The Pearl

Spent the afternoon walking around The Pearl today. Some of the yachts we saw today, well I can't even imagine the price tag! I've never even seen boats so large and aerodynamic! We went around 3 in the afternoon (bad idea, it's way too hot in September) when the place was pretty much deserted. About a third of the stores haven't opened yet and many of the apartment buildings are uninhabited (contrary to what I reported yesterday). However, once the sun went down, people started coming out of their homes and walking along the promenade. The two most popular places were the Chocolate Cafe and the Armani Cafe. I appreciated the public bathrooms located about every 100 feet as I have been drinking about 5 liters of water a day (or at least it feels like it).

Above: I did a double-take when I saw this guy kayaking in the hot sun in the middle of the day.

A school of fish

Yes, they even have Red Lobster here. It's the most inexpensive place to go for seafood, we were told.

A store that sold only fancy popsicles, I tried pistachio. Why yes, I would like it dipped in chocolate, hold the nuts, heh.

Went to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner around 7 and we were the only people there. Apparently the Pearl is very busy on weekends but I couldn't help but feel bad for the employees who work in some of these high-end stores with barely a customer all day.

I really liked the decor here

Natalia and Laura

Tanis and I
Below: I apologize for not using a flash here and I probably should have. These pictures don't really do it justice. The food was so rich....

Natalia's Red Snappa' with "spicy Arabian tartar sauce" served with grilled vegetables. According to her, "the best meat is in the head."

Minced lamb with onions, lemon and pomegranate served over cracked wheat. 

"A rich, yogurty, lamby dish" according to Tanis, with eggplant and some sort of crispy fried bread.