The Curious Intrigue of Dubai

It's really worked out in our favor to have these 36 hours in Dubai. We've gotten to adjust ourselves to being in the Middle East (time change, surviving in the heat, and cultural understanding) in just a short time, plus we've experienced the curious intrigue of this glittering city. At only one day, it's been an appetizer to all that Dubai offers. Walking around yesterday to all the famous tourist sites, we noticed a few odd things that make me use the words "curious" and "intrigue" together.

Why so curious? Several times yesterday, we were surprised at how empty the streets were. Maybe we were the only ones foolish enough to walk in the Bastakiya Quarter (windy old city streets with small art galleries) in 100 degree weather, but darn it, we were going to experience Dubai! And, we had brought a lot of water. And, we had scarfs to protect from the heat. But alas, we only ran into a few tourists. Most streets were deserted.
Perhaps also because of the heat, we didn't really see any locals in the souqs or restaurants we visited.


For lunch, we ate at a good Indian restaurant downtown. A live sitar player serenaded us as we dined on biryani, naan, and curry. The silverware and plates definitely fell into the field of "fine dining," and the glass was probably the heaviest metal water glass I had ever used (a la Indiana Jones). While the food was quite good and the company excellent, it was just strange that we were dining in the restaurant alone (and that the last two restaurants we had looked had been deserted too!).

And now, the intrigue: for a city that could seem a bit standoffish or high-fallutin', Dubai opens its arms wide to tourists. Case in point: the Dubai Museum, where an entire city of life-size mannequins works away underground. You can see what traditional Middle Eastern life is all about. Case in point 2: the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, our first stop of the day. Our tour guide answered questions from the crowd about Islamic culture and gave us a deeper look at some of the cultural norms we'll get to experience in Saudi Arabia. It was fascinating to be inside the Jumeirah Mosque and see him wash, pray, and tell us about the way of Islam.

And finally, as my girls know, I must talk about our amazing dining experience last night for dinner. No, it wasn't Chez Panisse Dubai, but for me, it exemplified my perfect tourist meal. You know me, I'm cheap. I like a good deal. When I'm traveling, the perfect place to eat is cheap, tasty, local, clean, efficient, and friendly. The Saj Express fit all of these criteria and more. Number A - the pita bread was free! Number B - there were locals eating there! Number C - it was delicious and no frills! If there was Yelp in Dubai, I would give it 5 stars.

Ok, ok, enough about food. Just kidding. Now I have to tell you why this blog post is so long. I have been trying to wait out the time between waking up and eating this amazing breakfast we have at the hotel!!!! On Fridays, it starts at 9 am. Woe is me! I'm dreaming of croissants, eggs, chicken nuggets, and whole-fat yogurt.


And finally...HAPPY BIRTHDAY FENG!!! This humongous birthday breakfast is for YOU, kiddo!