“Dubai has always served as a bridge between East and West. In the past, Dubai’s trade links stretched from Western Europe to Southeast Asia and China. The result was the creation of one of the most protean societies in the world. Nestled in the very heart of Islam, Dubai remains unique in its embrace of the West. Bedouin may still roam the desert, but Dubai also plays hosts to international tennis and golf tournaments. Tourists flock to its shores while the pace of development continues at a frenetic pace, from massive artificial islands to the astounding Burj Al Arab Hotel.
Dubai is actually two cities in one: the Khor Dubai, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Deira, the old city, from Bur Dubai.” – Princess Patter
We were out on deck 10 to take pictures as the Pacific Princess pulled in to dock at Port Rashid in Dubai. We were surprised that the sky was filled with what appeared to be thick gray smog … we were soon to learn that what we were seeing was a sand storm that lasted for most of our stay in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Fortunately most of the sand was being blown well above our heads. So, we were not blasted with sand but it did leave us feeling a little gritty and it made it difficult to take pictures of Dubai’s remarkable skyline.
After a very brief and friendly immigration inspection we boarded a bus for a tour of Dubai. Our first stop was the Burj Al Arab Hotel. Located in the Jumeirah section of Dubai, the hotel is built on a man made island and is designed to resemble a ship’s sail. This is said to be the building that put Dubai on the map and announced that it was no longer just an oil producer but a center for trade, commerce and tourism!
Next we stopped at the Jumeirah Mosque, the largest mosque in Dubai.
Then it was off to the Dubai Museum. The Dubai Museum is located in the Al Fahidi Fort, built c. 1800, is thought to be the oldest standing building in Dubai, and features artifacts from Dubai’s pearl – diving days, and archaeological finds that date back as far as 3000 B.C.
Next we proceeded to Dubai Creek (which looked like a river to me) and boarded an ‘abra’ (which translates as “crossing”) which is a small ferry that holds about twenty passengers. On the far side we tried some camel’s milk ice cream. It was quite good!
Once we had crossed the ‘creek’, we headed to the ‘Gold and Spice Souk’. A ‘souk’ is an Arab market place which is made up stalls or shops grouped by specialty in a maze of alleyways and small courts. We visited the spice, jewelry, clothing and perfume sections of the souk …
Following our visit to the Gold & Spice Souk we returned to the ship.