Desert Malls

Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
She's BAAACK!
 
The very vocal, hefty Australian lady who crashed our breakfast when we first started the cruise, regaling us with unwanted tales of her superior knitting skills, and who we've been avoiding ever since, was on our tour group in Dubai

 She and her poor mild-mannered husband... Memories of Ginger Meggs's parents for those of you who remember that comic strip.
 
I first noticed her today when she nearly knocked me flying off the pavement with her massive backpack -- probably laden with that extremely long Dr Who scarf she told us ALL about 3 weeks ago.
  
Since there's a Knitters and Knatters group on board, she's had ample opportunity, not only to ensure more of our fellow travellers are honing their hiding skills, but also to increase the length (as she's increasing her girth by the look of of those hefty calves) of her scarf.
 
So what with avoiding all Americans for fear of them being Trumpmaniacs (thanks for that Michael Oliver!), we're also avoiding the knitting and backpack-laden Aussie, while desperately seeking our long-lost Liverpudlian friends.

Maybe they're avoiding US. Eek!

Another disappointment is that Peter Anderson, the Brisbane-based amateur astronomer who has given some interesting lectures on astronomy and navigation, has revealed himself to be a climate change denier, with yesterday's lecture on how climate change theory is all made up, with all the usual flawed arguments and omissions .
 
Follow the money, he said, talking about research grants but omitting the oil and coal industries.
 
And he completely avoided talking about amplifying feedback loops, which is a pretty sizeable omission. And that's just a taster of the rubbish he dished up to a large audience.
 
All of the above might make it clear what an extended cruise is like -- for grumps like us anyway.
 
The good bits are drawing lessons, time to read, nice views and tasty food that I don't have to cook, and a very comfortable bed.

After six days at sea, today we arrived in Dubai for a 2-day stay.
 
In brief -- it's hot as to be expected but could be a LOT worse, with the high only about 30C.
 
The mosques are delicately lovely; the new high rises strikingly impressive. 
 
You can't help wonder though, what would happen to all this if / when the oil and $$$ run out.
 
The Dubai museum was over-crowded but gave a pretty good background to the city.
 
The gold souk was colourful but so full of haranguing merchants and touts that we were happy to escape . I wonder how many customers are gained vs lost from such techniques?
 
The best part of day one was the free wifi in the terminal building.
 
Sad but true.

Today we're trying the Metro and heading to the Burj Khalifa building and the giant Dubai mall below.
  
So a last trawl around Waitrose, Marks & Spencer's and Boots with one purchase on the list --a toothbrush.
 
And if we're lucky, one last skinny flat white, extra hot, at a Dubai Caffe Nero.
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Comments

Harvey Stockwell
2016-10-18

It seems like there good reasons to avoid Dubai.

2025-02-08

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