While in the old souq on one side of the creek, we sampled karak tea (black tea made by boiling the milk with the tea) from a little stand. It was incredible!! Tasted a lot like chai but a little less spicy, but soo good! The Delawarians were anxious to get to experience the souq after being told that we could get just about anything at a fraction of the original price. The key is to offer, at most, about 1/5 of the price vendors ask for, and if they don't accept, simply walk away. Chances are they'll ask you to come back and give in to your final offer. Ralph asked some of the ZU girls to explain how to shop in the souq, and Looya, wearing Bulgari and Cartier jewelry and heels worth more than all of my shoes combined, responded with, "Do I look like the kind of girl who shops in the souq?" Very accurate response, I guess! She's
We hopped the ferry to cross Dubai creek and reach the spice souq side of Bastikkiya. The creek was probably one of the coolest parts of old Dubai, in my opinion. There are ferries crossing to either side all day every day, transporting souq-goers to the Meccas of fake watches, shisha pipes, and multi-colored jeweled slippers. The ferries are long, old wooden boats that can carry 20-30 people. Each one proudly dons an Emirati flag. Dubai Creek is lined with hundreds of these old wooden boats, as Ralph explained, that come from Iran and other gulf countries, chock-full of cargo ranging from Persian rugs to Toshiba flat-screens. These old boats contrasted beautifully against the ultra-modern skyscrapers in the background.
The olfactory experience of walking through a spice souq in Dubai is something you can't stumble upon just anywhere. The narrow pathways in the markets lead you around corners, through roofed breezeways, and then back out onto the bustling streets in Bastikiyya, dotted with pedestrians, trucks unloading cargo, and men fraternizing outside their shops in the afternoon or going to mosque for afternoon prayer. Such a stimulating environment. When I visit markets like this, which reminded me very much of the ones I saw in Tunis and La Marsa a few years ago while studying abroad in Tunisia, I am reminded of how such places could be overwhelming for people. Trucks rumble by, vendors hustle you into their shops offering "low" prices and "rare" goods, you are surrounded by people rushing past, you smell things you've never smelled before...it's a lot to take in. But I live for places like this. The charm of the marketplace is such a rarity in the states that when I get the opportunity to visit one abroad, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I don't tend to shell out cash either. I just soak it all in, sniff the unmistakable scent of incense, various spices, and perfume mixed with the old musty smell of the marketplace, and enjoy. Forgive me for sounding corny, but spending money in the souqs was never necessary for me to feel like I had something to bring back with me.
Next was our 2:30 appointment at the Burj Khalifa back in downtown Dubai. We had about 45 minutes to drive there, find the place, and get our tickets, because apparently they go fast and if you miss your reservation, you might get screwed. We got dropped off in front of the Dubai Mall and had only 10 minutes to find the entrance to the tower visit and get our tickets at will call. We ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, asking for directions to the tower visit, switching directions every so often as we checked our watches and felt a little panicked. Eventually, Aisha led us in the right direction and we found the entrance to the Burj. Ralph got our tickets and we were off!
The visit to the Burj Khalifa incorporates some interactive aspects about the history of the building, its construction, and some impressive statistics. If there's anything I learned in Dubai, it's that you can pretty much assume that every building is "the world's biggest" of its kind or includes some unique aspect that sets it apart from anything like it on any other of the 6 continents. The Burj, of course, is the world's tallest building, towering over the rest of the Dubai skyline at 828 meters (2,716.5 feet) and over 160 stories. It: 1) has the highest number of stories in the world; 2) is the tallest free-standing structure in the world; 3) has the highest occupied floor in the world; 4) has the highest observation deck in the world; and last but not least, 5) has an elevator with the highest distance traveled in the world (http://www.burjkhalifa.ae.) With its completion in January 2010, it trumps the Eiffel Tower 293 times over.
We took the elevator up to the 124th floor and walked out onto the observation deck holding our breath, then all you could hear was gasps and exasperated "oh my gosh"s from everyone in the group. I have never seen a view that quite parallels the one from the Burj. If someone had showed me the view and told me I was in an airplane, I would have believed them. Every skyscraper around paled in comparison, they looked small!! I don't even think words can describe such a view. One half of the observation deck looked out into the vast desert just up to the horizon, dotted with buildings and skyscrapers close by then just sand for miles and miles past them. The other half of the deck looked out onto more skyscrapers, some shorted buildings, then the gulf. The water shimmered a bright turquoise and reflected the intense sunlight. The only thing that gently reminded me I was up that high was the subtle pressure in my ears after having them pop at least 6 times on the ride up the elevator. Unfortunately, I neglected to charge my camera the night before and had already taken 900+ pictures, so my pictures from the Burj are pretty sparse. However, I pirated Conor's camera and took probably close to 50 pictures so we have those at least!
Our visit lasted an hour, then we descended back into the Dubai mall and met up with the rest of the ZU group for some lunch. Ralph took some people from the group outside to get some more shots of the Burj, while Sara, Kate and I needed some pampering in the form of a little mani/pedi. It had been a packed few days so far and we figured we could use a little break. Shurooq came with us and we had a great opportunity to get to know her, such a nice girl. We met back up with the group for dinner at The Social House restaurant in the mall. We were seated out on the terrace overlooking the pool right in front of the Burj. Every half hour there was a fountain show that coordinated with a song (an Arabic or English song, alternately.) The UD students would get up from dinner almost each half hour to go stand by the water and get a closer look at the fountain show and snap some pictures. Conor got up for one of the shows which happened to be to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," and looked across the table and thought I was coming with him to watch it. I was actually getting up to use the bathroom, so Conor was stuck watching it all by himself and felt like a huge loner. Oops, sorry Con!!
We were all wiped out by the end of the day, and after grabbing some gelato and walking around the terraces along the water after dinner, hopped in some cabs and turned it in for the night.
We took advantage of every group photo op possible! This was taken right near the Dubai ferry on the Dubai creek.
Ralph and the Emirati girls.
One of the many pathways in the souk.
The Bastakiya district of Dubai is also referred to as "Old" Dubai. With the remnants of the spice trade and small merchant-domination of the economy, it's a fascinating juxtaposition to the skyscrapers and ultra-modern architecture found in the more modern areas of the city.
We toured the Al Fahidi fort in Bastakiya before navigating our way through the souks. Old-fashioned Emirati homes were outfitted with these air-conditioning towers that simply circulated the warm air out and cooler air in.
Fancy footwear sold in the souk.
We sampled Karak, tea boiled with whole milk and warm spices. Delicious!
A Shi'a mosque in Bastakiya. The majority of Muslims in the UAE are Sunni.
Cargo ships from Iran on Dubai Creek.
Images of Old Dubai.
The Burj Khalifa towers over the rest of the Dubai landscape at a staggering 2,716 feet (http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/the-tower/fact-figures.aspx). We went to the 124th floor of a total of more than 160 stories!
On the observation deck of the Burj. The feeling you get looking over the edge cannot be mimicked through photos. You have to see it to believe it!
No comments:
Post a Comment