Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Before we start our half day of Dubai we start the day with a lovely buffet breakfast. Simon found the perfect morning juice Apple, Celery & Spinach a very refreshing start to the day (plus the coffee pods in our room). You could have bacon - Pork like we in NZ but Muslims can not eat pork so beef bacon and turkey bacon were also available. I am glad I am not a Muslim for the food alone. The passion fruit (there were lots) weren’t as wrinkly as we liked. The more wrinkles the riper the fruit. Yes I know it’s a real 1st world problem. A lot of today’s chapter will have a lot of history as Simon enjoys the history and customs of how people live. You have been warned!
Once fed and watered we were me by our guide Ashraf (an Egyptian who has lived in Dubai for 18 years) and our driver who is a Syrian and lived in a Dubai for 17 years. As we had done the Malls and Burj Khalifa the previous day we could spend more time in the old city. The population of Dubai is 2.5 million officially 20% are locals but Ashaf reckons it is closer to 11% and reducing which is easy to understand with all the new building going on. The UAE has a total population of 9 million 6 million of these are men. Muslim men can have 4 wives at one time of Muslim, Jewish or Christian faith. Muslim women can have 1 husband at one time who must be a Muslim. The reason being if the women have more than 1 husband as who would be the father if she more than 1 husband? Sheik Mohammed has 2 wives. His second wife is the Princess Haya, the King of Jordan’s sister. They met at the races (horse not camel). If you are a local man the government provides decent housing that meets the needs of all citizens including people with special needs in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. ie a house if you earn less than 19000 UAD (dirham). The house is yours for life and be passed on in your will. If you have a 2nd wife you must be able to provide a 2nd house. 1 wife per house funny that!  If you divorce the house goes to the wife. Parts of Dubai where only the locals live. Often these  are rented out to foreigners for a vast rental. 
  As we drove down one multi-lane road Ashaf explained why all the houses on the left, which were 2 levels all had solid fences around them and on the right the buildings were all single level businesses.  Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai limits the buildings on the right to 1 level to protect the women in the houses from men looking in on them at home. A lot of the windows were also mirrored so passerby’s cannot look in.
We stop and get a wee boat ride across the Dubai Creek  to have a look at the Spice Souk market in the old city, first stop was getting some Camel milk Gelato - richer than cow ice cream. Ashaf explained the spices Frankincense, turmeric, ginger, salt, dried lemon,  teas and much more. All the stall holders were trying to sell spicesto the tourists. Why would a tourist by spices is beyond me. There were sand artists who did drawings inside bottles as they filled them with coloured sand. A bit tacky. We thought get some material for Marie to make a swimming Sarong for our Fiji but no. The material shops we saw are only wholesale. We passed some shoe shops which had signs ‘wholesale only’ they were only for wholesale orders ie by the carton. These shops were modern and clean. They would have only 2 or 3 customers a day. We headed to the gold markets - so much gold, so many people taking selfies in front of gold displays - of course not us. Pats ( who used work for us at Vic Sq pre-quake) would have been in paradise!
Our tour continued to another beach where we could get a good view of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah the hotel with its distinctive sail design. We stopped near the surfing beach - it’s what the sign said. We then drove to the Atlantis Hotel passing the Palaces. One Palace has a fence around its boundary 3km long. The Atantis Hotel has quite distinctive architecture ( you have to in Dubai) it’s top suite is only 924sqm and is available for US$30 000 per night. It’s often available. We headed back to the hotel for a nice iced tea.
That night we had a Dinner cruise on river with a water show, a not very inspiring buffet dinner, the boat was dry ie no alcohol. We passed old and new buildings with a ‘coastal pathway’. A lot of buildings (they all look new) had huge signs with one of two names EMAAR  A large, no a Super large property development Company which has a valuation of US$14.6 billion USD as of May 2017.  (NZs largest Is Fletcher Building NZ$4Billion)
Or DAMAC another large property development company which listed on London stock exchange
We went under a waterfall bridge where the water parted as we went under. Our driver seemed to take forever to get to the boat then we had to wait before it set sail. We got back to the hotel about 11pm. Tuesday was going to be a full day to Abu Dhabi so I advise readers to have a break, wine , coffee, Fanta and stretch your legs before reading all about Abu Dhabi. 
History lesson:
Ashraf told us the UAE is very young so as a country it does not have much of a history. The United Arab Emirates was established 2nd December 1971. Dubai has a road with this as it’s name. May be Ngāi Tahu could use 6 February Street  for one of its new subdivisions - it rolls of the tongue doesn’t. The UAE is made up of 7 Emirates, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have 60% of the population.  As the Sheik of Abu Dhabi is the UAE president he has to pay for all the schools, roads, hospitals and trees. You do not pay income tax and UAE has recently introduced a 5% VAT ( like our GST ) The Sheik wants to plant 100 million trees and of course they all need watering at 1 Dimmar per plant per day. Apparently if the president is sick he flies to another country ( most likely somewhere in Europe ) so he dies a new Sheik can be appointed President before the locals know. I have not been able to work it out. I do know that one of the Sheiks  takes over
A new day dawns and after another lovely Breakfast Buffet we headed to Abu Dhabi. First stop was petrol where we joined the queue for 20 minutes (16 pumps so quite a long queue) Simon had noticed that while we had been driven around Dubai that he hadn’t seen many petrol stations and the ones he had seen always had long queues.  A bit weird since the UAE vast wealth comes from oil!
Once on the freeway headed for a restroom break at a mall which was linked to Ferrari World. It had not yet opened but the Ferrari shop was where we had a wee look. Ferrari Worlds claim to fame is having the fastest roller coaster. The food court had a NZ owned eatery Burger Fuel.  No McDonalds or KFC. A new attraction is presently being built an Indoor Parachute Jump! Ferrari World is also adjacent to the Formula 1 track. 
Our next stop was at a stunning building  The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
Simon had to wear trousers and the ladies had to put on lovely gowns so all bare skin is covered  ‘to lead us from temptation ‘. The mosque is stunning photos do not do it justice. Google will have some better images than what I have attached. The Mosque is new, it opened in 2007. The Mosque carpet is 5600 sqm largest carpet in world which was hand woven in India. The ceiling has 3 chandeliers weighing 9.5 tonnes each.
Ashraf explained the Call to Prayer which happens 5 times a day. The times are dictated by the Sun. Attached is a recording of the 12.20 Call to Prayer with the wording. Ramadan is the most religious month in the Muslim church. This is also dictated by the sun ( Muslim calendar follows the sun the date is 14   )
During Ramadan, Muslins fast from sunrise to sunset not even water, once sunset has happened then it’s open slather! This year Ramadan will start in mid May the palace are providing breakfast for 30000 people daily tents by mosque. Breakfast is when they break the fast at sunset and start eating.
We left the mosque and drove past the Sheiks large palace and then the site or part of the site of his new palace. It will be massive once it is completed. It was now time for lunch so where better to go? No, not the Burger Fuel but at The Emirates Palace Hotel. The hotel is another stunning building built by the Sheik. The gold leaf in all the ceilings is not touched up each year but replaced. The hotel ie the Sheik spends US$100 million per year on maintenance. The 6 royal suites are only used by the Royal Family. Ashraf checked and it was ok for us to visit. The lobby was huge and the lounge looked very inviting for lunch. Simon and the driver had Camel burger like beef but a bit drier. The prices were not too bad considering the location. 
The opulence gold leaf ceilings, marble skirting boards and the Gents restroom 5 basins, 2 stalls & 2 urinals and a full time cleaner(male)
After lunch we drove around Abu Dhabi and saw the recently opened replica of The Louvre, it has its own art plus many on loan from French and other galleries. 
It was then a drive back to the hotel for a swim to get a couple of insect bites!
We again dined at the hotel. We had nothing planned on Wednesday until 3pm so we could have a later start for a change.
I have tried to load an audio of the Call to Prayer but the gods have not allowed it. If anyone would like it with a copy of the words just ask, as I can email you your own personal copy.
Photos
1: At the marina. The rental for a boat is about US$28 000 per year.
2: Crossing The Creek. Boats everywhere.
3: Camel Gelato. Creamy than NZ Cow milk.
4: Herbs n Spices. Huge array of spices. All the stall holders were trying to sell them to tourists.  
5: Sand Art. Very clever at how quickly they could make one. A bit tacky.
6: Spice Market. Looking down the hall.
7: Gold Market. Bigger, apparently 300 stalls. They all looked very similar.
8: Crowding in to have a look. The number of people taking Selfies was huge.
9: Crossing The Creek. Same trip just another image.
10: Burj Khalifa. Quite visible for some reason. May be because it’s 828m high?
11: Surfing Beach. No swimming allowed.
12: Surf Patrol:  Beats the patrol base at Taylors Mistake.
13: Beach rules. Note you can not go for a walk away from the beach in your togs. 
14: The Happy Travellers. By the beach by the Atlantis Hotel.
15: Atlantis Palm Hotel. Royal Bridge Suite. At 924 square metre Royal Bridge Suite is truly palatial. The private elevator, team of butlers and chefs, 3 sumptuous bedrooms with ensuites, a majalis, lounge and a 16 seat dining room make it the ultimate in exclusivity, privacy and pure luxury. Apparently it is not often unavailable.
16: The Dubai Eye. It’s bigger than the London Eye of course! Due to open later this year. 
17: The Water fountain display. 
18: The Bridge with the parting waterfall. Pretty clever and colourful.
19: Whirling Dervish. Clever dancer, you feel giddy just watching them.
20: Ferrari World, we only looked.
21: Prayer Rooms are always available - even at Ferrari World.
22: All dressed up
23 - 33: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
34: Cars even have sun shades.
35 - 46: Emirates Palace Hotel.
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