Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh, and Sri Lankan Lunch

It rather felt like a perfect Christmas day. 

As we are in the lands to the east, just as the Three Wise Men. We started by the short walk from our hotel to the Gold Souk. It is less than a kilometer from our hotel and always an interesting venue to visit. 

I was thinking of buying a gold ring to replace a 'puzzle ring' I lost decades ago. Gold in the vast market here is sold by weight at the world price of the metal on the day of purchase. Puzzle rings are no longer offered without a special order nowadays. I didn't spend $1000 on one that looked the same but couldn't be accidently 'opened' but decided against doing so, even though gold always makes financial sense. It isn't very practical as if I store it, it cannot be admired and if I wear it, I'll lose it.

 

Eventually, we moved from the perfume, gold souk areas and got on the Metro to head to Karama, Jay's and my old area of residence in the early 90s. The sisters found another shop in which to pick up some of the last goods that'll go back to Sri Lanka in bags with us on Saturday. It was nearly two by the time I asked Google Maps to direct us to the Celyonian Restaurant. We had a good rice and curry lunch for a reasonable price.

   

We took an Uber back across the creek to our hotel rather than carrying shopping bags on public transit.

Christmas Eve at the Dubai Fountains

In the morning, we just stayed around the Baniyas Square. Even Jay and I did a bit of shopping picking up just a few clothes. We got Uzbec takeaway for lunch but what we got for Jay's sisters had beef in it. So, Jay went and got some extra bread and cheese for them. We were saving our energy as we wanted to return to the Burj Khalifa on this trip.

 

Rather and squeezing into the overcrowded Metro's Red Line, we called an Uber that sneaked us right into an area that was just a short walk outdoors to the artificial lake near the Dubai Mall. It cost a few dollars more than transit but it was so worth the cool, easy trip.  We got there when it was light, but the sunset is around 5:30 pm at this time of year in Dubai.  So, we walked in the mall and saw the must see sights of the Waterfalls, Aquarium Wall, and Ice Rink.

 

The first fountain show started at 6:00 on the sharp.  We let some of the crowds get between us and the action as we knew many might leave.  So, we had front row seats for the 6:30 and 7:00 shows.  In between on the quarter hours, the tallest building in the world puts on short light shows too.  So we got to see the Burj in a number of different costumes.

      

We tried to return via the Dubai Metro.  It's not a secret that this world class city vastly underbuilt the main Red Line.  I don't think I've ever ridden with so many other people squeezed into such a small space.  And bear in mind, we've done a whole lot of travelling.  

We managed to get back and transfer to the Green Line at Union Station.  Perhaps bruised and exasperated but we arrived at Baniyas Square nevertheless.  What a neat thing to do with at least 100,000 other spectators on Christmas eve!

 

Our Tuesday in Dubai

 

It's easy walking around in light clothes even if a "cold front from Siberia" is present. The temperatures were between 18 and 25C today. We were out in the morning just walking around enjoying the bustling environment. First, we crossed the creek by taking the Metro's Green Line to Sharaf  DG. There's a supermarket that Jay's sister's especially like for things such as packed cashews and hair products.

   

Out typical schedule here contains a bit of an afternoon nap. We have done that for much of our retirement though and so it is not unusual. It works well in warmer places even if it's not called a siesta around these parts. The evenings are a great time to be out!

We took an abra across the creek to the Bur Dubai.  These are historical staples in the transportation system here and still cost us one dirham each to jump aboard.  Dozens ply the waterway although there are numerous bridges, a tunnel, and several subway lines that cross over or under the water.  It is a quintessential and still common method that works well.

 

We walked around along the water front near the old Bank of Baroda.  The old souk area was refurbished nicely and remains an important link to Dubai's past.  We decided to get on the Metro system again and return to the Sharaf DG stop.  Rather than visit the Medina Supermarket as we did in the morning, we walked though the Mina Bazaar area.  It is an area of east Indian shops and restaurants.

   

As it was getting late, we stopped for dinner at an outdoor, covered restaurant we usually visit when in Dubai.  Eating out, just as most supermarket food, is cheaper here than at home in Canada.  Four people cannot eat at home for $20 CAD but last night that included the 10% tip.

I put this image on Facebook today.  I wrote there's nothing that say's Merry Christmas like a bowl of chicken biryani.  If you don't know what it is, look it up because you are in a minority of the world's population.

Potential Shopping Records Set

 

Monday started out nicely and the whole day witnessed wonderful weather. This is the type of weather we loved about Dubai back when we lived here for five years in the 1990s. Little else seems the same, because the city never stops changing. That is the definition of this place: rapid, breakneck change.

 

We are very close to the Baniyas Square Metro station and plan to get around exclusively by the subway system.  Today was another complete day dedicated to letting Jay's sisters do their thing.  Shopping is a type of sport.

There were times today that I thought that none of this was worth the time and patience.  However, I am sure they really enjoyed weighing bargains and making decisions of the things with which to return to Sri Lanka.  They know enough on past visits to head right to what they want.

That means taking the Green Line all the way around to tunnel under the end of the creek and get out at the Burjuman Centre.  That neighbourhood is familiar as we have spent much of the time of all combined visits at the Rose Garden Apartments Hotel in Bur Dubai.  (This time we're in a hotel on the other side of the creek in old Deira.)  Anyway, a Zaharhat hypermarket was choice number one today.

   

The opposite end of the day also involved going the the other way just one stop to Union Station.  There is another large Day-to-Day on that side.  I had to wait with some half-filled carts for what seemed like most of forever.  Eventually they returned to the line of registers and I felt pleased.  I know both of Jay's sisters enjoyed today's expedition in search of bargains.

I'm happy that Jay and I could give them the opportunity.  It is one reason so many people love coming to this city.  Jay and I though have a much closer relationship with this city because of our past ties and shared experiences here.

Sunday Spending on Shopping

These full plastic shopping bags sitting on the hotel bed represent the main activity of the day.

   

We were up a bit late for breakfast because of noisy guests upstairs. After the hotel's substantial breakfast buffet, we walked out to Baniyas Square to catch an underground metro train to Union Station. Then, we switched to the Red Line under the creek and past Burjuman. The destination was the station near the Karama area. Well, specifically we were headed to the station closest to the largest, five-storey Day-to-Day Department store. It's the flagship store of a chain with prices that make one consider the sanity of the global supply chain.

Just being inside the building makes one a participant in rampant consumerism.  It's so weird but it sort of fits well into the city called Dubai.  Hundreds of thousands of tourists fly in, fill up suitcases full of cut-rate goods, and fly home with bounty from the world over.  Ironically, some of the items are from their own countries, but these shoppers get a better deal doing so here rather than at home.  It's all sort of a headscratcher that has been going on now for decades.  

It's all thanks to the Almighty UAE dirham that has been exactly chained as 3.67 to the US dollar for at least half a century.  I've noted the new 2025 symbol for the currency.  It's now represented by a before a number.  I think Jay's sisters spent a total of 500 of them.  This represents a far greater value in merchandise than could have been purchased for an equivalent number of rupees spent domestically in Sri Lanka.  As well as the mind boggling selection in the UAE, the added value makes shopping so enticing here. 

We had a late lunch in a Sri Lankan restaurant just across the street called the Pappadam.  

Back By the Creek

We knew our disembarkation would be today. We just didn't realize exactly how quickly the seven nights aboard the MSC Euribia would seem to go. We ate an enormous amount of delicious food aboard the ship. We saw a country never visited before and we also reacquainted ourselves with a county we last saw in 1991. We enjoyed it all. 

Yet there was no changing the fact we had to get off the ship this morning. It went as planned and we vacated our room at 8:00 am. We had a leisurely breakfast and extra time to sit around the swimming pool for a bit this morning. We finally, scanned our final exit by showing our ship cards. We went to get a taxi to take us to the Riviera Hotel again. We checked out last Saturday after a one-night stay. Today we checked in for seven more.

 

We were all set up after unpacking at noon.  We headed out for some early shopping.  The Carrefour Supermarket at the City Centre Deira Mall is enormous.  It took two lines on the Metro to get there.  Jay put D50 on all four of our NOI cards.  We save the transit cards and just put on more cash when we arrive in Dubai.  This is something that wasn't possible back in the days we called Dubai home for five years.  Today, we ducked into the Baniyas Square station and walked much farther inside the mall.

In fact it was getting pretty late so we went inside the Mall's food court and had Indian food as they sold veggie meals for the sisters.  I guess I'm not very great at taking selfies ...

Today, We Moved Around 3,300 Kms

We were waiting for our ride to the airport before 6:30 am.  It was as smooth ride and easy check-in on Emirates.

The flight time is was a bit over four hours.  Emirates Airlines still offers a pretty good free meal.  Jay and I had chicken biriyani and the sisters had salmon.  In the airport, Jay was the only one who made it through the smart gates, where one just puts the passport on the scanner, looks at the camera and the gate pops open.  Jay's sisters must've not looked directly at the camera as they had to join me.  My passport is new and the system must be cleared at a real person during one's first entry.  It didn't take us long.

The airport taxi van got us to our hotel in Deira on Bayias Street in about fifteen minutes.  We took a bit of time moving stuff out of bags.  Then, the sisters changed some money into UAE dirhams. We popped into a couple of stores. Last, we found a place to take away chicken and falafel shawarmas.

There is a 2.5 hour time zone difference.  The clock shows it is earlier than it feels. We will be in bed by 9:00 local time.  We like the view across the restored traditional historical Emirati village on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, then across the area of Karama where Jay and I lived from 1991 to 1996, and finally on towards the new buildings to the west.  The Burj Khalifa is something that we've seen at least six times during the last ten years.  However, even when far away, it doesn't fall to impress as the world's tallest building.  

It's the Day Before the Trip to Dubai

 

Day 041 of Our Winter: This morning I walked around the house and snapped a few photos before 7:00 am. This seemed only right as tomorrow we will be up before the sun. The airport's close and we don't have an early flight but have to check in pretty early for our 9:55 am flight to Dubai. A van will come to take the four of us and the luggage and carry-on bags.  For four people it will require a lot of room. 

Then, on Saturday morning, we will awake in the desert. Well, not exactly. We booked a hotel we never really noticed during all of our years living and visiting Dubai. This is a hotel that was actually standing back in the early 90s when Jay and I lived there. In fact, it may have opened in the 1960s already making it old during the Dubai of our era.  

In 2025, of course much of the country is completely different.  We like the authenticity of the 'real' city.  However, when living in a city one doesn't pay much attention to the local hotels. This was true when we lived in Karama from 1991 to 1996.  We' booked to stay the initial night in the Riviera Hotel right along the original creek. After our cruise, we'll return to the same location for a week of shopping and sightseeing. 

So, today was about packing. Two weeks somewhere doesn't require much planning and it proved a breeze for Jay and me. However, Jay's sisters take packing just as seriously as the shopping! It took them longer. Today though, a few other things happened. The image below is a truck that came with Nazir. Some of the junk in the back shed needed to move on. The last wide screen TV still in its original box went away with assorted junk in that truck.