Monday, May 29, 2023

Yes, I'm still here! :) Good morning from Dubai, my final day here. I made it to my hotel sometime after 11pm on Friday, exhausted and longing for a hot shower. Still feeling wiped out the next day, I decided I would take some time to NOT think about future plans and projects with ITW, work, upcoming responsibilities and appointments, writing, etc... You get the idea, my Monkey Brain needed a break, even if it was forced! I have a lot of plans and ideas to share, regarding my next trip with ITW, but I will wait until I get home.

Saturday morning, I met my dear friend, Nada, for breakfast. Nada and I met on my first trip to Dubai years ago. She owns her own tour business, and I took one of her Historical Walking Tours of Old Dubai on my first day in town. wanderwithnada.com

When I returned to Dubai, on my return flight from Uganda in 2018, we spent more time together and have remained friends ever since. We had a wonderful long breakfast (3 hours!) at this lovely Lebanese restaurant, before heading to the gallery district in Downtown Dubai. 

I returned to the hotel in the late afternoon, for a bit of a hiatus from the heat (around 38 C/100 F), then ventured out again to find the Mirzam Chocolate shop and factory. I really love being in a city with a great train system! Once I departed the train, there is about a 15-minute walk to the shop. I missed the turn and had to ask for help in one of the local stores, but they were kind enough to let me borrow their tablet and a simple correction on my part solved the problem. The Chocolate shop appeared to be a hotspot for the locals, the cafe offering a myriad of pastries (chocolate inspired, of course!) and drinking chocolate. The staff was very friendly and dangerously accommodating! 

Another thing that I really love about taking the train in Dubai is how safe it is for women, especially solo women. The metro stations are incredibly clean and well lit, there are designated cars for people with disabilities, and women and children. During busy train hours, I saw additional train employees monitoring the platforms, and the directions and maps are so clear and easy to interpret. It was almost dark by the time I arrived back at the metro station, so I headed back to the hotel for the night. 

Sunday (yesterday) morning I went into Old Dubai, to the Spice Souks. I love the chaos, color, and aromas of the Spice Souks, but it is sensory overload and can be very overwhelming for travelers. The vendors are very vocal and somewhat aggressive in their sales technique, but never physical and I find it very entertaining and part of the experience. "Hello, again! Nice to have you back!" (No, they have not seen me before.) "Welcome back, best friend!" "Just come in to look, looking is free!" "We have the best Spices/scarves/t-shirts/tea, etc..." Nada sent me to her go-to Spice vendor and Ali and his colleagues were wonderful. About 10 minutes into my shopping, a large tour group arrived, and Ali had a look of panic in his eyes. The shop is just large enough to hold about 30 people, squeezed in like sardines in a can. I told Ali that I was not in a rush and would gladly wander around and come back once the tour was over.

The tour group outside of the Spice shop.

I wandered a bit, chatting with some of the vendors, then returned to the shop and chatted with some of the tour members while they learned all about the local spice, teas, aromatics, nuts, etc... and made their purchases. Poor Ali kept looking at me and saying, "I'm sorry!" and I kept laughing and assuring him that I was happy to wait and understood that he was trying to make a living and that tours were important. This was a first trip to Dubai for everyone that I spoke with, most of them enjoying the trip, but also a bit overwhelmed by the heat and chaos. One woman was there with her grandsons, who were in their early 20s, and they were having an excellent time. She, on the other hand, seemed less impressed even though she claimed to be enjoying Dubai. She does not drink tea or coffee (some of the specialties of the area), does not like to try new food of ANY kind and did not like to smell the spices, did not like the busy market and found the heat oppressive. I reassured her that this trip would be an incredible memory for her grandsons, something they will remember for their entire lives and wished her well as their tour group moved on.

Ali and I 

After the tour group left, I finished my shopping, loaded down with dates, spices, nuts and tea. I took one of the taxi boats on the creek to the other side, wandered through a few more shops and headed back to the hotel for a break.

After a few hours poolside, I cleaned up and headed back out for more exploration. Within view of my hotel is the Museum of the Future, a stunning example of Dubai's architecture. I had heard from Nada, and other reviews, that the museum was "okay", but the building was worth visiting. I did not go into the actual museum, but there was so much going on in the lobby and building was lovely.

Tonight, Nada is taking me to a Secret Supper Club dinner and tomorrow I will head to the airport early and fly home. I've spent a few hours by the pool, while they cleaned my room, and now I will begin the repacking process...YIKES! 

It's Memorial Day here, so I've been thinking about Dad (and Mom), realizing that this is the first Memorial Day that directly applies to my dad and my family. Another "first". Going home to the empty house is not an experience I am relishing, but it's part of the grieving process, I guess. Thank you for your service, Dad. I miss and love you.

Much love, Jo (MB)