Over the past couple of days we've used a 'hop on - hop off' bus to check out Dubai.
On Tuesday we saw most of the old city, including the Gold Souk and Spice Souk (markets) and
took a cruise along the Dubai Creek. The creek is more like a river and still a vibrant trading port, so after a day of walking around under the hot sun, it was great to sit back on the boat at the end of the day and let the 'creek breeze' blow by. We enjoyed a couple of pizzas at a little restaurant opposite the creek (it seems the local cuisine will take some looking to find), before then setting off to check out the stunning Gold Souk by night. While an impressive sight, most of the golden arrangements were a little out of our price range and probably designed for people of well, 'special' tastes.
Yesterday (Wed 26/5/10), we used the bus to check out the more modern part of Dubai. The day started with a swim at Jumeirah Beach which had probably the warmest coastal water we've ever experienced (not exactly much of a cool off when the water's similar to the air temp). Lach and Daniel faithfully recreated the Burj Al Arab hotel up the road in a stunning sandcastle, while Johanna opted for her own interpretation of the local communications building with its giant golf ball on top. The bus took us past the Burj Al Arab, around the Atlantis on the Palm area (which looks fantastic on Google Maps), and past the Mall of the Emirates with its indoor ski centre (Sandra wishes we had time to stop to shop). But our destination for the remainder of the day was to catch up with our friend Janelle who has spent a month in Dubai before heading back to London on the weekend. We met Janelle at the Dubai Mall - home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. "I've seen bigger than thaaaat!" Lachlan commented (to an unimpressed grin from one of the locals). We had to buy tickets a few hours in advance to save a small fortune which meant we went up 124 stories at 8pm as the city lights came alive. The city is still very much under construction but nevertheless an impressive sight from such heights. After the sight-seeing from above, we returned to the ground to check out a very cool sound and light performance of fountains in the lake beside the massive Dubai Mall.
Dubai is certainly a city of contrasts. The old parts of town sit beside the new, massive and elaborate constructions are neighbours to empty sand lots, the very poor serve the obscenely rich, fertile grass stands among the barren desert sand, and the oppressive heat outside contrasts the freezing cold of air-conditioned shops and bus stops. It's certainly an interesting place that will come of age over the next decade.
On Tuesday we saw most of the old city, including the Gold Souk and Spice Souk (markets) and
took a cruise along the Dubai Creek. The creek is more like a river and still a vibrant trading port, so after a day of walking around under the hot sun, it was great to sit back on the boat at the end of the day and let the 'creek breeze' blow by. We enjoyed a couple of pizzas at a little restaurant opposite the creek (it seems the local cuisine will take some looking to find), before then setting off to check out the stunning Gold Souk by night. While an impressive sight, most of the golden arrangements were a little out of our price range and probably designed for people of well, 'special' tastes.
Yesterday (Wed 26/5/10), we used the bus to check out the more modern part of Dubai. The day started with a swim at Jumeirah Beach which had probably the warmest coastal water we've ever experienced (not exactly much of a cool off when the water's similar to the air temp). Lach and Daniel faithfully recreated the Burj Al Arab hotel up the road in a stunning sandcastle, while Johanna opted for her own interpretation of the local communications building with its giant golf ball on top. The bus took us past the Burj Al Arab, around the Atlantis on the Palm area (which looks fantastic on Google Maps), and past the Mall of the Emirates with its indoor ski centre (Sandra wishes we had time to stop to shop). But our destination for the remainder of the day was to catch up with our friend Janelle who has spent a month in Dubai before heading back to London on the weekend. We met Janelle at the Dubai Mall - home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. "I've seen bigger than thaaaat!" Lachlan commented (to an unimpressed grin from one of the locals). We had to buy tickets a few hours in advance to save a small fortune which meant we went up 124 stories at 8pm as the city lights came alive. The city is still very much under construction but nevertheless an impressive sight from such heights. After the sight-seeing from above, we returned to the ground to check out a very cool sound and light performance of fountains in the lake beside the massive Dubai Mall.Dubai is certainly a city of contrasts. The old parts of town sit beside the new, massive and elaborate constructions are neighbours to empty sand lots, the very poor serve the obscenely rich, fertile grass stands among the barren desert sand, and the oppressive heat outside contrasts the freezing cold of air-conditioned shops and bus stops. It's certainly an interesting place that will come of age over the next decade.
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