Fifty First Dates

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Dates grow in the U.A.E. like wheat grows in Kansas...and I desperately want to like them. The bad news is that I don't really like them, not even a little bit. I continue to try dates everywhere I go...imagining that I am in fact trying them for the first time. Plain dates, nut-crusted dates, chocolate-covered dates...all varieties have simply not delivered what I was anticipating to be a new love for the fruit of a distant land. Darn. My colleagues assure me that the dates we have tried are in a word, exceptional. I promise to bring some back for you to try...but don't worry, I won't ask for a bite. The good news is that my quest for a good date has lead me to some really interesting places - the most interesting of which was the Fruit & Vegatable Market. My friend Rebecca and I found ourselves making some shady back-room deals with the locals for dates that we had no idea of the quality or value. Bargaining is fun when you have no clue what you are really buying while doing long-division in your head to calculate the deal into your local currency - ha!

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Photos

More dates than I can handle!
Notice that I haven't eaten the date in my left hand. I couldn't find anywhere to throw it away, either. I carried that thing for like two hours!

More dates than you can shake a stick at!
Seriously, do people eat THAT many dates?

Now we're talkin'
I see potatos, garlic, and watermelon in this row...mmmm!

Boats at the Irani Souk
These boats pull up to the back of the market and off-load their goods.

Comments

[april]

not at Sonic
If they don't serve them at Sonic how good can they be? Thanks for all of the postings - I'm living through you!

[Jamie Regan]

Bacon Wrapped Dates..
Erin- You have to try bacon wrapped dates OR bacon wrapped dates stuffed with parmesan cheese! They will bring a whole new light to the world of dates. :)