The outcome of yesterday’s choice was closer to option 1. I woke up with that familiar crappy feeling and we headed off for the bus to Dubai, which we couldn’t take because it was full. The baking Omani heat, my hangover and M’s inability to come to any kind of a decision left us sitting for a while until a bus to Buraimi, on the Emirati border pulled up. I made up my mind and we got on, and I fell asleep. Next thing I knew we were there, and walked across the border. In another one of those things which are impossible to understand but must be accepted, there are two border crossings in Buraimi, which go to the Emirati town of Al-Ain on the other side of the border. One is for Gulf countries only and takes you directly to the centre of Al-Ain. The other, which we ended up using, leaves out standing on the side of a highway, many kilometres out of town.
Once again, we stood around wandering where the nearest ATM was to pay for a taxi, until a 4x4 pulled up and a cheery voice spoke to the back of our heads. “Hi there! You guys need a lift?”. As I prayed to Allah that my alcohol sweat wouldn’t send our benefactors into immediate violent convulsions, we stepped in and thanked them for their help. To make me feel even better, one of their first words were “Sorry if we smell bad – we’ve been out collecting rocks all morning!”. I breathed a sigh of relief. My odour wasn’t going to kill anyone today. Jeff and Treva were a spritely couple from Missouri who showered us with help, invitations to their house for grilled fish, and drove us around town several times searching for snacks, money, and the bus stop to Dubai. We had to turn down their generous invite because we didn’t have anywhere to sleep in Dubai and felt that we should probably get going. My first act on the bus was, once again to fall asleep.
We decided that we wouldn’t have time to go to Musandam and so we’d just stay in Dubai to look at this huge city. M wants to see the desert and wadis in Oman and we don’t really have time to see both Musandam and the Wahiba Sands.
Dubai is a huge city in all dimensions, full of shiny things, people and money. It’s the biggest shrine to capitalism that I’ve ever seen – shopping malls are scattered all over the city, huge and imposing and offering different themes. M’s choice of Mall for us to visit, for instance, was themed on the Arab explorer Ibn Battuta and had various sections decorated according to the different areas he visited – Tunisia, Egypt, Andalusia, and so forth. An entire section was dedicated to restaurants, there was a 21 screen cinema, and the mall was open (and full of people) until midnight. People don’t only shop at malls, it’s a centre of Emirati social life too.
Ibn Battuta Mall - The large Chinese boats section
East meets WestDespite the shopping overload and the superficial nature of life there (big new cars and designer clothes everywhere you look) I found myself actually quite liking Dubai’s vibe. As I decided this the world looked on in shock and amazement although no-one was more surprised than me. I can’t really put my finger on it. It’s visibly impressive, of course, and it’s also a very functional city with a great public transport system, including waterboats and old abras going across the creek where the gentle sound of water splashing around the boat drowns out the traffic all around.
An oasis of calm...It’s very Western in one way, although people wander around in all sorts of traditional clothing and there are lively souqs and old quarters too, for instance the Batakiya district with its low-rise sand coloured houses by the creek. In many parts of town you can quite easily forget you’re in a city world renowned for shopping and skyscrapers. I even found myself towards the end imagining that I could quite happily live there. That may be slightly over the top and I’m sure I’d get bored of hanging around in shopping malls and staring at glass giants although it was definitely better than I thought.
M waits for a bus through the skyscraper jungle.
Islam adopts to anything!
It is Dubai - honest! The Batakiya district unveils its charmsWe ended up spending two days there (even if the second was by accident having missed the bus back to Muscat in what is becoming quite a trend) before heading back to Oman.
The ultimate Emirati souvenir - the world's largest gold ring. I politely turned down M's request to buy it for her
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