Dubai 7-8 April

We arrived in Dubai to very hazy, overcast skies and very poor visibility. There had been a large sandstorm the day before and there was a lot of dust in the air.

We went on a tour of the city that took us first to a beach and then on to the Dubai Museum, located in the Al Fahidi Fort. The fort was built in 1787 and is the oldest existing building in Dubai.

Just as we were leaving the museum, it started to rain; because of the amount of dust in the air we ended up with mud splashes all over us.

From the museum we took a water taxi ride across the creek to the spice and gold souks. Because it was raining and windy, the boat ride was not very pleasant, which is a shame because it would have been a highlight otherwise.

The souk was the usual Middle Eastern hustle and bustle and the smell of the spices was amazing.

On our second day in Dubai we went to the Dubai Mall and wandered around the shops – there are 1,200 shops there so there was no shortage of things to see.

It was interesting to cruise through the supermarket to see what was on offer and we picked up some coffee and a Bodum coffee plunger so that we had an emergency coffee capability for the future.

The mall is huge and contains a large waterfall as well as a huge aquarium

I bought some traditional Arabian clothes – a dishdasha and headdress but for what reason, I am not sure.

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