Spice & Perfume Souk

The Spice Souk in Dubai is so cool-- it felt like the old authentic kind of culture that existed pre-1990. You can smell the spice souk even before you get to it, and once you're in it's almost overwhelming. Spice shop owners beckon you in and explain to you what are in the giant sacks and bins. Once you're at the third shop and you impress the owner that you know everything (that's indigo, used for dyeing, that's alum used for deodorant, that's sulfur used for skin and allergies...) they just let you browse and take pictures. I bought chamomile for tea, sandalwood for burning, a hand-picked curry mix, the most delicious Iranian dates on Earth, and some Iranian saffron.

The perfume souk is just down the road and there are dozens of shops where you can mix your own scent, they can mix a famous scent for you or you can find new and spicy eastern blends. I opted for a simple flowery-smelling perfume. They sell everything in gorgeous glass and gold bottles... and small plastic viles like the one I got.