Dubai Weekend

Thursday was a religious holiday, celebrating Prophet Mohameds arrival. Sue, an Australian lady in our company had booked a night in an Arabian Hotel and invited me along. The hotel was situated in Bur Dubai, the oldest part of the city on the banks of “The Creek”. The creek is the water way that flows from the ocean, meandering quite a way into the city. So moored on the banks are the dwohls who trade and travel to the close Gulf ports like India and Iraq and where most of the traders deal from. Today the old warehouses have been replaced with souqs and shops. This is a definitely an Indian area of the city. At the door of the Arabian Hotel was a most charming and obliging Indian concierge, dressed in all the finery including the Ali Barber turned up shoes. Arabian Hotel is right on the streetso I am sure he gets pestered and bothered by camera happy tourist all wanting to have their picture taken with him, As you do!! He had a spectacular handlebar moustache, all nicely waxed.
We also visited the souqs in Jumeriah Madinate snapped here with the Burj Al Arab, the beautiful hotel designed like a dwohl sail, in the back ground. Both these places are fantastic hotels with a 7 star rating. I appreciate that the rating system only goes as high as 6, however in UAE we have the tallest, fastest and best so those enterprising people in the tourist industry have duly awarded themselves a 7th star On Friday Sue was booked for a trip up Burj Khalifia, the tallest building in the world. Sadly on Friday morning a dust storm blew in and you could hardly see the buildings on each side of Sheik Zayed Road, 50 meters from the roadside. Viewing Dubai from 803 m up the tower was virtually an impossibility. Even as the city lights came on the view did not improve as it does when one flicks on the light switch.
Speaking of heights I snapped this car cruising into Jumeriah Madinate with a notable number plate. The owner only had Arabic numbers and only a few of them so he’s fairly high up in the food chain. Nice car!