DESERT DELIGHT

 It was SUNDAY. Chotu and Shanti escorted us up to SAHAR airport. Hema had prepared Onion Pakoda for AJAY. Dattu visited us in D5 before we left by taxi. We entered Airport at 6 pm, got Boarding Pass and boarded CATHAY PACIFIC flight at 9 pm. The dinner was very good and saw Zurassic Park & Dil Chahta Hai during the flight. We landed at midnight.

Ajay had arranged MAHABA services. A group of yellow jacket guides to escort newcomers through immigration. Ajay was waiting for us outside and Arun was already on phone enquiring about our arrival. We passed through ENOC house and reached home . It is a brand new house with Sofa and TV set. The kitchen had Rice cooker and a coffee maker. The view in the night of Panorama Hotel and Parking lots through our window was very nice. We slept at 2 am.

Ajay left for office at 7-30 am. We ventured out at 11 am. DUBAI is like Bombay with large buildings, shopping centers and continuous traffic. All cars stop suo moto and request the pedestrians to cross. You feel like a King on the road. All roads have name plates and maps for directions. Streets are full of trees and flower beds on road-dividers watered by drip irrigation. Noiselessness and absence of animals (even dogs) was striking. 

We first located ARAB UDUPI HOTEL and had a good lunch @ 5 dh each (Rs.14 per dirham) We returned home and checked all the 100 channels in the TV, 10 in English, 20 Indian and the rest Arabic covering Abu Dhabi, Sarjah, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Lebanon etc., In the evening Ajay took us out for a long walk, through various shopping areas, to AL FAHIDI, the oldest fort in the area. It is a mini Shaniwarwada of Pune. There is a MUSEUM there @ 3 dh each keeping records of history and culture of the locals’ their huts, cottage industries, blacksmiths, boat-building, musicians, dancers etc., There is mosque next to the Museum and also a Hindu temple of SHIVA & KRISHNA nearby. 
    

We went to the Gulf Canal which runs almost 10 km inside Dubai and is very well maintained. The seawater is so clean. Motorboats ply between the banks carrying tourists and locals. We went to the other side and had a long stroll and sipped tea. The illuminated buildings on both sides of the canal and ferries presented a beautiful spectacle in the night. We returned to BUR DUBAI area and strolled through market place (looks like Moore Market of Madras) and went to EMIRATES HOTEL for dinner.

TUESDAY we went to CHOITRAMS to buy groceries and our first exposure to the Mall was astonishing. Viz., Milk from Belgium, Fruits from Brazil & NZ, Rice from Thailand, Textiles from Indonesia, Oats from Australia, Chocolates from Swiss, Newspapers from New York etc. The vegetables placed were like prize winners in shape, size, color and attraction. What a choice from everywhere in the world. In the evening we went walking almost 3 km to KARAMA area admiring the conversion of a desert into a flower garden. We entered SARAVANA BHAVAN HOTEL and ate Bisi Bhale bath and took 9 route Bus back to our home in Rolla street. Next day we went to SATWA area by bus and after a stroll went to VANDANA HOTEL and had nice Gujarati dinner

FRIDAY was holiday for Ajay and he went for driving lessons. In the evening we went to JUMEIRA OPEN BEACH by taxi, saw wonderful sun-set, ate popcorn and saw the famous FLAG POLE OF DUBAI. In the subsequent days we went to the second biggest shopping center BURJUMAN, went around KHOR DUBAI, famous GOLD SOUK, surveyed the city through 
all the horizontal/vertical roads.                                                      

We took a bus ride and watched the famous and spectacular BURJ AL ARAB, designed to resemble the graceful sails of an Arabian dhow; its soaring  height, dominating the Dubai coastline. The hotel is situated on a man made offshore island and is linked to the mainland by a causeway. An iconic structure.  Later we walked and had a close look at the beautiful  JUMEIRA BEACH HOTEL.

       

We went to CITY CENTRE MALL which itself was ten times the size of Bagirath and all that we saw was an amazing experience. Thousands of parked cars and waiting taxis, wares from all over the world, exotic varieties of fruits from Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe etc.,. (I saw oranges as small as grapes. Garlics bigger than Tennis balls.) 11 films were running three shows daily in the Multiplex theatre. The structure, design, illumination and ambiance with numerous escalators, lifts and millions of bulbs gave top-class experience. Half the population of Dubai was inside the Center. All the people of the world were there. America, Russia, China. Japan Ceylon, Malaysia, Vietnam, Lebanon, Iran, Korea, Syria etc., It took three hours to go round the center. 

 We drove to SHARJAH and saw the beautiful city, Gold souk, famous Cricket stadium where World cup was played, American University, Airport etc.,

        

Next day was a long bus journey to HATTA , a small mountainous village in OMAN, 120 km from Dubai. It was a AC Luxury 16 seater bus @ 10 dirham each one way and left at 3-30pm. Once we left Dubai, it was all desert, only the six lane highway was there to see. After 100 kms we saw some sandstone hills with sharp edges and caves, totally hostile for any living creature.. I was sitting next to the driver (Pakistani) shooting video film of the journey, occasionally finding a few camels moving around. Dubai Municipal workers and vans were also there in the Highway on their jobs. HATTA was a small village with a few attractions and we climbed a small hillock and watched beautiful sun-set. While returning the bus stopped near a mosque around Namaz time and everyone got down to offer prayers.Fridays were public holidays and all restaurants/ hotels remained closed between 11 am to 1 pm due to namaz.

Later we went by Taxi to CREEK-PARK, 2 to 3 km long along the creek-side, with well maintained lawns, trimmed trees, shrubs, cactus and other picnic spots. A cable-car taking tourists for a long over-head drive was the top attraction there. Four wheel cycle car was on hire for families and groups apart from a three boogie train moving around for the pleasure of children. The well illuminated buildings on the other side of the creek presented a stunning view. 

We also went to the JUMEIRA ZOO near beach and were surprised to find some of the best specimens there viz., gorillas, bears, monkeys, ostriches, snakes, monkeys, tortoise, jackals, fox, leopard, peacocks, zebras. Even very common specimens of crows, cock, hen, rats, dogs were also there. We played with tiger and lion cubs under the able guidance of the zoo-keeper. It was very surprising to find all these animals living healthy life in the well cared Zoo.

During our second visit, we had the unforgetttable experience of visiting the Oasis city AL AIN, holding FLOWER SHOW, filled with colourful flowers arranged in a fabulous way in the show called Al Ain Paradise displaying rare exhibits of flowers, cactus, plants etc.,  in a number that has never been displayed anywhere in the world. aimed at entering the Guinness Book of World Records.  Manytimes  we wondered whether we were actually in a desert at all with the citywearing an attire of millions of flowers blooming all around.
      
     
 Later we attended the AIR SHOW  where the world's top aerobatic pilots displayed their amazing aerial skills in air racing with their Airplanes, helicopters, gliders and wing walkers  in open sky. We watched numerous planes, dropping skilled parachute-rs, landing in our arena, one by one, in colorful parachutes. It was a fantastic spectacle.   The climax was the Air show when spectacular feats were performed by planes. I cannot forget the person who was standing on the wings of the flying plane, making wild gestures at the spectators sitting on the ground. It was terrifying even to look at that. Sometimes they flew so close to us making us scurry for cover.Thrilling feats were performed by expert riders in  Motor cycles.
   

DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL was unforgettable for the month long shows of world class entertainers, musicians, events and parades, attracting millions of visitors from across the world. The Daily and Weekly prizes included luxurious LX570 car and AED 100,000 cash daily in the Lexus Mega Raffle. The spectacular and colorful fireworks at opening and closing ceremony, world-class performances and the numerous International pavilions set up at the famous Global Village will remain forever in our memory..

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