Blogs from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Middle East - page 18

Sunday in Dubai is a normal working day, so we are expecting everywhere to be a lot quieter today. We had planned that our first visit today was a tour around the only mosque in Dubai that we are allowed into. Unfortunately, we have slightly misunderstood where we were to go. Before our visit to Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding yesterday, we knew exactly where we had to go. Unfortunately, whilst we were there yesterday they gave us a map with a mosque on it. However, there are many many mosques here. We assumed that this was in fact the mosque that did visits as it was the centre that organised them. We arrived at Al Fahidi metro station about 9am, and thinking that we only had a ten minute walk for our 10 am ... read more

This morning we visited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for their Saturday Brunch. The morning was run by two teenage local volunteers but with older locals on hand if needed. They gave us lots of local information about the culture and lifestyle of local Emirates. They also answered all the questions asked by the diners. After this we were all served coffee and dates. They explained that this is the local Emirate greeting. If you say no it will offend the host. The Arabic coffee was very strong but the added date encouraged most of us to have a second cup. After this, the main food was unwrapped and each dish was explained. We tried every dish on offer, and even went back for seconds of some of them. Although only warm, it was ... read more

It's an odd place, Dubai. It could be LA or Phoenix, except that the buildings are taller and more futuristic. Only a tenth of the population is native Emirati. They're the guys in the spotless white dish-dashes, and the women in their black abayas -- their heads covered; though their faces not necessarily veiled. All the rest – from cabbies to store clerks to contractors – come from someplace else: India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Eastern Europe, the USA, and Canada. We were there for a week last May, waiting to catch a ship bound for Istanbul via the Suez Canal. We stayed in Bur Dubai, an older neighborhood on the west bank of Dubai Creek. Our hotel, The Arabian Courtyard, was situated just across from the Dubai Museum and Cultural Center where, ... read more

Frühstück im Hotel, dann ab in die Metro. Ziel ist heute der ultra-moderne Teil von Dubai. Wir fahren ca. 30min nach down-town Burj Dubai. Entlang der 12-spurigen Hauptstraße liegen etwa 60 Wolkenkratzer, u.a. auch unser heutiges Ziel -der Burj Khalifa, mit 828m Höhe das derzeit höchste Gebäude der Welt. Amerikanisches Architekturbüro, 2400 Arbeiter im Dreischichtbetrieb, 4 Tage Bauzeit pro Stockwerk. Nach 5 Jahren war der Turm fertig. Die sollten wir für den Berliner Flughafen engagieren. Den Vormittag verbringen wir in der Dubai Mall, einem riesigen Einkaufszentrum mit 1200 Geschäften, eigenem Aquarium und Eislaufstadion. Das Aquarium ist riesig, 51m lang, 20m breit und erstreckt über 3 Etagen. Das reicht auch für große Fische wie Haie und Rochen. 19cm dickes Acrylglas, das hält. Unser Lieblingsfisch wird der große Rochen. Wir haben Glück und können bei der Fischfütterung und ... read more

Flugzeug mit Sternenhimmel, Annie Lennox und 5 Gänge Menü... so ruhig wie noch nie geflogen. Bis auf Ds Versuch, S mit einem Spielzeugmesser ihres Puppenessens (Flugzeugessen ist wohl eine gut geklaute Abwandlung eines japanischen Bentos) zu attackieren, lief der erste Flug reibungslos, man sah 'the theory of everything' und 'grand budapest hotel', bildete sich ein, im Arabischen Norwegische Wörter zu erkennen und hatte unangebrachte Lachanfälle. Dubai Airport... wo man mit Bus und Zug (Geisterubahn) zum gate fährt. Wo in einem Land mit Wassermangel mehrere Wasserfälle und Brunnen im Inneren des Flughafens sind. Zwischen McDonalds und Starbucks wird im Protzpalast auf den zweiten Flug gewartet und sich an der Stimme und Aussprache der arabischen Flugansagen aufgeteilt. Weil in Dubai - heute kein Haiku. ... read more