We spent most of the year planning and getting excited for our trip . During those two weeks I learnt about airports , exchange rates , architecture and how I can sleep anywhere on command whilst traveling the East. Or at least the spectrum of the East . From the slick , modern streets of Dubai to the spice and busy alleyways of Thailand , there was quite a variety of experiences to be had . Different cities were hues that contrasted each other like scarlet and indigo juxtaposed .
After an arduous flight to Dubai ( the exertion being as a result of the fidgety Indian mother who sat in front of me , who pushed her child into another seat and slept across two seats whilst snoring and complaining about the food . This resulted in me {being too polite to say she was causing irritation} not getting much sleep) we arrived at the airport sleepy but excited to have landed .
I'll skip the details of the grumpy man at immigration who's head wrap kept slipping and even forgo the joys of a travellator ( a moving walkway in the airports ) that made one feel as if you were flying over the ground . All that is irrelevant when i think my first glance of the city that was unforgettable . We always imagine destinations before arriving , usually from travel shows or pictures off Google , I imagined a dry busy place full of dust . It was the opposite (still busy however) , a city where every pavement was lined in blossoming flowers and the buildings loomed tall and out of an architects daydreams . A metropolis of glass and steel that blew me away . Every building was a spectacle , as if it was a show where every skyscraper was trying to be the star .
We stayed in the hub of all this beauty , Downtown Dubai , a stone's throw from the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world at present) which was the centerpiece of this bejeweled metropolis . Words cannot describe how overwhelmed they all left me . It's all so "much" in that city , the malls are huge , the buildings tease the clouds , there were granite tiles on the roads which were mopped , for crying out loud ! Then , just as you think nothing could be more amazing , night slips it's glittering gown on .Everything lights up , the buildings become spectacles of colour and the child within begins to awaken in wonder of all this . It seems as if it were all a dream .
It's hard not to marvel at the metro system ( the whole transport system is actually so incredible and efficient ) as it zipped through the city in a matter of minutes . Another thing that I noticed , was how considerate and polite people were . There was a lot of etiquette involved in everything , from dress codes to areas one could sit on a bus . It was an interesting experience but I welcomed it . The people are also very accommodating and helped us find our way around .
The Gold Souk , wow is pretty much the only word to explain it . There was an excess of gold , diamonds , precious gems ...Everywhere . You felt as if you had bathed in gold , it surrounded every window . From simple chains to a huge , intricate body covering made of gold . Personally , I don't like yellow gold (which there was a lot of ) so it just was too much for my liking . The shock of the souk to a foreigner , is that you feel like you've been dipped in sweet syrup and all the vendors or shopkeepers are flies who can sense this . There is no exaggeration when I say , they swarm . Shouting at you to come to their shop , buy the "good copy " of some branded clothing , to come to their restaurant . It is a weary sort of experience . But fully worth it as you got to see all the different facets of the city .
We spent a lot of time exploring Dubai , going to the Jumeriah Beach Park ( only females were allowed on that park ) where the sand was silky and white , exploring the Dubai Mall ( it was enormous , I think we only went to a tiny portion of it , and that was over 2 days ) going to places of interest and generally doing typically touristy things . The highlight however, was desert bashing .
Desert bashing is basically driving up and down the dunes of the desert in a Land Rover . But that description does no justice at all to the experience . The drive out of the city is about 45 minutes , as you watch the the high rises melt away to reveal a more barren , sandy expanse with occasional caravans of camels moving along the dunes . There were about seven other vehicles with many tourists who (like us ) took pictures of everything . The real fun started when they drove off the road and onto the sand . It's like a roller coaster , up and down and our driver (who was liked playing music quite loudly to enhance the entire thing) often would turn dramatically , making everyone in the vehicle let out a small shout of delight .
Soon after all the dunes had been driven on , we were taken to camp . Here we were greeted with food and an old lady with henna , there were stalls of beverages , camel rides , lots of low tables and cushions (and even a hubbly lounge in the corners ) . A man with a falcon stood amidst the crowd , while a photographer stood by to take a photo . As the night wore on , an Arabian feast was served which was quite tasty .
The real entertainment were the dancers , who performed on the stage in the middle of this camp . A man who spun with multiple stuff skirts that lit up ( he didn't even suggest dizziness after 10 minutes of twirling ) and then the Arabian answer to Kylie Minogue , a belly dancer named Olga (and she looked like a brunette Kylie ) who gyrated and flirted with the audience . She was spellbinding as she glided across the stage . If you looked up , the sky was filled with stars that gleamed like this city which was a jewel of the Emirates .
Those were the highlights of Dubai for me ... What happened in Thailand was more of a culture shock .
