Tuesday, 19 November 2019
Tucson, AZ
I am at home in Tucson as "LFL at Sea" goes back to my third day in Dubai.
Monday, 11 November 2019
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
After yesterday's rainy afternoon and evening I am happy to wake to bright blue skies. As I leave the hotel after breakfast I am even happier to note that both the temperature and the humidity have fallen to a much more comfortable level.
I plan to spend the morning in Deira, the section of Dubai that has the oldest reminders of the city's origins. Deira is east of the Dubai Creek, which separates it from Bur Dubai, the section I explored yesterday before thunderstorms interrupted my plans. I ride the Metro Red Line above ground until it burrows below the city streets and change to the Green Line at Union Station. Although street signs are not very helpful, I am able to use the GPSMyCity app on my iPad to find my way to the Deira Museum.
Special Note: GPSMyCity is a free app that has maps and guided walks for over a thousand cities around the world. Even better, for a modest fee, the upgraded app can be used without wifi or telephone connections. I downloaded the Dubai section earlier, and now it identifies on the map exactly where I am and plots the route to wherever I wish to go. I would have been totally lost without it, not only here in Dubai, but in Tel Aviv and Muscat as well. I recommend the app very highly to anyone who likes to wander on their own.
My walk from the metro station takes me across pedestrian bridges to cross busy streets, although the up and down elevators are out of order.
GPSMyCity on my iPad (it can also be used on an iPhone, if you like to look at tiny screens), allows me to wander through busy back streets to reach one of the most popular areas in the city--the Souks.
A souk is a covered market lined with a multitude of small shops and booths selling everything imaginable—from the highest quality gold and diamonds to ordinary pots and pans—usually at much lower prices than at the malls. Shopping in the souks requires major bargaining skills, but visitors are welcome to window shop even if they have no intention to buy.
Each souk is dedicated to a particular kind of item--the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk, the Herb Souk, and the Grand Souk, which contains domestic goods, souvenirs, and clothing. The entrance to each souk is clearly labeled so one can easily find whatever one is seeking. The Gold Souk, in particular, is popular with tourists, displaying acres of gold jewelry and even wearables.
A walk through the souks eventually leads to the Dubai Creek, if you can find a place to cross the street safely. The Creek is lined with abras, small boats that ferry locals and tourists back and forth, and larger boats that offer scenic rides along the Creek.
It’s a fairly long walk to the nearest underground Metro station where I catch a train for the 20-minute ride to an entirely different side of Dubai, the Marina District, an ultra-contemporary planned community built around a man-made Marina. This is one of the most pleasant areas for walking in the city, and if I ever return to Dubai I would stay at one of the deluxe hotels here. My first stop after leaving the Metro is lunch at one of the many waterside restaurants, serving large portions of Greek salad and Italian pasta.
Although the water, yachts, restaurants, and shops provide pleasant entertainment, the primary draw of this area is the cluster of remarkable skyscrapers that have arisen during the past several years, including the amazing twisting residential tower.
The Marina District is also home to the second of Dubai’s major malls, the aptly-named Marina Mall. While not nearly as large as the Dubai Mall, it is home to an array of top-level shops. My major purchase here is some wonderful chocolate and coconut gelato.
After this very busy day coveting two very diverse areas of the city and enjoying a very filling lunch, I am ready for the Metro ride back to the Dusit Thani and a restful evening in front of the television.
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