ausjackaroo sailing: Dubai

Since leaving the port of Aqaba, Jordan, and sailing through the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden, the ship kept an average speed of 20 knots in order to stay in close proximity to a US War Ship ahead of us. If think the captain wanted to keep us protected from any potential pirate attacks often experienced in this part of the world. Mainly from Somalia. Only when we were off the coast of Oman and in the Arabian Sea did the captain reduce speed and distanced us from the war ship.

During this time we were sailing through a sea fog which reduced our visibility to about a kilometre. We could just make out the shapes of ships passing us not far away from us. So of course when I went outside to take a photo, not only did my camera lens fog up, (the result from moving out of the airconditioning to the heat), I still had the sea mist obstructing my vision! This mist stayed with us even when we we in Dubai.

In Dubai we were exposed to the heat of the deserts which we had been protected from whilst in the airconditioning of the ship. We disembarked in Dubai and caught a taxi to our hotel, Rove, situated close to the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall in what is called Downtown Dubai. Once unpacked and refreshed in our room, Jill and I walked the short distance to the Mall. Fortunately I wore a hat as the sun's rays were intense, Jill ended up wearing her scarfe over her head as protection. Boy was it hot! and thankgoodness the Mall and a/c wasn't far from the hotel. An easy 44C day.

The plan was to exchange some Aussie dollars and head for the railway station to travel to the Gold Souks. As it is UAE's Holy Month of Ramadan, there is a strict code of conduct adhered to by everyone. respectful attire (no transparent clothing, knees and sholders covered), no smoking (not that we need to consider), chewing gum and eating in public between sunrise and sunset. 'Ramadan Kareem' is signed in shops and public areas, much like our 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holidays' at home.

From the Mall to the station we walked through airconditioned overpasses which were equipped with almost continuous travelators. I was surprised to find how distant the station was from the Mall. Thankgoodness again for the airconditioning. Once we arrived at the station we bought a one way ticket to the Gold Souks and we didn't have long to wait for the packed train. We were fortunate to meet up with a couple from the Majestic Princess who had been to Dubai quite a few times previously and knew their way around. They were spending their day in Dubai on their own and were returning to the ship to continue their cruise to Shanghai. So once we left the station we followed along with them (I had no idea of how to get to the Souks and there didn't seem to be any signage around to indicate which way to head). Like I said thank goodness we were able to walk with this other couple.

Once in the Gold Souk we said our goodbyes and experienced our gold shopping. I bought DH a gold ring, whereas Jill had a great time 'negotiating'. I think she did well with her purchases. From the Gold Souks we headed to the Spice Souks. My aim was to acquire some almond stuffed, chocolate covered dates which I had tasted before when in Dubai and decided this time I was taking some home. Yummo. By the time our purchasing was over we were famished, ready to find somewhere which had just opened to eat. The call to prayer had started, indicating the end to the day's fast, so everyone was out in the streets and restaurants eating. We found a little cafe/restaurant which had an Arabian food smorgasboard for 20 Dirham (about $8). It was packed with Europeans, Africans, Indians and Arabs and very local. An enjoyable experience.

We decided to catch a ferry across the Dubai Creek, tried our luck in exploring the shops on the southern side of the creek, without success, then caught a taxi back to the hotel. The road system in Dubai is mainly freeways, so I think we only stopped at a traffic light once before we arrived back at the hotel. The speed limit on these freeways is 120 kilometers in most sections where the lanes close to the left travel at a slower speed. The cars weave through the traffic, breaking often to change lanes before speeding back up to 120 kms per hour. A bit hairy.

Exhusted but happy we settled in our a/c room for the night,,,,,,,,The room got cold during the night and we turned the temperature down. It amazes me to see the effects that money can have on what would be a hot sandy expanse. Unlimited desalinated water to keep the hedges and many plants lining the roadways alive, the incredible freeway systems, neat and tidy paved pathways, cheap electricity for continuous airconditioning in public places, a great efficient rail system. The tall modern architectally designed, different shaped buildings. All amazing.