Day 121 - A shamal blew in today. We were expecting a bit of cloudy weather, but the cooler Mediterranean breeze only arrived with a tiny bit of dust. This type of mini dust storm can happen and it makes the long-distance views look a little hazy. However, it made for a great day to show the older, more original, part of Bur Dubai and Deira.
We got on at our close Metro station and got off nearer the mouth of the creek at Al Ghubaiba.
We walked up the Bur Dubai side along the water and through the old souk. I like the fact the original parts of the city were not bulldozed and they didn't simply turn into a museum. There is still plenty of regular business. For example, Jay's sisters bought some spices at a famous shop that gets lots and lots of business. Although not his native language, the store assistant carried on the conversation in Sinhalese as soon as he confirmed they were from Sri Lanka.
Of course, we hopped on an abra. This way to get across the creek is a few hundred years old. Now it costs a single UAE dirham (a bit more than a US quarter) to cross. It's still used as daily transport for thousands of passengers per day.
We walked and stopped in a shop or two on the Deira side. From Baniyas Square we got back on the Metro and returned to the Bur Juman station and had a late lunch at the apartment.
After a little downtime, we ended up dedicating most of the evening to a little shopping. Dubai is known as a great place to shop. A consumer at most any price-point can find exactly what they need. It is famous for Sri Lankans and I knew the ladies would find the Day-to-Day chain amazing. I didn't know, though, it would take quite so long to explore each of the five floors.
Although we walked to the Karama Store at 4:40, we didn't get back for at least four hours. We did buy chicken shwarmas as takeaway for us and because they're vegetarians, falafel wraps for Jay's sisters. Jay and I have been in and out of the Middle East for decades, so it was amusing to hear them try to pronounce falafel as it was a word they'd never heard!
