Dubai for a day

Dubai for the day

 

A shuttle bus to the hotel - follow the signs - there is where we wait - when is the shuttle going to arrive - I am sick of this - lets ask that fellow - he looks like an official - Holiday Inn shuttle?- No - No - you take Taxi - follow me - Strange - he is taking our cases to his Lexus - ah - this fellow is one of those unofficial drivers - what the hell - in we get - on our way - how much I ask - 100 he says - outrageous thinks I - what the hell! - you need something to remind you how stupid you are!

Nice little hotel - a little more sleep - arrange a tour for later in the day.

A 4 hour Dubai City Tour - I am not sure it will tell us much about Dubai - it seems like it is a try hard - its trying to be Shanghai but does not quite make it - it is trying to be as glitzy as Las Vegas but does not make it - its trying to be Singapore and is doing that quite well. The thought that kept going through my head was - So this is how you turn oil into concrete.

The city tour- ok - just ok - included the normal exposure to high pressure retail outlets masquerading as museums and art galleries

Tour heads to the beach - plenty of well to do young ex- pat couples parading in swimwear that would not be out of place at Bondi - So much for the warnings for women to dress modestly.

 

 

On to more photo opportunities of tall buildings - We are more interested in a photo of the fellow dusting his aging Korean car so as to avoid the possibility of being fined for having a dirty car on the road.

 

 

I am also amused by the bored tour bus drivers staring blankly from their air conditioned Toyota buses as they wait the mandatory time for their cargo of tourists to return - at least our driver used his waiting time to slip into one of the numerous mosques.

Onwards - the Pakistani tour guide is friendly and helpful - points out the free houses provided to the local Arab population - explains that they represent only 20% of the 1.6 million population - explains that they have a choice of jobs in the government sector.

We past the amazing fully airconditioned bus shelters as our driver proudly takes us around the palm frond shaped Atlantis development - an example of how man's arrogance and sense of self importance can demolish any semblance of his own common sense - I do not get it - plenty of land - why in earth would you build in the sea when you could simply excavate and let the sea come to you.

Now to the Dubai Mall - biggest in the world - complete with its own indoor aquarium and ice skating rink- driver insists we see the famous water fountain display - it goes off every hour in sync with a Whitney Houston song - the show was just as disappointing as its setting was spectacular - there in the immediate background was the world's tallest building - what would I have said had my youth had not already deserted me? - "awesome" - I suspect!

Back to the hotel - We take the shuttle to the airport for an 8.00 flight in the morning - will avoid the driver in his fancy Lexus - he can find someone else to pay for it.

So what do we need to remember about Dubai?- a good stopover place - the Holiday Inn Express is pretty good - take the metro to Emirates Mall for a days shopping