The Dubai Diary (28-Feb-2010 till 02-Mar-2010)

It is very difficult to put in words the limited but the wholesome experiences acquired in Dubai. A corporate meeting was the perfect red herring to have a two day holiday in the city of gold. Looking at the vastness of the desert land turning into the oasis of stunning buildings and modern infrastructure from 15000 feet was surreal. The first feel of Dubai at the airport was very windy and humid. I learnt that this kind of weather is very rare in the entire spectrum of the emirate’s climate. So I guess the city had just decided to greet her first time guest with a weather that was even unknown to her!
Settling down in the chauffeured transport from the airport, the first thing I took note was that Dubai was left hand drive and the roads had possibly all the expensive cars available from all around the world. By the time I checked in to my hotel for the day, I had almost got used to seeing a lot of males dressed in the traditional white robes with a black head ring ( I forgot the Arabic name for this attire though). After spending some refreshing moments in the hotel room, I was soon at the concierge racking my brains over the map of Dubai and trying to get the “Al-Whatever(s)” memorized.
I was very confused despite the excellent efforts of the concierge, so I just went by my instincts and I hopped into a taxi and headed straight to the Dubai Museum- getting a cultural head start would be a good idea! Commuting in Dubai by taxis is not a very smart idea as it does get a bit expensive- you are in the cab for 4-5 minutes and you shell out approximately 25 AED (Dirhams); however I did not have the luxury of time to get a bus/metro pass for the span of two days.
I feel that sitting in the front seat along with the driver is the perfect way to start a conversation and get to know the city from a tourist and a non- tourist perspective. * Most cab drivers in Dubai are Indians and Pakistanis… and if they are from Pakistan…for some reason every one of them is from Peshawar.*
Talking to the taxi drivers was quite enlightening as it was the fastest way to know the bourgeoisie of an opulent city. The fact that I could concur from the talks with the various taxi drivers was that the city of affluence has some really warm hearts running one of the efficient commute systems of the city. (Also after the many trips and conversations with the taxi drivers, I did get used to my salaam-alay-kum s and Khuda Hafiz s)
The trip to the Dubai Museum was very enriching as it gave me the feel of the evolution of the wonderful emirate. The museum traced back to the times of evolution of Dubai from being just another oasis to a trading port to the discovery of oil and to the stupendous progress that followed. Not only did I travel back in time at the museum, but also got a glimpse into some of the magnificent projects lined up for the future.
By the time I was done with the cultural introduction of the city, it was early evening and time for me to explore the city. My next adventure was a ride in one of the oldest transport systems still existent in the city- the Abra. The Abra is small boat that has been used since the times of the booming trade in the city. It was used to carry not only the goods but people as well across the creek that divides the city into two distinct areas. The ride in the Abra was quite cheap (only 01 AED one way) and very novel. The weather was just perfect (breezy, cloudy and less humid) to be out in the waters of the creek of Dubai. People on the Abra included tourists, daily wage workers and also the middle class professionals. The ports across the creeks where the Abras ferried were quite distinctly different from each other. On one hand you have a port which was just an extension of the promenade and lined up with great cafes and floating restaurants and on the other port, the place was something that seemed which had not changed for centuries. It had retained all its old world charm-a semi open market place with beautiful Arabic arches which sold everything from “I love Dubai” t-shirts to “antiques” ( probably one could just find the Magical Lamp with a genie inside). Strolling along this market was very strange and nice. After a 10 minute ferry ride, I arrived at the other side and went on exploring the place completely guided by my instinct-sometimes ending up at a towering fancy hotel, a mall sometime or just a public toilet. Most of the part of the exploration was, however, along the promenade appreciating the architectural (not being a pedantic here) differences in the city’s buildings and the culture around. Time just flew strolling around the long stretch of the creek- a very relaxing stroll… the weather and the active mind made perfect company for me.
The next couple of hours were spent in the comforts of the hotel room freshening up, working out at the gym and contemplating as to what should be next on the agenda. And then suddenly my eyes caught the sight of an advertisement on the back of the map-“The Big Bus is the only way to see Dubai….night tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays…Get your tickets NOW!!!” No second thoughts on this one and in less than an hour’s time I was sitting on the roof of a red colored open air tour bus with the wind slapping in the face. The commentator for the night was a chirpy 19 years old British girl who happened to know the facts and trivia about the city very well. The two and half hours tour took me all over the city- the museums, the mosques, the famous roads, the tallest buildings, the biggest hotels, the beaches, Gold Souk (they even have purple gold) the mansions of the Sheikhs, Palm Jumeirah and more…Half way through the tour something really unexpected happened…I experienced something that Dubai experiences only five times in a year-rain!! The windy weather culminated in a fantastic display of lightening against the background of the Dubai skyline and it was quite obvious that heavy showers followed the lightening. A look of disbelief, shock and excitement was seen on the faces of all the people on the streets. The traffic also went into a tizzy as the drainage in the city is not really equipped to handle heavy showers.* Sharjah- Dubai’s neighbor does not even have a drainage system in place!*. It was really a wet, cold and a happy experience- all thanks to Kathy who was keeping the spirits of everyone high with her bubbly banter!
After this joyful journey around the city the next biggest obstacle was getting a taxi and this was overcome after an arduous wait of 90 minutes. Once back in the hotel I placed all the wet money everywhere to let it dry off, ordered food and then hit the bed for a good night’s rest.
The following morning started of with a heavy breakfast and completing the task of changing hotels. The Grand Hyatt Dubai is a beautiful property and the hotel is laid out across keeping the theme of flowing water in place and thus anywhere in the hotel lobby or its campus one is able to hear the sound of flowing water. * The wings of the hotel are designed in such a way that the aerial view of the hotel reads “Dubai” in the Arabic text.*
I started my afternoon by visiting the malls of Dubai-first one being the Dubai Mall *world’s largest mall… it even has a large walk through aquarium and a skating rink* and then the Mall of the Emirates which has the Dancing Fountain and an indoor ski slope as its claim to fame. Later I decided to spend my late afternoon and evening on the Jumeirah Beach road. It is a beautiful stretch of road lined by villas, malls, clinics offering cosmetic treatments and open air cafes…and also the road runs along the Jumeirah beach. I started the exploration with a visit to the Jumeirah mosque (the only mosque in Dubai that allows non-Muslims to enter). However I was disappointed as the mosque had dedicated timings for non-Muslims to enter the mosque. I was just about to leave the mosque and then I heard the call of the mosque to the people to offer their prayers and I decided to hang around for some more time. People from all around the area and from all walks of life came to the mosque to say their prayers. I was not allowed to go in so I just sat on the stairs of the mosque and said my prayers. While sitting there I happened to notice the kind of silence and tranquility that had suddenly overcome the other busy looking block. The chirping of the birds was probably the only noise that could be heard. Forty five minutes or so later of praying and imbibing the serenity, I felt spiritually recharged and I took the road again and headed straight to the beach.
The beach seemed to have a culture of its own. White sand, clear waters, sun-bathers, exotic villas, children playing, joggers….this was the scene! I was quite astonished to see women in bikinis, although these women were Europeans/Americans, as I was of the opinion that the emirate would be a very conservative place. However I later learnt that the conservative culture is only followed by the natives and is not imposed on the outsiders. *The population of Dubai is 80% expatriate and only 20% native*.
Listening to the sound of the waves and staring into the vastness of the sea was quite soothing and a welcome break from the almost pretentious ostentation everywhere else. Full of content and warmth, I headed back to the hotel to be out again. However this time I was a colleague who wanted to go on a shopping spree in the “Mini India/Pakistan” market called Mina Bazaar. After three hours of going around the place we ended up with nothing in hand, umpteen taxi rides and a thorough understanding of the by lanes of Mina Bazaar.
The next two days were spent in the conference halls of the Grand Hyatt and the evening in the gymnasium; and this all I have to write about that! But the weekend spent in Dubai – a city that has to offer everything for everyone would sure be quite memorable.
I did not go dune riding, I did not see any belly dancers, I did not eat camel meat, I did not shop nor did I do any of the other things that are probably associated with Dubai… but I connected with Dubai in my own special way…I went around the city in the rain, I spoke to some really warm people, I saw some wonderful and attractive places, I collected interesting trivia about the city, I prayed at a beautiful and a peaceful mosque, I enjoyed watching the sea…to sum it up, I was glad that I got to spend time with myself in a place as superlative as Dubai!