All That Glitters Is Gold- United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
So this is where it all begins. The perfect start to our European adventure, a one week stop over in the beautiful city of Dubai. Flying Emirates we took this opportunity to visit my dear friend Vanessa Grima, who moved to Dubai to work as one of the Emirates cabin crew. From day one there was no hiding the fact that I had fallen head over heels in love with this beautiful city, and who could blame me? Big, bright and bustling Dubai won't disappoint, pulling out all the stops with its great attractions. From clubbing beach front under the gleaming lights of the worlds most expensive hotel, the Burj Al Arab. To dining water front after a long hard days shopping, watching the magical water show that Dubai Malls fountains have to offer. If its not the biggest and the best in the world then its not Dubai.
We were lucky enough to be instantly adopted by Vanessa's 'Emirates family' who made our Dubai experience worth every second. With their love and knowledge of Dubai I inhabited their lifestyle instantly, and learnt so much about the way this great city was built and how it operates. I also found out that at the end of the day when the sun goes down and its time to hit the town its no longer about what you know but about who you know. I was lucky enough to experience an 'average' Monday night in Dubai's night life. This is where Dubai's elite come into their own, whilst the rest of us are lucky enough to be pulled along for the ride. Personal waiters free pouring premium vodka, popping bottle after bottle of the finest champaign and of course trays of shots brought to you with its very own sparkly flare show. Only the finest of the fine for those who know how to party in United Arab Emirates renowned sin city.
Like everything in life there are two sides to every story. A majority of our time was spent in the older parts of Dubai. Where we rummaged through the spice and gold Souks (markets) playing dress ups and trying on rings of the finest diamonds and gold. Our down time was spent floating down the river on boat taxis called Abra, in search of the most amazing authentic local restaurants. My favourite spot by far was Bayt Al Wakeel where we ate like kings for as little as 15 dirhams. Although the roads weren't edged with marble and not every building gleamed like a diamond. It didn't matter, to us it was still just as beautiful.
One of the great things about Dubai is when the city gets to much its just a quick escape to a desert safari. We enjoyed our desert experience with Lama tours, who we highly recommend. After an afternoon of 4x4 dune bashing we settled down in the deep parts of the desert where our night was complete with belly dancers, camel rides, an array of freshly cooked food and of course some hubbly bubbly.
When the desert heat got to much we took the day to swim and slide down at Wild Wadi, one of Dubai's water parks. We spent hours floating around the park on tubes going from slide to slide. Wanting something more extreme we decided to try the parks newest ride, The Jumeirah Sceirah. Reaching 120 meters tall, 32 of those meters being above ground. The ride begins with you standing over a trapped door when on the count of three the floor vanishes sending you free falling down a chute reaching speeds of up to 80kph. I apologise to everyone within a 100 meter radius of the park who had to witness my deathly screams.
After the experience I shared with the people I met Europe has some pretty big shoes to fill. I never thought saying goodbye to Dubai would be this hard, but as I leave I smile inside. I know in my heart this is not goodbye, but simply see you later.
The Wanderers Daughter xx
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