It’s not quite Barca…

Number of posts in a row: 2

Number of posts overall: 2

Day two officially into the holiday, began with the first full day in Dubai. Woke up restlessly at 8:45am local time (works out at 4:45am GMT) to be groaning dad who, as per usual had failed to amount more than 4 hours sleep during the night. Typical.

Ravelling out of bed and into some clothes, we went in search for breakfast. Unlike yesterday, a chocolate ring doughnut wasn’t going to suffice. Whenever I go away, there is always a McDonald’s nearby. It’s just the way it is, I’m afraid. So yes, I had a McDonald’s, I know, basic, right? We are staying opposite the City Centre Deira shopping mall, and from there we took the CitySightSeeing tour bus which took us all around Dubai.

Along the way, the bus company give you a running commentary entailing facts and figures about Dubai and its recent resurrection. Interestingly what I wrote yesterday about the facade that Dubai has created itself, rings ever more true. Dubai, as most of us know, in historical contexts is fairly contemporary. Developed from the late 1960s, Dubai has become and intends to be the most luxurious financial hub with an expanding tourist and family ambience. I agree that it is the most luxurious location I have ever seen but I really can’t see it being so popular with Western societies.

As much as I enjoyed visiting the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab, there is still a sense that modesty doesn’t exist in the UAE dictionary. It’s all about the glitz and the glam, but instead of bells and whistles more gold-plated lambos and helicopters.

I reckon that the ideal customer for Dubai is a group of people in their mid-to-late twenties because there is so much to do in Dubai but just for the right sort of people. I went to Barcelona in the recent summer holidays and I am seamlessly comparing my experiences. Both cities exist on the coast and both are major arteries to its country’s economy. Barcelona was classy, the humdrum of the city was left behind when you walked on the promenade of Barceloneta beach. But here, there is always commotion, everywhere you look. There’s even 12 lanes of motorway for one road between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I do like the idea of the city, don’t get me wrong. I just think there is too much going on for it’s own good.

I’m a man of epiphanies, you’ll come to know and love. I had one today, sitting in a traffic jam straying across the numerous lanes that exist. Not so much the UAE but in general, during the British Empire reign, especially in India. The Brits conquered and destroyed all the resources of the Indians, and most of the Eastern hemisphere for that matter. Now Dubai is a haven and luxurious holiday destination for the middle-class earners of India and the sub-continent. It is close enough for the Indians and yet platinum enough to satisfy their appetites. What I’m getting at here is that, the tourist demographic is hardly British, bare in mind, the only reason we’ve stopped in Dubai, is one because it compulsory layover with Emirates to Karachi (Pakistan) and two because it is on the way to Karachi. There are no other reasons, Dubai just so happened to get in the way. Now I think about it, Dubai is excellently placed, it’s 7 hours away from London meaning most families with young children would struggle to make the journey and secondly unlike the crippling Eurozone, the Dirham is stable and controlled almost by the state alone rather than external factors. Essentially, the Arabs have created an Eastern utopia for the Orientals of the world. It’s brilliant. Well… not that brilliant, but it’s pretty clever.

That’s just my convoluted conspiracy theory, probably not true but worth sharing (well… I thought anyway).

Getting back to the day, in summary, we waited for our bus that was 15 mins late at the Golden Souk and then went to the mall for dinner. I’m now sitting on the bathroom floor completing this piece because why the hell not.

Until tomorrow.

I’m out.

DN