The Souq's of Dubai

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There seems to be a mosque behind every hotel and hostel so again no need for my $2 Chinese alarm clock this morning.

Breakfast was typically Middle Eastern, flat bread, hommus, tea, cheese triangles and jam, quite satisfying really. Then it was pack up, check out and head for the bus stop out the front. It was hot damn hot and I was sweating buckets long before the bus arrived, a friendly bloke from Gujarat (India) missed a couple of his own buses while he waited to make sure I caught the right one. It was of course packed with Indian expats and space was limited, with a huge pack on my back but eventually I took up a couple of seats for the trip into Deira. It was quite long and I saw a fair bit of the city while I was travelling.

The bus eventually dropped me on the edge of the Gold Souk and I set off in search of the Hotel La Paz why they would name the hotel after a Bolivian city I have no idea.

The hotel was in a great location just dripping character right in the heart of the Gold Souk, and I was pounding the pavement minutes after arrival heading strait to the Khor Dubai ( The creek) and taking an Abra ( wooden boat) across. I met a bloke from Afganistan on the boat and he turned out to be most hospitable he is a senior government official and has invited me to stay with him in Kabul.

I spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon at the very good Dubai Museum and in the restored Bastakia Quarter as well as the Dubai Old Souk and Dubai Textile Souk.

Later I recrossed the river and wandered the Perfume Souk, Dubai is a real melting pot, one minute I am surrounded by a group of Africans dressed every colour of the rainbow the next Blonde Europeans in tight white shorts.

By Three o'clock I was knackered and went for a nap, I didnt wake up for about 5 hours. The rest of my time was spent wandering the streets looking in shops and just absorbing the atmosphere. Still no one to talk to though. :-(

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Photos

Dubai Museum
Suprisingly good

Shia Mosque
Probably the most Beautiful so far

Traditional Building - Deira
At the entrance to the Gold Souk

Comments

[Mark Meyer]

Hair
Mate do you think nobody is talking to you because of that shocker of a haircut or are you wearing that bright yellow t-shirt, cos either of those things would put me off :) Seriously though, Dubai is a place i'd like to drop by and visit for a couple days as a stopover to Europe or something.