12-31-14 Dubai

• Bus to Mall of the Emirates, then taxi to Burj al Arab (sail-shaped hotel).  Couldn’t get in because of special New Year’s restrictions.  So walked to the Gateway of the Palm Jemeirah, then more walking towards the Atlantis.  Long walk!  Finally gave up and flagged down a taxi for the last mile or two.  

• Dubai’s sights are big, and spread out.  Took a pass at the “Aquaventure” waterpark ($80), as I did earlier at the “Wild Wadi Water Park” (also $80).  Ouch!  Once more couldn’t go into the hotel because of New Years.  The place was mobbed.  Once more endless number of stores, mostly luxury goods: is everybody rich here?  

• Came upon a bunch of rabbits hanging out on the grass, tame as hell.

• Right now I am sitting in the Dubai Marina, at the same cafe where I sat with Saad last night, watching the crowd go by.  Smoked a shisha, which made me first pleasantly woozy, then slightly sick.  An iced coffee, panini, and salad settled the stomach: $25.  The marina is full of pleasure craft, and surrounded by lit up skyscrapers, one with a twist in it.  Women in glitter, head scarves, serious eye & eyebrow makeup.  Quite a few blacks, sometimes mixed couples.  (I wonder where the blacks come from?)  Couples sometimes holding hands, but not much more (I watched a guard in Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art ask a couple to stop nuzzling).

01-01-15 Dubai

• Last night was a horror show.  As soon as the fireworks were over (pretty cool, actually, with fireworks going off up and down the Burj Khalifa, plus other stuff going off in two or three other nearby locations), everybody headed for the metro.  They say a million spectators were at the show.  Pushing, shoving, squeezing, occasionally screaming - I began to feel out of control and scared.  Visions of getting squished to death, as one reads happens at soccer matches.  Took a few pictures of the crowd, then a cop grabbed me and my camera, forced me to delete the offending photos.  Other cops standing by with German shepherds.  Scary.  Then, after finally getting to the metro and off at the bus station, discovered the bus had been canceled.  With 4 other random folks who were also waiting at the bus stop, we tried for about an hour to get a taxi.  Finally found one, and in bed by 3:30 AM.  Horrible evening.

• Slept late, bus & metro to Al Fahidi historic district.  “History” in this country doesn’t go back very far, but the district was clean, with plain angular walls topped with the occasional wind tower, and inhabited by art galleries and tourist shops.  Best is the “Local House” cafe, where I am about to try my first dish of camel meat, washed down with a mint/lemon drink.