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Published: November 22nd 2005
Dubai, the City of Gold
I will take that one, and that one... just box it all up!Wow, talk about blowing a whole budget in 2 hours.
Well, after a week of not spending a penny at the CPF, as EVERYTHING from food to laundry detergent was paid for, I finally made my way back to Dubai and to the gold souk. I must have been in shopping withdrawl.
We got on the sketchy twin otter plane to land in the Yemen airport at 4am. I don't know why so early, but we ended up waiting and waiting to get on the 8am flight to Dubai. Yemenia airlines out of Riyan is cattle call: no seat assignments, every man, woman, child and goat for themselves. I didn't actually see any goats on the plane, but I have heard stories about people bringing them on board as carry-on.
Anyways, didn't like the idea of being so close to people, but it was only a 2 hour flight. By then however, I had my share of watching people pick their nose, sneeze non-stop and put their bare feet on the arm rest in front of them. On to Dubai!!
Getting into Dubai wasn't so bad, I had a room at the comfy airport hotel again, and
Hmmm...
Which of these bazillion gold bangles would be right for this fellow? eagerly anticipated getting to go to the gold souk. The best time, I heard was to go at night, when it wasn't too hot. So, we left at 4pm, and had some drinks at the nearby "Le Meridien," which was the hotel Nexen employees usually stay at, except this week was the annual airshow, and hotel rooms are not as available.
Making our way to the gold souk, it's really amazing how urban a city like Dubai is. All the nice cars, buildings and construction of a big urban centre, with all the traffic problems as well. The gold souk was a pretty amazing place. They sold everything from gold to pashminas as well! Everywhere you turn was another gold store, and it was hard to keep them all straight, as they all looked the same from the outside: big bright letters in English and Arabic, and gold hanging out the window. We made our way to the store that most Nexen employees frequent, and I bought my purchases, some pretty unique earrings, and a ring. Then on to another store, more earrings, necklace, bracelets. Yeah, I will look like Mr. T when I get back.
I went a little overboard, but it's okay. Vacation money isn't real money right?? Uh oh. Well, at least my last meal in Dubai was a good one. We went to a steak house in "Le Meridien" and I had some good old New Zealand (?) beef. Filet Mignon tasted good, had wine, dessert, drinks and coffee all on the corporate card. Tastes all the more sweeter when it's free...
Well, I'm on to my next destination, Spain, and well, it turns out, I'm going to be a little bit more thrifty with my cash, because I basically blew my whole budget in 2 hours at the gold souk. Yikes!!!
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Jon
non-member comment
On gold, hey?
Freaking...well I recommend spending a little more on wine to sip on while you're out and about in Spain. Drink whatever the table wine (you could try asking for vino da tavola and see what happens) is of the region you happen to be in at the time. Hey, is there a silver city somewhere? I guess I'm more into the silver thing than the gold thing.