh, cheese, and olives for visitors to enjoy the taste.  Lebanon is also famous for its designers and locally manufactured shoes and fashionable items that are available at the pavilion.  You can watch live shows of Dabkeh performed by the Lebanese folk group.

I can check BAHRAIN off of my bucket list now:  The Bahrain pavilion offers up a wide array of regional products with a Bahranian touch to them.  The island country is renowned for some fantastic sweets and wonderful clothes that showcase the difference between Bahrain and the other GCC countries.

More camels to pose by.  It looks like I fell asleep in this photo.  I very well may have for a moment.  I was extremely worn out by this point in the night.....but bound and determined to visit all the countries!!  Not going to let a little pain get in my way and stop me!!

See, I am awake.

Onward to OMAN:  The Oman pavilion showcases a wide range of traditional Oman items as well as accessories and fashion items.

I hope we don't run into any mummies up ahead

phew!! The coast is clear!!

After reading the Ameilia Peabody series, I feel like I've been to EGYPT before:  The Egypt pavilion features more than 100 exhibits showcasing handcrafts, carved copper, antiques, cotton clothes, and Egyptian traditional dresses (Jalabiyia) and national costumes.  A bazaar of home furniture with Egyptian-Ottoman designs and chandeliers are also on display, to share insights of Egyptian products.

Moving on to AFRICA:  The Africa pavilion represents more than 15 countries and they include: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Angola, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Rwanda, Madagascar, Nambia, South Africa, and Nigeria.  Most of these countries showcase their authentic products as well as their respective country's art, wealth, and traditions.  The pavilion's prevalent offering is hand carved artifacts.  The intricate designs are made from the best types of wood in the world such as, ebony, mahogany, and rose wood as well as soap stone.

Next, we found ourselves in CHINA:  Prominent for  its pearl farming in fresh ponds, the China pavilion showcases pearls in all shapes as it tops the list of high-on-demand women's accessories.  The pavilion's stage features daily cultural shows conveying folk and epics of a populous counting almost 1.5 billion people and a history traced to 1 million years ago.

We visited VIETNAM, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, AND PHILIPPINES all in one stop:  The far East Pavilion showcases a wide range of products that are unique to Japan/South Korea/ Indonesia/Vietnam/Philippines.  The varied styles of products on display will have visitors reeling from the mixture of choice.  Visitors can pick up everything from typical Far East styled clothes, fabrics, traditional handicrafts, and more.

Wonderful INDIA:  With more than 300 stalls, the Indian pavilion is one of the top places to visit as it is the largest pavilion at the Global Village.  It exhibits and sells the most authentic Indian products varying from cotton, silk, chiffon fabrics in every color of the rainbow, made into clothes, tablecloths, and throws, traditional leather made sandals, hand bags, wallets, and accessories, and of course Pashmina scarves.  Exhibits are also present to express Indian forms and shapes of hand-woven natural silk and fleece, jewelry, cloths, and homemade accessories.

We would be amiss if we didn't go tour the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia): The Saudi pavilion is designed to host the most authentic products and reflect the country's most popular produce.  On top of the list are the Saudi dates that are divided into two regions, Medinat and Qassim.  One of the most visited places in the Saudi pavilion are the honey stalls showcasing more than 15 types of honey, whose best farms are found in Abha and Tayef.

Ahhhhhhh, MOROCCO:  The Morocco pavilion is one that retains its own characteristics and products quintessential to the country's geographic location and art.  Known for its Islamic architecture and mosaic art, Morocco's rich history has thrived on reinforcing its own architectural identity.  Home decor and accessories exhibited at the Moroccan pavilion sample the country's artisan and antique heritage of in-house architectural continuation.

I ran to IRAN:  The Iran pavilion sets and exemplary model in providing the most authentic, homegrown, and unique Persian products.  The pavilion also showcases a wholesome range of the country's pistachios and almonds, saffron, gemstones, and a wide range of Persian carpets.  For foodies, carpet, and turquoise lovers, the Iran pavilion is the right destination to visit and try the saffron based delicacies.  

Impressive sculptures as you head into Iran.

SRI LANKA, BANGLADESH, AND NEPAL all in one stop:  The South Asia pavilion brings experiences from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal along with their own cultures, culinary art, and products.  The pavilion also showcases a large number of accessories and hand bags, special goodies, and hidden gems ideal for shoppers looking for products reflecting the culture and heritage of those countries.

Onward to YEMEN:  Designed with the look and feel of the country's old bazaars, with the smell of Yemen's famous spices that fill the air.  Exhibitors with the national costumes and daggers reflect the country's ancient tradition in spice trading and traditional Yemini dresses.  Not to miss the Yemini dagger, the symbol of manhood, the Yemini dagger is still designed in vintage silver, and decorated with precious stones just like in the old days.  The Yemen pavilion is the place to shop for silver Arabic jewelry, antique jewelry, stones, prayer beads, and trinkets of all sorts and prices.  

The very last stop on our whirlwind word tour is KUWAIT: The pavilions facade reflects Kuwait's heritage and draws a large number of guests thanks to its variety of offerings such as specially designed Abayas, incense, and oil perfumes.  Not to miss in the Kuwait pavilion are the traditional artifacts, stylish clothing, and the fantastic perfumes that are so important to
Kuwait culture.

And there you have it, one around-the-world-in-one-night-whirlwind-shopping-trip.  I quite enjoyed Global Village.  It is definitely a place that you just can't see everything in one night.  There is so much to see and do!!  There was a lot of things that were similar in other pavilions, but enough variation that you could find some pretty cool things.  I was limited on budget as well as room to bring things home so I skipped a lot of things.  That and by the end of the night, we were just dragging on our feet.  We didn't go into all of the pavilions for that reason, but we made sure to get a picture outside of each one.  The only thing I didn't care for was all of the vendors trying to get you to come look and purchase their stuff.  It made window whopping very hard.  There were a lot of shops I would have loved to have investigated but walked past because I didn't want to be accosted by someone wanting to haggle with me on a price just because I looked sideways at something.  But from what I understand, that is the way things are done in these countries.  If I ever do make my way back to Dubai, this is someplace I will want to go back to and explore more.