Photos:  Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, Ski Dubai

After spending a day wandering through the old town, we decided it was time to see the Dubai we’d read about it.  And there’s a lot to see.  We jumped on the open-topped “Hop-on, Hop-off” bus with a goal to get to a hotel called “Atlantis,” located on a group of artificial islands shaped like a palm tree and appropriately named “The Palm,” for lunch.

On our drive, we passed malls with various themes from Greek to Roman to Egyptian.  We paused to admire the Burj Al Arab, a seven star hotel designed to look like a billowing sail.  The hotel offers only suites and has its own helipad. When we were there, the cheapest room went for US$2178/night.  Guests may also request a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce during their stay.

We made it to Atlantis after driving up the trunk of the Palm Islands.  The archipelago was much larger than I had imagined.   There were residential buildings and hotels along the central corridor and lovely homes out on the palm fronds.  Atlantis The Palm (http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/default.aspx) was as opulent as we had heard – and huge.  Its claim to fame is The Lost Chambers, an aquarium that stretches through a series of halls and tunnels where guests may enjoy viewing over 65,000 marine animals. 

After lunch, we went to Mall of the Emirates, covering roughly the same area as 73 soccer fields and boasting 466 retail outlets and 65 restaurants.  At this point, we were numb to these impressive numbers because everything in Dubai seems to have “one of the biggest” in its descriptor.  I had  wanted to visit this particular mall because I wanted to see Ski Dubai. 

Ski Dubai is an indoor ski area open 365 days a year.  Visitors, who arrive in summer clothes, are required to rent skis, boots, poles and the appropriate winter wear before entering the ski area.  It’s amusing to watch the skiers – all in identical equipment and clothing, coming down the slope and patiently waiting for the chair as bright lights shine down from the ceiling above. 

I especially got a kick out of the rental calf-length black down coats, appropriate for covering Emirati men’s dishdashas and women’s long abayas.  Prior to entering the snow zone, one woman dressed from head to toe in her black abaya, sheyla (head scarf) and parka looked and me while fanning her face and said, “HOT!”  I could only imagine. The day we visited, it was 80 degrees outside and 32 and snowing at Ski Dubai.

Another highlight was Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.  It opened on January 4^th and the official height of the tower is 2,716 feet.  To give a sense of what this means, the Empire State Building in New York is 1,250 feet tall and the Taipei 101 in Taiwan is 1,674 feet.  My husband was disappointed that the observation deck was closed for repairs, but I have to admit I was a bit relieved.

While Dubai has oil, its supplies are limited.   With this in mind, recent Sheiks have sought to to diversify and reinvent the Emirate – quite successfully – as a shopping and vacation destination.  Today, oil comprises only 7% of its economy.   The city’s blend of old and new as well as its diverse demographics – 80% of its population is foreign – make it a fascinating place to visit.

Photos:  Dates, friendly waiter, homemade pita bread, vegetable plate, stuffed vine leaves, hummus and falafel. 

Usually, food plays a big part in our vacation planning.  It is so important to our enjoyment that there are countries we no longer visit because we just don’t care for the local cuisine.  When considering the UAE, our focus was entirely on visiting dear friends, so on this occasion, I didn’t think much about the food until I arrived, when it quickly became apparent that Abu Dhabi would be one of those wonderful destinations where it is hard to find a bad meal.

On our first day there, my friend, Nicola, took me to a grocery store.  I love visiting foreign supermarkets, which give a unique insight into a country.  In this one, I admired the six different kinds of eggplant, and the bakery’s “Arabian sweets” looked so tasty that we bought some to take camping.   The number of different types and styles of figs was also intriguing (those from Iran were most expensive).

While it is illegal for Muslims to purchase pork or alcohol in the UAE, some stores offer special areas marked, “For non Muslims only,” where one can buy pork products.  The government also runs special stores where non-Muslims may acquire alcohol, which can also be found on the menu of many western restaurants.

On the restaurant front, Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer the full spectrum of international cuisine.  The local food is heavily influenced by Lebanon, and though we had many fabulous meals on this vacation– both in expensive restaurants and on the street – our favorite dinner was at a restaurant called the Lebanese Flower. 

When we pulled up to this bustling cafe, there was a minor traffic jam in the parking lot, and we soon noted the brisk take out business.  Given the crowd outside, we were surprised to be seated in the dining room without waiting.  What followed was a wonderful feast of Lebanese treats, pictured above.  Total cost for four adults was just under US$30.

Photos are of Gold Souk, Spice Souk, Dubai Creek, and city wall.

The day after we returned from our desert camping trip in Abu Dhabi, we hitched a ride with our friend, who was travelling to another Emirate on business, and spent a couple of days in Dubai.  Most of what I had read about Dubai focused on the city as a cross between Disneyland and Las Vegas, or more recently, the Emirate’s financial woes.  I was unprepared for another impression of Dubai, perhaps not seen by those who dwell only in the city’s upscale resorts. 

We opted to stay in Dubai’s old town since most of the sights that drew us to this famous crossroads – the souks (local markets) – and Dubai Creek, the lifeblood of the city’s old town – would be within walking distance.  While our older hotel, which in any other city would have been considered very nice, paled in comparison to Dubai’s over-the-top, ostentatious abodes found in the new part of town, the location (and price) could not be beat.

We immediately set off to explore the Dubai’s gold and spice souks.  According to Discover Dubai’s February issue, the city imports over 500 tons of gold per year and boasts over 800 jewelry shops.  Because of its low import duties, it is one of the cheapest places to purchase all that glitters.  The souk is worth a visit if only to be dazzled by so much gold on display in a relatively compact area. One’s eyes cannot help but be drawn to the row upon row of sparkling bangles, chains and charms.

Walking through the sparkly maze, it occurred to me that visually speaking, Dubai was probably the most diverse place I had ever travelled.  While New York, Hong Kong and London all offer different degrees of ethnic diversity, the traditional dress found on locals and visitors alike in this city set it apart.  We strolled among African men and women in their colorful native gowns and scarves; Emirati men in long white robes, called dishdashas, and women in black gowns and head scarves (abayas and sheylas); and Indian men in sarongs.  It was a colorful scene that brought to life Dubai’s position as a crossroads for Asia, Africa, and beyond.

We wandered from the Gold to the Spice Souk where we were enticed into stores by the wonderful scents.  It was at this point that my daughter – gazing at the frankincense – was reminded of her school’s nativity play, in which she proudly played the part of one of the three wise men.  With an active imagination, she chose this particular moment to launch into creative play, assigning my husband to be Balthazar, herself  Caspar, and me Melchior.  My husband and I stopped in our tracks as she yelled, for all to hear in this Muslim country, “Melchior! You need to bring your gold; otherwise, you won’t have a gift for Jesus!”  Luckily, in the bustling souk, no one paid her much attention.

Exiting the narrow lanes of the exotic and fragrant spice souk, we found ourselves at Dubai Creek, once a haven for those seeking shelter from pirates and storms.  The canal is still active with dhows – large boats – loading and unloading goods destined for Iran, Oman, and other foreign lands.  We caught an abra, a small boat once powered by oars and now by diesel engine, to cross the creek and visit the city’s small heritage village and textile souk. 

The Heritage Village is completely reconstructed and was empty the day we visited.  The most compelling sights were a sign for “yummy camel burgers” and a chunk of the old city wall.  Still, our explorations had provided an unexpected glimpse at Dubai’s past.  We looked forward to the following day, when we would explore the city’s glitzy present – and future.