Tour of Dubai

---

Today we went on a bus tour of Dubai. For the reconrd, I wouldn't recommend it too highly. The route was interesting and views good but the actual tour was woeful. I normally love these bus tour things and have done the Glasgow one about 4 times. I've also done them in London and Dublin amongst others but this one - The Big Bus Tour - was so disappointing. There was no live tour guide, only a recording and more of it was just music. The little speech there was was very repetitive and basically just advertisements for the millions of hotels here. There was very little on the place and it's history. It was also really expensive, about double the price you'd pay in the UK...

However, we had a pleasant day - if I just think of it as a regular bus journey. We saw lots of different places in Dubai and walked along the beach. Favourites for me were the Jumeira Public Beach, the Madinat and the golf club. As we were driving round looking at all these buildings each bigger and fancier than the last I just kept thinking about the folly of man and Icarus flying too close to the sun. This place just seems full of avarice and just lacks humility - which I find surprising in a Muslim country. I wonder when they will stop building it and would be interested to come back in 15 years to see what it looks like then. I wonder if it will be like the Forth Road Bridge - all the bits that are so shiny and new will pale in comparison to the newer additions. One of the projects will take 20 years to build and will include a theme park twice the size of Disney Land. I also went to see the Jamatkhana, which was fantastic, so serene. It wasn't open so we couldn't see much more than the garden but I'm really glad that we went.

We had lunch in a mall foodcourt and I have to say that depsite my criticisms of this place they do do the tourist thing very well. The food is generally very good (although pricey) staff are helpful and the surroundings are spotless. I think, if you want a hot holiday with lots of things to do, Dubai is a great place to visit. If you think too much about human rights and equality and the purpose of things- like I tend to do - then just don't stay too long!

My flight is early tomorrow so I have to leave the house at 5.15am - however I am looking forward to being home for a day or two to see my family.

---