I introduced my four day visit to the dramatic city of Dubai in this initial article and this installment is the first of three tours around the most interesting views of the city. My hotel for the initial two nights was in the Bur Dubai district alongside the Creek, the original waterway around which Dubai developed and so this area is much more traditional that the tall sky scraping buildings we are used to seeing. The walkway from the Canopy by Hilton hotel runs all the way to the ocean with just a little detour around some streets and so there is plenty of opportunity to get out and capture some sights!
I had no issues with security guards with using a tripod on the first evening (although I was somewhat careful to not stand there when I could see them approaching. There are strict rules in the UAE about not photographing people without their permission, and so I was always concerned about that. So, no issues at all with the photos I wanted to take.
It was Ramadan during my visit and so many restaurants were pretty empty during the day and packed in the evening – not this one, though! This was around 9pm or so in the Al Seef shopping area as it transitioned into the souk with traders selling the usual trinkets and clothes from small stands and stores. There were also some interesting doorways, although I was never too sure how old much of this area was!
The next morning I was up bright and earlyish and strolling back along the boardwalk towards the old town.
As you can see, not very busy! Perhaps because of Ramadan, but this was pretty much the same wherever I went that day. Docked alongside the walk were some of the large dhows that are used for trips and dinner cruises along the Creek:
I continued my stroll past the old fortress which now houses the Dubai Museum. Like quite a few attractions, this was closed during my visit.
As I got closer to the sea, I entered the well restored area of what was once the heart of Dubai before oil was discovered and has now been turned into an enormous museum of life and history of the emirate. Different buildings hold museums dedicated to a particular field – perfumes in one, the culture of the sea and pearl diving in another. As you can see in this next image, I was pretty much on my own and I was sure everything was closed for Ramadan as each door had the sign – Open 05:00 to 10:00. Only when I finally saw an open door and walked in, did I discover that they knew this sign was causing confusion, but they read from right to left and so it meant that the museum actually closed at 5pm, not the other way around!
This area is known as the Al Shindagha district, and includes the original palace that the Sheikh lived in as Dubai was developing.
The culture of the seas was intriguing as I learned about the long history of diving for pearls along this area of the gulf as well as admiring the dhows that are displayed outside (and also inside the museum):
I thought this shipwreck was very cleverly done:
Finally, this isn’t the Sheikh’s palace, but was an impressive building alongside the Creek:
With 9 miles under my belt, I was pretty much exhausted by now and took the metro back to the hotel (although still a 15 minute walk from the metro station back to the creek). I think an Uber would have been a good idea, instead! Incidentally, I usually book the “comfort” Uber’s which were normally Lexus or Tesla cars. The regular ones were perhaps a dollar or so cheaper, but then I tried that option, it turned out to be a Lexus again – so who knows! I did use a regular taxi a couple of times, but that was nothing like as comfortable and perhaps because I said I wanted the quickest route (which was a detour down the main highway at speed!), it cost about the same as the Uber and you have to pay on the spot, of course.
Surprisingly I did one more walk down the creek that evening, but my plan for the next day was to visit the Jumeirah Mosque, which is the only one that non-Muslims can visit in the country as part of an education and cultural exchange that the Government runs. This turned out to be fascinating with a great speaker explaining the life of a Muslim around the mosque and a very open and welcoming approach to photography both outside and inside the mosque.
This was a reflection of the mosque in an adjacent office building. It was somewhat difficult to get far enough away to get a good photo of the mosque itself, especially with cars parked in this carpark, but with a bit of photoshop work, this is the full building:
We were welcomed with traditional arabian coffee, which is surprisingly mild and “weak” compared to what I am used to, but still refreshing. There was also an opportunity to try a hooded falcon on your arm!
Inside, the mosque was decorated in a lovely blue shade, and the dome was particularly attractive. We were encouraged to take the “money shot” looking directly up into the center of the dome:
I also thought the incense burner made an attractive image in its own right:
After the tour, what more could I do than walk some more!! I decided that La Mer was not too far and headed off to that modern “seaside” resort! The beach was pretty attractive but all along the edges of the town were the signs of new constructions and new islands being built out into the gulf. The small “retro” town center was pretty interesting though – restaurants and cafes, but with a great “historic” feel to it!
And an old Chevrolet truck in an Indiana Jones type of setting!
And, after that, it was definitely time to take an Uber back to my hotel and check-out ready for the next adventure – the move to the Airbnb in the Business Bay area of Dubai Downtown District!
