Easy Dubai

Now for our visit to the city of superlatives!

Our first stop was to see the Burj al Arab, the world’s only 7 Star Hotel. As you can see, this iconic structure is shaped like a sailing ship. Each of the guest quarters are two story suites and our guide thought the least expensive of them would rent for around $3000 USD per night. I’ll have to Google that when we get home and give you the straight skinny, just in case you have several thousand dollars lying around and need a place to lay your head.

Of course, since we were not guests of this exclusive establishment, we were only able to look at it from the nearby public beach. The little paddle shaped protrusion near the top of the hotel is a helicopter pad. Check out the yachts moored around the base of the small island upon which the hotel is built.

The beach is beautiful—pristine white sand and clear turquoise water. There were a number of bikinis, but we saw no “burkinis”—swimwear for Muslim ladies. I can’t imagine what they might look like, but we were assured they exist. Again, I need to Google that when I have better internet at home. Besides, we were told Muslim ladies prefer going to the spa instead of the beach. Well, don’t we all?

Our next point of interest was the Jumeirah Mosque, one of only two in the UAE that allows non-Muslims inside to visit. Sheikh Mohammed has recently started an “Open Doors, Open Minds” program that includes an interior tour of the mosque with a Muslim guide, who would explain the main tenants of their religion to us, point out the key features of the mosque, and answer questions.

I was ready. My pants were loose-fitting and reached my ankles. My top was a long-sleeved tunic with a modest neckline that ended well below my hips. I had a scarf for covering my hair in my bag. I was following my own advice of obeying the rules of the place we visit.

However, our tour did not allow enough time for us to complete the 75 minute presentation and sample the Emirati Fuala (refreshments) offered afterward. We were limited to taking pictures of the exterior of this beautiful sacred space.

Next we rode in our lovely air conditioned coach to the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood. It’s set up like a living museum to showcase what life was like in the area over the centuries. It starts with a humble tent campsite.

Falconry is a sport beloved by the sheikhs of UAE. A hooded falcon was perched outside the camp.

Our guide pointed out the wind towers atop square houses built of coral stone. This was an early form of air conditioning. The towers were tall enough to capture the wind, pull it past the wet sheets of fabric hanging in the tower and send a cooled breeze to the interior room.

The houses are designed around a central courtyard and upon entering this shaded area, I could feel the temperature drop a good 10 degrees or more.

This is a huge deal because heat is a serious problem for this desert country. We were blessed with a day only in the mid-80s, but the highest recorded temperature for Dubai was 120 degrees F in 2002. To add a bit more to the misery index, we were told it can also be very humid at times.  

I’m fast becoming obsessed with Arabic architecture. It’s graceful.  It’s practical. And the symmetry soothes my soul.

One of the terraces looks out on the waterway the locals humbly call “The Creek.” In the Ozarks, we’d call it a river. Dubai is always looking for ways to create more waterfront real estate so a number of canals have been constructed as well as the highly ambitious man-made islands, The Palm (the only man-made island visible from space) and the World (a collection of homesites in a Mercator map sort of arrangement. This project has not sold as well as the Palm.)  

The final stop on our “Easy Dubai” tour was the Gold Souk. (The word “souk” means market.) Those of you who know me know I’m not really into shopping, but I have to confess I was curious about this place. I imaged a tangled village of open air stalls a la Disney’s Aladdin, complete with hooka-smoking vendors and scimitar-wielding security guards.

Our guide told it the souk was a 300 meter hike away from where our bus dropped us off. Firstly, Americans hear meters and think feet. We don’t generally make good mental metric conversions. And secondly, if that was only 300 meters, I’m a size 2.

At first, we hung back to walk with Joan, our sometime breakfast companion and a fascinating nonagenarian. She uses a cane but it soon became clear she wasn’t going to be able to make the distance and the tour guide’s helper was coming along behind us to pick up strays. Our group was quickly disappearing into a crowd of other shoppers, and we feared losing them if they made a turn, so, leaving Joan to the care of the guide’s assistant, the DH and I put on some speed to catch up.

I’m fine walking at a steady pace on a level surface, but I don’t hurry well. Under exertion, I’m supposed to monitor my O2 levels and make sure my heart rate doesn’t exceed 110 bpm. There was no time to get out the oximeter if we hoped to catch them but I’m sure I was pushing my limits.

But you never know what you can do until you have to do it, and we did catch the tail of the queue just as they disappeared into the Gold Souk.

It’s not some medieval fair with an Arabian Nights theme. Stretching over several blocks, it’s a long, covered pedestrian-only street with jewelry stores on either side.   

To say some of the pieces of jewelry are over the top is an understatement of gargantuan proportions. Our guide told us the ostentatious pieces harken back to the time when men paid a dowry for their wives and, being nomadic, the women had to wear their wealth. Imagine how much this gold armor crusted with gems must weigh!

Pearls are still a big draw here in the UAE. My mom, who’s the Queen of Bling, is the only woman I know who could rock this pearl headdress and breast piece.

Guiness agrees. This is the world’s largest ring!

We happened to notice the princess from the PP's smokestack peeking through this opening in the cruise terminal's facade. It's as if she's looking for us to return!

We made it through the souk without covering me in gold and back to our air-conditioned coach for the return trip to the Pacific Princess. When we re-embark, the crew always says, “Welcome home!” It feels like that, especially after a busy, hot day of touring.

BTW, on our “Easy” Dubai tour, I clocked 9,161 steps on my iPhone.