A few days ago our port lecturer gave a talk on “50 Places to See Before You Die”. (Side note, mum and I have each been to 18 of them, not all the same ones, and we'll be going to 5 or 6 more before our trip is over). Dubai was one of the places listed, and after having been there I cannot fathom what it is doing on this list! We had a pleasant enough tour, but I honestly don't see any reason to ever return to Dubai. As we sailed into port we had a pretty good view over the downtown, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which mum thinks looks like a bunch of tin cans stacked on top of each other! The cruise terminal is brand new, having opened only a few weeks ago, and had several little souvenir shops, a post office, an ATM and a couple of tour desks. We boarded our bus and met our guide Vijay Singh – not the golfer, he was quick to tell us! We drove through the city and stopped at the beach next to the Burj Al Arab Hotel which is built in the shape of a sail and is very beautiful. It even has its own helicopter pad. Vijay told us that all of the rooms in the hotel are suites, and every suite has an ocean view and comes with its own butler! In the distance we could see one of the man-made Palm Islands, home of the Atlantis Hotel. The beach was gorgeous with its white sand beaches and turquoise waters, and I was almost ready to just stay there for the day! We pressed on however, and our next stop was at the Jumeira Mosque. Unfortunately we were not allowed inside – we have seen so many mosques on this trip and not once have we made it to the interior! It's the only mosque in Dubai that has an outreach program for non-Muslims. On certain days of the week you can join a group for an hour-long tour to learn more about the Islamic religion. Too bad we weren't there at the appropriate time, but we did enjoy strolling the gardens and sitting in the shade of the outer courtyard. Next we made our way to the Dubai Museum which is located in the 210-year old Al Fahidi Fort, practically the only old structure still left in Dubai. It had some excellent exhibits depicting the traditional lifestyle of the Bedouin people, but it was very crowded and dark so it was difficult to see everything properly. We made the short drive to the waterfront where we boarded a water taxi to cross the creek to Deira where we stopped at first the spice souk and then the gold souk. Store after store was jammed full of gold rings, bracelets and necklaces. Far too rich for my blood, but it was very interesting watching the passing scene. It was definitely a very popular place! Finally we walked back to the bus and made the drive to the pier. The tour was fine, but Dubai left mum and I feeling cold (and not the good kind!). The guide's commentary was all about pointing out the newest this, the biggest that, the third largest mosque in the Middle East, the second tallest flagpole in the world, etc. The whole reason for Dubai seems to be just about oneupmanship. Everything has to be the biggest, which they seem to feel translates into the best, and I disagree. Luxury hotels and office towers were under construction everywhere we looked, but the sheer excess turned me off. We could have been in practically any modern city in the world, and what's so special about that?
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