Author: TED

After a relaxing morning it was time for a desert safari. A favorite activity in this region is to go out into the desert and off road through the terrain in 4WD vehicle of your choice. A dune bashing experience was how it was explained to us and it certainly was that. Our driver Shahid picked us up in an SUV, drove us an hour out into the desert near the border with Oman where we rendezvoused with other vehicles and headed out for a natural roller coaster experience. Taking pictures during this was hard as you may expect.

Shahid was very good at filling us in as to what was going on and why. Having the right tire pressure (less pressure for active dune driving), how to read the dunes as you approached them, a quick turn of the wheel as we maneuvered to throw sand … just because, and most important keeping the proper momentum in the proper direction for the current situation. Since the dunes shift day to day the drive changes as well so a different story each time he does this task.

He also described what we were seeing as we progressed, what the few farms we saw were growing (grass for camels, etc) and where the local water came from which was Oman. The mountains on the border create a rain shadow on the UAE side this the water is piped in and distributed via truck.

After the drive we had time for some picture taking at sunset then off to a dinner in a Bedouin camp. An interesting lesson here is how much this desert economy depends on tourism, there are various camps around the area that offer services that include dinner, entertainment and, in some, glamping. The BBQ we dined on was great and we were treated to a show with Whirling Dervish, fire and belly dances.

Heading out from the camp I commented that we (and a few others) were allowed to drive out to the camp, about a mile across the desert, while others had to be park near the main road and be ferried out in other SUVs. Shahid said the driving we did was strictly controlled by the UAE, both the driver and the SUV have to be licensed to drive off road in the desert and strict fines are imposed if you are caught lacking. I imagine the government and locals got tired of saving stranded folk so this is a good thing. We did see a few stuck vehicles being assisted by others which was good but this was rare.

Back to Dubai to prepare to move on.

Today was our first day of touring. After a full day on hotel property it was nice to see somthing different. Only a half day tour eased us into the new mode but also returned us in time to relax more. We had a guide, Nael, who took great care of us. Dubai is actually rather small, we pretty much drove the length of it in less than an hour and he shared some interesting information as we moved between sites:

• Only 20% of Dubai’s year round population are people born here, the rest are foreign nationals who came for work.
• Nael is a Syrian by birth and came here to Dubai to work as a guide when the tourism market in Syria crashed. His father also worked as a guide and now resides in Germany.
• Dubai has multiple free trade zones where business that operate in them are exempt from all taxes. It is one of several in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and they are quite prosporus as you may have guessed.
• In the development of Dubai there are areas where only citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) can live. This is to preserve local culture while allowing others to live the lifestyle they prefer.
• Dubai’s first big product in the world was actually pearls which readily available in the Persian Gulf when the region was settled. When the Japanese developed cultured pearls the local pearl market crashed resulting in the one of the first financial crises locally.

Our first stop of the day was outside the Burj Al Arab, the hotel development that put Dubai on the map. Completed in 1999, it is designed to look like a sail in the wind and is not open to the casual visitor. Nael said he has been inside many times however he finds the interior a bit over the top. He taught us an arab saying “More is the brother of less” which is a good desciption of anything that is a bit over the top.

Next stop was the Palm Jumeirah, an archipelago of artificial islands that looks like a palm tree from above. Originally shaped like a star, the shape was changed when Shiek Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai requested more land be added. Our stop was at the Palm Tower which was at the top of the “trunk” and has some fantastic views of the development and Dubai in general. Nael told us that Dutch firms were originally hired to build the archipelago but a chinese firm undercut the bid and were handed to task. When the second firm failed to make progress the original firm was invited back and ended up being paid twice their original bid due to having to redo the work of the second firm do to poor quality. Now almost fully developed it is more crowded than originally planned to make up for cost overruns. Overall it is a true site to be seen.

The next two (quick) stops are interesting buildings dedicated to the past and future of Dubai. The Museum of the future is a torus shaped building containing looks ahead to about the year 2071 and is associated with the Dubai Future Foundation. The next stop was The Dubai Frame, a monument marking the large changes in Dubai over the past several decades. Look one way thru the frame, see the older section, look the other way and see all the new development. A monument not unlike the St Louis Arch.

Now it was off to the past. Dubai Creek has been the center of trade routes thru the area for many centuries thus Dubai originated around it. Our first stop was in a representation of a traditional home where Nael described how people lived there and, more importantly how the homes were cooled using wind towers. Then it was time for a boat ride across Dubai Creek to the Old Souk Bazar.

The Old Souk Bazar is a place where almost anything is available for a price. In better condition than I expected we limited our visit to the spice and gold souks. We were constantly asked to come in the shops however, with our next stop being Egypt, we did not purchase anything. Keeps the entry easier IMHO.

Our final stop of the day was at the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. At 2,722 ft (over half a mile) it is twice as tall as the Empire State building. Part of the Downtown Dubai complex, its design was inspired by Islamic architecture where buildings tradionally set back as they get taller. The tower stands over the Dubai Mall, one of the largest malls in the world. And I though parking at Westfield Valley Fair was bad! We made to the the 148th floor, one of several observation decks available. At 1,821 ft (555 meters) Kim would not go near the edge and went inside quickly. The views were spectacular to say the least. Nael offered to leave us at the complex to look around and get a bite however between the heat, humidity and being jet-lagged still we decided to return to the hotel. Dubai and rhe UAE deserves a second visit in our future travels.