wayfaringwordhack | Dubai - souks and shops and gold, oh my

	Frankiscence, dried lemons, rose petals... I was eager to visit the spice souk, but I ended up not buying anything. Mostly because I was too busy taking pictures; secondly because I don't like aggressive sales tactics and was too occupied with fleeing insistent sellers.
	Wonder what's in all those boxes?
	The winning hand A friendly--I think--game of cards in a quiet, abandoned alley of the souk.
	Could they possibly get any bigger? Not only is the gold souk full of jewelry that appeals to more European tastes, there is window after window of dowry displays and the hyper-yellow 24K gold that Arabic and African peoples seem to prefer.
	Watches, cameras, jewelry... Apparently, the tiny stores that surround the souks are full of name brand items that are considered part of a "gray market." For example, I wanted to buy a Canon camera, and I found it a couple hundred euros cheaper in one of these small shops. The official Canon dealer, however, told me that the serial number does not correspond to a Canon guaranteed product, and while Canon will repair the camera if ever I have a problem, it will cost me twice as much.
	Golden enough for you? A little too much for me. I prefer my gold white. :P
	Jeweler's workshop Thanks to my friend, I, who bought a lovely, expensive ring, we got to use the jeweler's loo, which was thrillingly accessed by passing through a secret bookshelf door. We were allowed to see the workroom where my friend's ring was resized, and I was, obviously, kindly allowed to take a picture.