Dubai

We've had 4 days in Dubai. It is a city unlike anything we have encountered so far. There is nothing very glamorous about its history, as we discovered at the museums we visited. In fact, 50 years ago, it looked to be a very uninviting place - just a motley collection of buildings at the mouth of a shallow tidal creek. And with a climate which gets so hot and humid (coincidentally at the very time of year we are here) that it's not smart to be outside too much. Never below 30C and often above 40C.



But Dubai provides the lesson of how money can transform a place with such limited natural attractions. Now it is a city of stunning architecture, massive entertainment attractions and shopping malls which rank among the largest and most glamorous in the world. The only thing they couldn't quite fix was the climate - but aircon is everywhere.



Dubai is vibrant and surprisingly diverse. We've learnt that only 10% of the people here are "locals". Everyone else is a tourist or an expat worker. The local Emirati are out and about in their traditional garb, the men in long white robes and headgear secured with ropes traditionally used to constrain their camels (though most of them don't get around on camels any more), and the women in their flowing black gowns and veils, perhaps accessorized with high heels and a flash of pink. We took some time to visit one of the mosques and learn more about their religious practices, political system and way of life. We thought it was about time we understood why we get blasted out of bed by the first call to prayer at around 4:30 am each day. It was a rewarding experience to be able to have the dialogue and ask questions about the Islamic way - but much more still to learn.

On the lighter side, we visited the Burj al Arab, a spectacular sail-shaped high rise hotel which is one of the defining buildings of Dubai. The interior with dancing fountains, techno lighting and a 27 storey atrium was slightly kitsch compared to the elegance of the exterior. But there was no doubt about the hotel's opulence and the luxury with which the guests are treated - not surprising with room rates starting at USD 1,000 (we had other plans so we couldn't spend the night there).

We also took a desert safari. Yes, we've done a few of these now in different countries. The Dubai version is less authentic, more entertainment. A good part of it was spent careering around the sand dunes in a 4WD at what seemed very high speeds and very precarious angles. We loved it. Now we know just what those 4WDs are capable of. Then some camel riding (very painful in all the wrong places), the opportunity to dress up like a Bedouin, dance with a belly dancer and eat an Arabian barbeque meal, albeit accompanied with Chinese won-tons. An entertaining tourist experience.

Then there was the day at the mall. We went to Mall of the Emirates, one of the big ones - not so much for the shoppng but for the ski slope. Here is one of the largest indoor artificial ski slopes anywhere. The idea of skiing in snow in an arid desert environment was too much to resist. We both took a lesson. I'm not sure that my skiing skills improved but Mercedes was spinning 360's.

And we dedicated one evening to visiting the souqs - the gold souq is particularly well-known, but there were neighbouring souqs for textiles, spices, vegetables. They are close to the edge of the creek and they really come alive at night. The creek itself was crowded with boats. We crossed from one side to the other on small ferries, which jostled and nudged each other with no fear of capsize.

Next we move on to Abu Dhabi, just two hours south of Dubai by bus. Our overall impression of Dubai - a city which is proof of what seemingly limitless wealth and global aspiration can achieve.

Simon