Ten in the morning, Craig wakes me up so we can leave with his mom and her friend to get over to Dubai. I try to pull myself together for a 2-hr car drive to Dubai. Luckily, we had a driver, Hanif, and I had to speak very little. On the way to Dubai is construction along the entire way. Unfathomable amounts. Along parts of the desert were camels, their silhouettes in the distance, sticking up above the hot sand. Cute little guys...and then, out of the middle of a desert, appears a city. The Burj Dubai is unmistakable and stunning. Not quite finished but I am in love with the shape and profile of it, especially from far away. We also spot the Burj Al-Arab along the coast, the form of a giant sailboat. Dubai has the coolest skyscrapers- like a dream made to life. Each one downtown has an aesthetically pleasing feature to it - incredible. Craig and I hop on the Big Red Tour Bus like 2 little tourists, to be taken around the city all day. My hangover refuses to go away. First we check out the creepiest store I've been in at the Wifa Mall- it's called Memores and is themed French 1890s style. The music they play is soo creepy, with little children's voices in the background. Men dressed in weird suits come out the shadows to spook you. But of course everything in there is upwards of 2000 dirhams...
Our first stop is the Deira museum with the oldest building in Dubai, an old wind fort. I learn about the first kind of air conditioning that existed in the middle of the desert- wind towers that trap the cold air. The museum inside shows the massive industrial growth here in the 70s, 80s, 90s and mostly now. Its so cool to be in the middle of a hotspot (no pun intended!) where so much is going on at once, and continues to grow. Back on the bus, we drove past the city's "creek"- a huge ass river with little boatrides called abra. We covered some serious territory on that bus, which took us to all around the city. My favorite around here are all the beautiful mosques buried in between two buildings, mosques just everywhere! And so many men wearing the long white robe and white hejab tied with a double cord- driving a Range Rover!!!
We finished our action-packed day at the Al-Mashid and the Burj Al-Arab with some cocktails. Absolutely gorgeous hotels. Craig bullshitted his way into getting a free abra ride through the canals that connect all the hotels along the beach. We finished the day with marguaritas poolside with Craig's friend Danna. The great Burj stood majestically in front of us, jutted out in the water. So beautiful. On our way back, we took a cab to the A.D. border then....hitch-hiked our way back to Abu Dhabi city!!! Craig has such a good luck/ karma. We're at this gas station in the middle of nowhere, and a guy signals us over and offers us a ride back for 50 dirhams. No problemo! Nice guy. Traffic cop from Abu Dhabi; we all talk on the way there. When we try to pay him when he drops us off, he refuses the money ! Nice guy...Unbelievable luck.
I took a heavenly shower cuz between the blisters from my new shoes, my back and a 12-hr long headache, I am a wreck. We order pizza and decide to stay in for the night after a very long, fun day.
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