Dubai

 24 June 2018

 I am a little bit behind in my blogging as I have had little time. I will try to do a catch up now.

After travelling from home for 20 hours we finally made it to Dubai. We caught our transfer from the airport to the hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, very flash. Once we had checked in we went off to the Burj Khalifa which is the tallest building in the world for a look at Dubai from on high.

Pretty high isn’t it.

When we came back down again, we checked out the Dubai Mall which is massive. We were pretty knackered, so we headed back to the hotel for some dinner and an early night.

Next morning after a leisurely breakfast we jumped on the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to fill in the morning and part of the afternoon.  It took us for the Old Town out to Palm Island.

The Old Town contains the Gold Souk and The Spice Souk and is situated on the Creek. Dubai was originally a small fishing village in the middle of the desert and had nothing much going for it until the 1960’s went oil was discovered and has not looked back since. According to the tour guide the Sheikh currently ruling Dubai is a very forward-thinking person and is leading the charge for Dubai to become a major tourist destination as well and major financial hub.  This is because the oil is due to be exhausted between 5 and 20 years. His plan appears to be working because there is construction everywhere you look.

Have I mentioned how hot it is here!!!!

Back to the hotel to get ready for our Desert Safari. We were picked up and headed off with 4 Americans in a brand new Landcruiser and headed off into the desert. First stop was at the camel racetrack which is big business here.

We then hit the national park and made our way towards the sand dunes. On the way we came across these animals called Orix (I think that is what they are called).

Then we hit the sand dunes.  This bloke is deadest crazy behind the wheel, but it was great fun. We then stopped to watch the sunset and take the opportunity to do some sand boarding (sand in the crack - no thanks).

I should mention that we had a stop prior to this - the falcon show. We’ve all seen one before, haven’t we?

We then made it to the camp where we would be fed and entertained.  We were offered camel rides if we wanted, and the Lady Tourist took up the challenge.

After we were fed and watered, we were taken back to the hotel for a well-deserved night's sleep.

More later

25 June 2018

I was too tired last night to finish so here goes another blast. A few interesting facts about Dubai according to our drivers and tour guides:

1. There are about 400,000 Emirates living in Dubai, the rest are made up of ex-pats who mainly do the menial work (cab drivers, cleaners etc.) All of them are either rich or very rich because the Sheikh has given each family a plot of land on which to build a house. There are no such things as rates, electricity or telephone bills.

2. Dubai has won the rights to hold Expo 2020 and construction everywhere is going full steam ahead. On some of the construction sites they go 24/7. An example is the revolving tower which 80 stories that will turn continuously.

All amazing stuff but I have digressed. On our last day we took a tour to Abu Dubai which is about 1 ½ hours' drive from Dubai. First stop was Has Island Formula 1 track. UAE was awarded the race in 2007 for the first race in 2009. The track was completed in that time along with a 5-star hotel that sits in the middle of the track in such a way as that the cars pass through the hotel.  You would want to be in the foyer arguing about your bill when the race starts. Of course, there are plenty of other lesser hotels built around the island to cater for everyone.

From here we went to an open-air fruit and vegetable market to look at the wide range of dates for sale. (Did you pick up on the sarcasm then).

Next stop was the Abu Dhabi Louvre which is a magnificent building but is not due to open until next month.

Next, we went for lunch at the Marina Mall which is constructed on a manmade island and is opposite the palace of Sheikh Zayed the ruler of Abu Dhabi.  On the way to the Mall, we drove along the famous Corniche which gave us a great view of the buildings which make up downtown.

The tour up to this point was pretty average but things sparked up when we went to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Before we could enter everyone had to meet the dress code which is very strict.

The Lady Tourist passed with flying colours after a quick shop at the mall. The photos I am going to put up will not do the joint justice, it is a magnificent piece of construction. It is completely made up from marble and holds world records for the largest carpet ever made in one piece and the largest chandelier.

Have a go at this Arab.

It was time to high tail it back to Dubai and get ready for today’s flight to Hamburg - goodbye 40+ degree heat.