United Arab Emirates: 31.10. – 02.11.2011

After 14 ½ hours on about 0.74 square meters, this time we didn’t manage to get into business class, we landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. On our way across the ocean towards Africa we planned here, or a bit more accurate 130 kilometer further east, in Dubai, a stopover. To break up the day long flight and have it as comfortable as possible.

The shuttle bus from our airline Etihad, Sonja also likes to call it ‘Aldi hat’ (Aldi has), brought us to Dubai. Even though we have heard lots of this town, we didn’t really have a clue what to expect. So what better to do that into the action, as soon as we arrived in our Hotel, we headed out to explore this unique town. To begin with we selected the Dhow Warf, the old port of Dubai at the Dubai Creek. The old center of the Emirate where about 200 years ago its history begun. The first humble prosperity came from pearl fishing as well as from trade with the whole region. Still these traditional and colorful Dhaus supply areas as far as South East Asia and Northern Africa. We mingled with the local crowd and wandered thru the Souqs, small markets. Soon we got accustomed again that with blond and pale you attract views from everywhere. However we just looked back, as the common dress code was of no less interest to us. Men with their long white and women with veil and long black robes were the fanciest shoes peeked out from. With an Abra, a traditional and still common ferry boat, we crossed the Dubai Creek to the Bastakia Quarter, Old Dubai, before we headed back to the Hotel to drop dead tired into our beds

The next morning it meant to get up early, no problem with the time shift. We got a ticket for the Hop-on Hop-off Bus that was to show us the rest of town. In boiling heat it went past huge sky scrapers, including the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building of the world. Along the beach where also the famous landmark of Dubai sits, the Burj al Arab, one of the most luxurious and most expensive Hotel in the world. On a side trip to ‘The Palm, Jumeirah’, a manmade island with the shape of a palm tree that is even visible from space. Off course we also hoped off at the huge shopping malls, but to describe it would be a bit over the top, just as much even H&M looks like a noble boutique.

All the time we came along huge construction sites. It seems like the financial crisis did not affect the construction boom here at all. In the sixties Dubai was still a sleepy fishing town. Now half a century later it is a metropolitan with what seems like hundreds of skyscrapers and still new ones are being built. However, even if the financial wealth of the new Dubai is very impressive, the Arabian charm and the feeling of the orient seems to be forever lost.  Only the traditionally dressed people remind you of where you actually are.

At some point we also realized how quiet it was for an Arabian town. Of course there was the regular call to pray from the mosques. But Arabian Music, like we were used from the roads in Egypt, we could hardly ever hear. Maybe the fact that only about 20% of the 1.3 Million inhabitants of Dubai actually hold a U.A.E. Passport contributes to this as well.

We ended the day in a wonderful Arabian Restaurant, which we only found by coincidence, with a typical Arabian meal and a Shisha. It seems like also these things become quite rare, as the majority seems to long after the common American Fast-Food-Chains.

The next day, for us, it already meant to pack up. But since our flight was only scheduled for the evening, we would have plenty of time to do something, and how to spend most of the day in the desert? Of course with Skiing, no not down some sand dunes, on real snow, Ok, indoors and on artificial snow but still snow. Dubai also hosts one of the largest indoor skiing areas and since we missed out on skiing all along on our journey we just could not resist. And you could see us wedel down the slope for two hours. We can assure you; we have not forgotten about it.

About our first steps on the black continent you can read in the next report.

Love

Sonja and Markus

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