Dubai

We are back in Kampala after a week in Dubai catching up with Edward and Alice on their way back to Melbourne. Dubai was probably not on our list of 'places to see before we die' but it is a direct flight from Entebbe and somewhere different. Our lasting impression was that it was HOT!! I think we thought that after acclimatising to constant temperatures of 25+ here we were used to warmer places but the wall of heat that hit you as you came out of the air conditioned airport was amazing! It was mostly around 45 dgrees C and you certainly needed the air con. It restricted our site seeing as our usual way of exploring would be on foot! However we did lots and saw the tourist places suggested! We did a bus tour of the gold and spice souks (markets), the museum was interesting, in the reconstructed old fort. We went to the beach where you can see the 7 star hotel that looks like a huge yacht sailing out to sea. We swam lots in the rooftop pool in very warm water although they said the pool was chilled and we had a dip in the Arabian Gulf one evening. The whole place has lots of building construction, I cannot imagine how the workers on the sites can work in those temperatures! There are enormous skyscrapers. The tallest tower on the left of the photo above is 600 metres and once it is completed it will be 800 metres. They are also building a metro which will take trains to the airport and then Abu Dhabi which is raised above the main motorway through the city and seems to fly over the city. The bus stops are air conditioned!

We went 'Dune bashing' in a four wheel drive. It was pretty exciting coming to the top of a dune like a wall in front of you then careering down the other side with sand spraying out like water. Staying on the side of the dunes was an art but when Ed asked our young driver if he enjoyed his job the answer was a definite 'Yes!' There were lots of cars doing the evening trip and this one got well and truly stuck. The drivers tried to dig it out and tow it out but eventually had to abandon it and put the occupants in another car. Apparently it was left there to be collected the next day with a broken front axle!

You could see how easy it would be to get lost as every direction looked the same and our driver told us that the dunes are constantly changing. We went to a Bedouin Camp and sat on carpets for a traditional meal. Alice had a ride on a camel and there was a belly dancer. Ed was excellent when he was asked to join in! You could have a go at smoking a 'hookah' and we watched the baker cooking nan bread in a clay oven and then ate it hot-delicious!

We did lots of shopping! It was cool in the malls. We went to the biggest mall in the world 'Emirates Mall' with over 2,000 shops and restaurants from everywhere and a ski slope??!! We did manage the 15 minute walk to the mall nearest to our appartment. We shared some good meals out. Alcohol is only available in licenced hotels so none to buy in the shops and none in most eating places! The photo of the four of us is one evening we went to the Sheraton which was near to the appartment and did serve alcohol. We also went on a Dhow dinner cruise down Dubai creek which was lovely as the creek was full of boats all lit up like this one!

This view from the boat made us smile! This is where you can buy the most expensive watch in the world! The missing lights will remind us of street traders trying to sell 'top brand name' handbags, watches everywhere and at one point after saying 'No, thank you,' yet again Rob said any minute now they will offer me a Mont Blanc pen and immediately a man came towards us ....'Mont Blanc pen sir?'

It was good to be somewhere that had good roads (no potholes!) and traffic that flowed well with people obeying the traffic rules! Pavements that were there, quick service and a good choice of shops and goods, but we missed the smiling friendly greetings that you always get here and although service in Uganda is sometimes unbelievably slow and sometimes you get entirely the wrong thing, it is always done with good humour and apologies. At one fairly up-market safari lodge the waiter came with the sad news that, 'the red wine is over' and when we enquired if there was any white he said, 'I will have to go and check.'!!!! We ended up with one warm and one cold beer which we mixed!! It was great to spend time with Edward and Alice and a change for us.