Timothy de Paris Portfolio +
Dubai
October 2007
We arrived in London via Dubai, where we spent a week to have an actual holiday. Dubai is an amazing city, however if you visit simply to see the published attractions - Palm Island, 'That' Hotel (with the helipad on the roof), The Mall of the Emirates with its indoor snow fields, and the endless skyscrapers - you will probably be disappointed.
The most amazing sights are to be seen in Bur Dubai (Old Dubai) and nearby cities such as Sharjah, where an amazing mix of people are simply going about their daily lives. To really experience Dubai you need to take the abra (water taxi) across the Dubai Creek, visit the spice souqs, smoke sheesha after a dinner of shwarma and mango juice, visit an outlying city on a Friday (the muslim holy day) and walk through some of the countless slums where the average UAE resident lives.
The heat and humidity were unbearable (and it wasn't even summer) and the native arab people are extremely rude and unhelpful, however as they only make up approximately two percent of the population it is still easy to have a good time. On our last day we hired a car and drove from one side of the country to the other, racking up at least six speed camera fines on the way (thankfully they are only $16 each!). Drivers in the UAE are insane, and if you don't drive extremely aggressively you will be run off the road. One of the most amazing sights was an entire city (complete with at least 40 skyscrapers) being built from scratch right in the middle of the desert.
As with all good things, our time in Dubai came to an end and we left for London...
Deira Spice Souq
Bur Dubai Souq
Boarding the Abras
Sharjah Slums
Sharjah Mosque
