I have added photos and reposted this entry. Enjoy.

Sunday, 14 November 2021

Fifth Full Day in Dubai

I have been traveling since last Sunday, 7 November, and as usual I am way behind on the blog--my only excuse is that I have been very busy all day and then very tired at night. Too much enjoyment, I guess! I am writing this on Sunday at 8:30am, which is Saturday 8:30pm in Tucson (you can probably figure out your own time zone).  They say that Dubai is a city of the future, and I guess it’s true.  But I will turn back my time machine to Tuesday evening, shortly after my arrival.

I need a snack before bedtime, so I take a short walk along several blocks surrounding the hotel.  This is a very busy area called “Financial Center,” with many spectacular hotels and restaurants, as well as branches of every fast food known to humankind. I stayed in a different hotel just a short walk from here when I visited two years ago. Even this late the streets are packed with people of all ages, strolling, eating, smoking, and drinking coffee at sidewalk tables.  

The primary negative is that this is not a city for walking--everyone drives or uses public transit to get to destinations. The widest and busiest road in the City, the 16-lane Sheik Zayad Blvd, runs between the rows of hotels, and the elevated Metro runs above part of the road. The only way to cross the street is to use the bridges that connect the metro stations to both sides. Fortunately, in this area, the stations are set fairly close. It is even worse for people who have mobility issues. I am using my cane tonight because of the crowds and the uneven pavement. I do not see any other people of determination (that's the new term hereabouts) anywhere--perhaps because there are few accommodations to help us get around. There are very few ramps at corners or buildings, and few stop sign for cars; don't even look for a traffic light! But it is great to be here again, although I may look at the city with a more critical eye this time.

The Rose Rayaan is part of the Arabic Rotana chain of deluxe hotels--with seven of them in Dubai alone.  The hotel reaches 68 stories and my mini-suite on 47 has a wonderful view over a row of skyscrapers, looking toward the Gulf. Most buildings are significantly narrow and tall--this hotel has only seven suites on each floor.  I am not sure how the sand holds up all of this building, and the Metro, which is elevated in the newer parts of the city, but goes underground in the older sections.

My room on the Club Rotana floor (with a dedicated breakfast room, lounge, and business center), is quite nice. Besides the usual amenities, it has a small kitchen with full-size refrigerator-freezer, microwave, and a single-unit washer-dryer.  But I do not intend to do my own laundry.

A Full View of My Mini-Suite

Entering MyMini-Suite

  

Kitchen and Dining Area

Wednesday, 9 November 2021

First Full Day in Dubai

After a good night's sleep, I awake to a beautiful sunny day--the weather is even more predictable than Tucson's. I have breakfast in the dedicated lounge, but the menu has only a few selections and the food has to be brought up from the restaurant downstairs. I am the only guest eating here, and while the food is good, all the right temperatures, and plentiful (too plentiful for the "healthy" breakfast I order), the host suggests I might prefer to eat in the main restaurant which has a full buffet.

After breakfast and completing my unpacking, it takes about 35 minutes to ride the air-conditioned driverless metro to the EXPO site, a newly-opened station.  The metro is quite crowded with everyday folk going to everyday jobs and tourists trying to figure out where the front of the train cabin is. After last night's walk I decide to take my cane (it folds so I can put it in my shoulder bag if I don't need it--but I will need it). A pleasant young man on his way to his tech job (everyone works in hospitality, retail, or tech), offers me his seat. We strike up a conversation (everyone speaks English), ending with an offer of his company on one of my daily trips. We exchange cards and phone numbers.  Don't jump to conclusions--he is trying to be welcoming.  

The new EXPO Metro Station is quite large and spacious, much like the airport.  Crowds are small, which bodes well for a pleasant and stressless day. There is a whole lot of security and Covid measures everywhere at EXPO, especially at the entrances.  I have to show my digital ticket (free, courtesy of Emirates Air), as well as my vaccine card. Another person takes a biometric image with his phone. I place my belongings, including my camera, phone, watch, Fitbit, and cane through the x-ray machine. This will happen every visit.  Then, at last, I am on EXPO grounds.

The weather is hot but not too unpleasant, with much shade available and some cool breezes rising in the late afternoon.  The

pavilions and exhibits offer varying viewpoints and examples of “Connecting Minds: Creating the Future.” My plan is to visit all the pavilions in each district, one at a time--to see EVERYTHING and take a photo of EVERY Pavilion. That plan soon falls apart as a more casual approach makes more sense  for several reasons:  smaller nations are grouped together in similar buildings without any particular design interest; several pavilions have long lines without special pathways for persons of determination (no elevators, for example) and others are too small to give time and effort to. The vast majority of multi-story pavilions offer special no waiting line entrances and lifts.

I am not going to give a blow by blow account of everything I see, but I will describe each day’s highlights.  EXPO is divided into five major sections, each anchored by a “theme” pavilion. The metro stops at the main plaza, Al Wasl (the connection). The five sections spread out in a kind of Venn diagram.  

I begin with the “Mobility” Section, which includes major pavilions from Russia (with a super-sized animated model of the human brain and the ways it allows us to connect with each other), Australia, Belgium (where I enjoy a famous Belgium waffle), Denmark (where I have a pulled beef "hamburger" with onions, and cheese, for lunch). France has a large pavilion with a selection of dining choices from snacks to full meals. Inside, a special exhibit sponsored by Baccarat shows the luxurious side of French life.

Russian Pavilion

The Russian Brain

Belgian Waffle with Whipped Cream and Powdered Sugar

French Pavilion Entrance Area

Iran is especially interesting and well-presented, since what we know of the country is skewed to political news.  The pavilion says little about politics or religion, but instead devotes the exhibits to more general qualities of individual Iranians and their Persian heritage. There are also many Iranians visiting the fair who enjoy engaging in conversation.

Other interesting pavilions include Mongolia, with its colorful landscapes and very modern capital city.  Horses are

a big part of this presentation, as they are also in several central Asian countries, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, for example.

Germany has a "campus" atmosphere that offers interactive exhibits to educate the world about the country. Graduation comes at the end of your visit. I enjoy a fine dinner of Chicken Schnitzel with salad and vegetables. But I also enjoy the company of a couple (about my age) from Hamburg, who have previously visited friends in Tucson. I actually get to use the little bit of German language I can conjure up from deep in my brain.

Peru takes the visitor on a scenic journey through the country. Syria welcomes the visitor with a single mention of war or politics. 

Unlike previous international expos I have attended (New York, 1963-64; Montreal, 1967), there are few “real” objects on display anywhere. The displays are mostly cinematic, visual and virtual. And the films, which offer amazing new cinematic effects, use anime and avatars rather than human actors.

After a full day of five hours I head back to my hotel by Metro.  No problem getting a seat, since EXPO is where the train starts.

With good wishes to all, I shall return.