Organizing ourselves, we left 1½ hours after scheduled, to my dismay. That's the problem with going with a group you are not used to traveling with--and a 19 year old.
Lots of traffic going to Dubai. Doesn't it look like entering any US city?
Before we got into town, we needed gas.
Every gas station has a huge line at every pump.
It's a big potential for road rage as there is no simple way to line up and merging happens.
I think it took us ½ hour to get gas.
They pump the gas for you so you don't have to get out of your air conditioned car...
however you do have to turn the car off to pump the gas so the sauna heats up while you wait.
First McDonalds sighting while waiting for gas.
I am an opportunist-I take every opportunity to use the toilet when I see one! So I jump out of the car and go into the convenience store.
Shockingly, the same as any other convenience store I have been in(except Haiti)!
Water? Juice? Milk? Can't find any camel milk!
Lots of bread choices.
Toilet was fairly clean too.
As my friend Zach says, "If Hong Kong, NYC and Las Vegas had a baby, it would be Dubai!" It is a huge metropolis or rather multiple city centers.
We drove in and went all the way through town to the old city.
Gigantic iPhone 7 digital ad on the side of the building-32 stories high?
Lots of construction going on everywhere
Interesting building
Transit Station
And we aren't really downtown yet...only in the financial district.
And so happy to see these super hero and dinosaurs are here to protect us.
I have no idea what this was advertising-maybe a shopping mall.
I want to include some before oil and after oil so you get a sense again of how recent and how much the country has changed in just 50 years-less than my lifetime!
This is the same corner in Dubai 40 years apart.
This is just the change in 15 years from 1991 to 2005.
Now, 11 years later there are more changes.
Just so much money from the oil to invest!
Just so much money from the oil to invest!
It was mostly a nomadic desert and agricultural center.
Camels were a main way of travel.
This is a camel caravan traveling through Dubai before the 1980's.
Notice the straw or palm leaf house!
If you can imagine this: My dad is 92 (this weekend) and if he had been born in EAU, he would have spent the first ½ of his life as a nomadic, camel and falcon owning peasant. Maybe a pearl diver, fisherman, or raising goats or sheep. Then in the 1960's or 1970's, when he is in his 40-50's, his life changes suddenly. For the last half of his life he would be living the life of luxury. He would have more money than he knew what to do with as well as land for a modern home and maybe a business. He would probably become an advisor to the head of the country's Royal family(even though he has had no formal education) and not having to work!
What remains of the old life is in the museum in the old city.
A replica of an old ship-probably used for pearl diving.
This is the museum that has a lot of artifacts from not too ancient history.
Who is in the old city market? Tourists of course!
This is the trinket/fabric section.
Various photos of the spice market:
Do these look familiar?
Rows and rows of these shops. Who to buy from?
These are actually flavors of Shisha for the Hookas. Very aromatic.
We took these little boats across the canal to the other side of the market...and back.
We even have life jackets stored in the top of the boats. Water is very dirty--don't let me fall in!!
These look like house boats...like people are living on them.
Similar boat to the one we are on with the modern city in the background.
They may live here but he has an iPhone taking our picture too.
The gold market.
Each shop has an electronic read out for the current gold price- updated constantly.
Not only the tourists are riding across the canal.
Cute advertising on what looks like silos.
I have no idea what they are advertising!!
Not too far from the old market is the modern city
And easy to find American food if you want.
Burj Khalifa...Tallest building in the world! 160 floors.
Must have a reservation to go to the observation levels...
$35 to go to 35 floors short of the top.
$100 to $137 go to 12 floors short of the top
And these have long lines even with a reservation.
For immediate entry (go to the front of the line) $82 only available for lower levels.
On the road back to Abu Dhabi.
The sun goes down at 6 pm so by 7:30 or 8 pm we think it's time for bed.
Loving these posts sista
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