Dubai: Welcome to Everything

There's a sign when you walk into the Dubai Mall (world's biggest shopping mall with over 1200 stores). It reads "Welcome to Everything". That pretty much sums up Dubai. If shopping were an Olympic sport, the good citizens of Dubai would be gold medallists. The shopping malls are not simply functional places to purchase needed items - they are the entertainment and lifestyle here. Take the Dubai Mall as an example - there's a huge aquarium (for a couple hundred bucks you can go scuba-diving in it), an Olympic-sized skating rink, a mega-cineplex complete with leather armchairs and your own personal waitress, over 160 restaurants, not to mention the 1200 stores! Crazy. At another monster mall called Mall of the Emirates, you'll find Ski Dubai - a huge indoor ski hill and snowpark with slides, tubing runs, and an ice cafe. After two months in Africa, our heads were spinning and we could hardly take it in.

We've gone from Cairo, with some of the oldest buildings and structures in the history of the world, to Dubai, center of some of the most modern architecture you'll see anywhere. Dubai is very clean and organized, and there's not a pothole to be found on the super-highways here. Amazing. I remember us driving around with Corey in Tanzania looking for nuts and bolts to put the bunkbeds together. He actually stopped at two or three hardware stores, including one called "Bolts and Nuts" (as opposed to nuts & bolts). They had some nuts but not a single bolt. I don't think that would ever happen in Dubai.

But that is not to say that we naively think this place is perfect. It's a very impressive city on the surface but it has its problems. Even though the construction boom has slowed since the economic crisis hit, there is still the problem of labour exploitatation. Many workers from developing countries live in horrible crowded conditions, working slave hours for very low pay. This includes construction workers from places like south India as well as many of the housemaids / nannies.

Stuck on the runway in Saudi Arabia (Flat Stanley never expected to visit that country): On Christmas Day, we went ice skating (how Canadian!) With Darlene's Jacket, I wasn't cold at all:

At the rink. with a screen image of the Sheikh looking down on us:

They blast disco tunes from the 70s & 80s while you skate so it's lots of fun:

Christmas decor is done up big in the malls:

The best part of Dubai for us was being able to spend time with some new friends we made while on safari in Kenya. We met four ex-pats living in Dubai at the tented camp in the Maasai Mara and they generously invited us to spend Christmas with them. Benjy and Andrew are from the Philippines and work in banking and advertising respectively. Clay and Stephanie are American teachers working at a school here. Stephanie was away for the holidays but we spent alot of time with Clay, Andrew and Benjy doing everything from "dune-bashing" (4WD-ing in the desert), to sand-boarding, camel-riding, skiing and taking a boat cruise. along the Dubai Creek. They all go to the same church here and we attended their candlelight service followed by a wonderful Christmas buffet. We also met Nikolai from Bulgaria who came skiing with us. Benjy was off work and drove us all over Dubai as our personal tour guide. We hope we get to see them sometime in Canada.

At the Christmas service with Clay, Andrew and Benjy:

The world's tallest building - the Burj Dubai - slated for grand opening on January 4th:

Flat Stanley was impressed with this modern structure:

Another architectural gem - the Burj Al Arab - the world's only 7-star hotel:

The Atlantis - another posh hotel and also home to Wild Wadi Water Park:

Dubai Marina with skyscrapers in background:

At Ski Dubai - they provide all the gear including snowsuits:

Our 4 wheel drive "dune buggy":

Ready to go dune-bashing (essentially driving into sand dunes at top speed and hoping the vehicle does not roll!):

Mitchell walking in the beautiful desert:

Jackson is ready to try sand-boarding:

Mitchell heads back up the hill for another turn:

This camel had attitude - he had to be muzzled so he couldn't bite or spit on anyone:

Mitchell and Andrew go for a ride:

Clay & Jackson take a turn:

With Benjy on a dhow boat cruise on Dubai Creek:

Sunset over the Persian Gulf:

Another interesting thing about Dubai. . . for a Muslim country, they have really embraced Christmas. Sadly though, it's only the trappings they get into - the decorations, the gift exchanges, the shopping. The most important reason for the celebration is entirely missing - the birth of Jesus Christ. You could probably tell from Ted's last post we have been feeling a bit burnt out from the constant travel. Dubai has been a nice rest for us - we had good accommodations, very cool people to spend time with, and we celebrated a simple Christmas. No tree, just our nativity set that we picked up as a souvenir in Kenya, and just a few gifts that could fit into our backpacks.

So we're feeling rested and in a better frame of mind. Next stop Bangkok and the whole of South-East Asia. . .

Travel Day 158: Update on Cairo

Merry Christmas!

Flat Stanley was amazed by the Pyramids at Giza and Sekkara:

Jackson is the only one who can stand up tall in these tombs: The famous Sphinx: At the Mohammed Ali mosque (most beautiful mosque in Egypt):
Khan el Khalili Market (souk) in Old Cairo (chilly enough to wear Darlene's Jacket!):

It's been a hectic and tiring couple of weeks. From Arusha, Tanzania we went to Longido. The four nights spent there were broken by the wind against the walls of the canvas tent. (It was a great experience for all of us living and mixing with the local Maasai people.) We caught another shuttle bus and traveled for six hours or more north on the terrible dusty excuse of a highway to Nairobi, Kenya. What ensued was an evening at a mall and the night at the Nairobi airport. We passed on a room since our flight to Cairo, Egypt was in the middle of the night. We made our way to Cairo safely.

However, it started on a ridiculously stupid note. If it weren't so typical of our African experience, in retrospect, it wouldn't be funny now. Our pre-arranged airport pick-up did not show up. After waiting for about an hour, we grabbed a taxi and arrived at the so-called Canadian Hostel (a marketing scam that takes a country's name as a brand). Just as we arrived from a dirty 24-hour sleep deprived journey out of East Africa to Cairo. the water in the hotel building was shut off. (This was the second time in as many weeks after a harrowing journey of travel. Kathi is beside herself and we are all at our wits' end and Cairo .) Despite the nice disposition of our hosts, explanations are vague and typically devoid of forthcoming material information - except that this never happens sir. We scrambled and wasted our afternoon looking for alternatives and stressing over what to do. We looked at hostel alternatives in the area and were not enticed. We found a mid-range hotel that was an upgrade. It had no room for the evening but took us for the next two nights. They offered us a room to take showers, as the people who had booked the room would not be arriving until late. We desperately took advantage of it.

Afterwards, refreshed, we took an evening cruise on the Nile River complete with belly dancing and whirling dervishes and the next day checked out of the 'no water catastrophe' and into the City View Hotel. The staff there was very friendly and helpful and it was in a great central location right across from the Egyptian Museum. They arranged our guided tours which included exclusive use of a minivan with driver. All considered, it was good value and the guide provided much information and carefully took us in and out of the must see and do places while avoiding the pitfalls that can trap tourists. In particular, avoiding the touts that are always in your face trying to hawk something.

Our expectations for Cairo were low. However, generally, it was a good visit with a couple of days of guided tours to see the main highlights of Cairo. The first day included as follows: a visit to the great pyramids of Giza and Sekkara including a visit inside one of the smaller tombs and a camel ride; a visit to a perfume factory and to the Sphinx just outside Cairo. The weather was great, there were not the hoards of people that one would expect during the holiday season, and the pyramids were truly impressive.

The second day included a visit to the Mohammad Ali Mosque, the Khan el Khalili Market, and the Egyptian Museum. The market was interesting but we didn't have a lot of time there. There are vendors of all kinds of souvenir items always inviting you in to look. It's "free to look". Kathi got a couple of 100% Egyptian cotton scarves that she decided could be her Christmas present.

The Egyptian Museum has thousands of items with the treasures of the tomb of King Tut being the highlight. His importance was not so much because of any historical importance as the boy king who lived to age 18 or 19. But because the discovery was one of the most complete finds. It included some 3500 items including the final of six caskets or 'sarcophagus' that is over 100 kilograms of solid gold and the solid gold mask that finally covered his head. This is all inside one box inside another - six altogether.

The streets of Cairo are a mess. Five lanes of traffic cover three. Horns blast constantly all day and late into the night regardless of whether it is moving or not. Mostly it is not moving. Smog and dirt hangs in the air and there is no system for crossing the roads. No system except to take your life into your hands and take your chances.

On the morning of the 23rd we headed for the airport. We are enroute to Dubai, UAE, somewhat relieved to be leaving Africa. All is well until about two thirds into the flight. We are told that because of a technical issue (with no proper explanation) that we will be diverted to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After two hours on the ground, without leaving the plane, we depart again. We arrive at Dubai without further incident - just late. However, our bags are stuck on the plane for another two hours. We wait patiently and unfortunately miss our ride. Christmas is coming and we have to do some shopping. Oh joy!

TE

More Faces of Longido

More faces from Longido. We're actually not there anymore but had so many great pics of the Maasai kids that we wanted to share. Merry Christmas from the Middle East - we'll try to post again soon . . .

These girls loved our boys - stroking their hair all the time!

Mitch on laptop - is that Math Trek or a game??

The puppies - so adorable - now Jackson is saying he wants to be a vet:

Maasai village with boma huts in background:

Arnold (awesome soccer player) and a little girl:

Maasai village near Longido:

Corey and the "Koko" (respected female leader):

Soccer friends from Mairowa: