Weekend in Dubai
Trip Start
May 21, 2011
1
2
Trip End
May 05, 2012
Where I stayed
What I did
Toured (self)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Friday, July 1, 2011
I had a great time in the city. The people everywhere I went were very nice. Of course Dubai is like NYC and most other major cities - the population is so diverse because everyone wants to be in the center of the action. And I didn’t feel too out of sorts traveling alone – it’s actually the first time I’ve traveled some place outside of the US completely alone (and it wasn’t that bad – Mumbai doesn’t really count because the company is here.). I spent half the time getting lost and found again – but that is part of the adventure. All I can say is that everything you read about how cool the city is it’s true – at least from my point of view. Of course I’ll need to go back again to properly do the place, now that I’ve got my bearings and know how to get around. But that remains to be seen.
I spent most of my time in the malls, I didn’t really buy much, but there is a lot to see in a Dubai mall – name a designer it’s here, along with ski slopes and aquariums, the most stunning architecture, not to mention AC, especially this time of year. I got to visit the gold market (called a gold souk). That word 'souk’ makes you think B.C. doesn’t it, but all the shops are like small jewelry shops you’d see in the US – just bunches and bunches all in one place – one mini mall after the other. I sampled the local cuisine – don’t ask me names (I need to start writing things down), but it was great also. I generally stopped where there were crowds trying to get a taste. That turned out to be a good thing for my taste buds.
Outside of the mall I got to see the beach at Jumeriah Beach Park – white fine sand, clear water (not as clear as the Carib, but you can still see the bottom and the water is nice and warm. I went to Jumeriah Mosque and did 'Open Doors, Open Minds’. The program explains Islam and you have the opportunity to ask a couple of local volunteers questions about the culture and Islam in general. I traveled the metro and bus lines (one of the cleanest I’ve ever seen – of course no food or drinks allowed), I saw the tallest building Burj Khalifa and watched the fountains at Dubai Mall (I know…it’s the mall…but I was outside of the mall). I saw the twin towers (in fact my hotel was just across the street – actually a busy highway). I didn’t travel up any of the towers because there was a fine layer of sand in the air that made it look like a fog cloud had settled on the city so visibility was low (each morning the cars were covered with dust). Something for next time.
Actually I missed a lot of what the tour books recommend, but I also got to people watch (and get watched) in places not in the tour guides. I got to experience helpful people humoring an obvious ‘lost’ tourist. And all of it gives me good reason to go back! And next time I’ll have a better plan of attack to get to see it all – of course a couple of extra days might not hurt either.
