Whether or not we arrived here with pre-conceived ideas of what to expect, most of us have been pleasantly surprised. Someone said that it is a place of contrasts. This is true, but maybe a better description would be to call it a place of extreme contrasts.
From the azure blue of the Arabian Sea to the white waterless sands of the adjacent desert, from the sand dune wastes of this desert sitting cheek by jowl with verdant green golf courses and the lush grass of football and cricket fields, from urban centres flaunting the most wonderful modern architecture in the world to the surrounding emptiness of nothing, this place is captivating.
Upon stepping off the plane one is immediately aware of the feeling that everything is man made and that money is no hindrance in building an oasis of magnificent opulence. Entering the city of Dubai this emotion does not leave you but instead increases as you gaze in wonder at the buildings that could only have been erected if the architects had free rein to use their full imagination and creative artistic talent with an unlimited budget. I experience a strange feeling that it looks like a huge movie set for a sci-fi movie and am enthralled, almost like peeking into the future.
The cricket ground in Dubai- known as The Ring of Fire for the lights light up the tented roofs that cover the seats and shine up in the sky in the shape of a circle when viewed from afar- was very modern and comfortable. Our seats directly behind the bowler’s arm in the main stand were most comfortable even sporting arm rests. Bar and limited food facilities were available. No-one seemed to take advantage of the popcorn counter though. We had shade all day so many clients went to sit in the sun in the cheaper seats to develop a desert tan. The happy holiday experience at the Dubai Sports City complex lasted only three days so I have no comment to offer about the cricket.
This did give us some free time to enjoy the delights of Dubai and our clients took full advantage. The whole group enjoyed a top class buffet on board a large dhow as we cruised up and down the Dubai Creek washing down the superb curries with coke and water. Upon returning to our respective hotels the Irish pub and the Rock City club seemed to be suddenly popular.
Margaret Watton had a brilliant idea of attending a ‘Night at the Races’ so off we went in a 28 seater (all 8 of us) to the fabulous Dubai Race Course for horses (as distinct from camels). What’s more, entry was free and we could roam around most of the facilities. The grandstand looked like a huge luxury cruise liner with its seven stories and a spectacular roof from out of space stretching away into the distance. We could walk to the parade ring to see these top class pedigreed steeds so nearby that it felt like you could touch them and then amble to the railing to see them come racing by with thundering hoofs. There is no betting here, so Howzat Traveller Dave Lowe organised a lucky draw for our group and much fun was had by all. Margaret returned the next morning for a behind the scenes tour of all the Racecourse facilities which makes for some fascinating telling.
Individually, the group has been doing their own thing like visiting the various shopping malls and the big favourite the Burj Khalifa tower. It reaches nearly a kilometre in to the sky and the lifts travel very quickly I am told. I will be experiencing that next week as you have to book ahead. The Desert Safari outing was much more exciting than I anticipated. I certainly have more respect for the four wheel drive vehicles one sees on the city streets than before and some of the dunes we traversed I did not think possible. After much whooping and cries of anguish, we stopped at a camp in the middle of nowhere for our desert buffet which this time could be enjoyed with a glass of wine or beer. After an indigenous dancing show top billed by a very good belly dancer we made our way home.
The journey to Abu Dhabi was seemless and let’s hope for better cricket…
Des
