The southeast of the Arabian peninsula isn't the Middle East that today is only sadly famous for its socio-religious turmoil, but an area that is politically more stable and wealthier than its neighbours, where oil and its extraction have greatly expanded the economic prospects of these zones, until just a few years ago completely closed in on themselves and totally alien to international tourism. A week is little to appreciate the thousand attractions of these countries, but enough to leave you wanting to come back... This time Michael is accompanying me, and as always we set off from Barcelona, not too cold to tell the truth, but still enough to want to escape... So we decide to split the trip between Dubai and Muscat, two totally different realities, at least on paper...
Dubai's airport welcomes us with its lavish luxuries (just think that it's the only airport in the world where Rolls Royce has a duty-free shop...), and after getting our visa (free of charge), a taxi takes us, for Dh.34 (E.8) to our hotel, located right beside the gold souq. The Gold Plaza, name aside, is a small but clean and central hotel, where a double costs Dh75 per person: certainly one of the best prices in Dubai. Before leaving, I must say I didn't expect much from this city, but I admit that despite being a modern centre with everything that entails, Dubai is an interesting metropolis, where it isn't hard to find pleasantly relaxing corners where you can contemplate the swarming crowds and time flowing slowly...
2 or 3 days are more than enough to visit it, and then taking advantage of the beaches and trendy clubs is a personal choice, even if the sea and the climate in January aren't so suited to a swimsuit (about 12*/13* at night and 20*/22* during the day) unless you're English, German or Scandinavian... The first day we devote to visiting the "old" part, or rather the nucleus from which the city developed. The Creek is fundamental for orienting yourself in Dubai and all around it you can find the Dubai Museum (Dh3), where you won't find archaeological finds, but an accurate and interesting reconstruction of the area, of life and culture from the first Bedouin inhabitants up to today's metropolis. Also interesting is the nearby Bastakia Quarter, where old houses of Iranian traders have been restored.
The quiet little streets today host small museums, art galleries and bars: the XVA cafe, even if a bit pricey, is worth a stop. The Heritage Village and the adjacent house of Sheikh Saeed (Dh2) help even more to imagine how life passed in the last century...don't miss the "boat-bus" that shuttles between one bank and the other of the creek for just Dh0.50! To end the day, before smoking a good apple sheesha (the 4 seasons restaurant is one of the few cheap bars offering a wide choice of flavours...), a nice walk in the gold and perfume souqs is unmissable...
On the second day the tour starts from the Dubai World Trade Center, the first skyscraper built in the city and from where a huge avenue departs, along which a myriad of crystal towers, of more or less dubious beauty, have been built in recent years and, as the countless cranes show, others will come in the future: this is where Miami meets the desert! The Emirates Towers deserve a mention, one of which is a luxurious 5-star hotel, where Ferraris, BMWs and Lamborghinis "drop off" rich businessmen.
Trick: pretend you're interested in a room and you'll be able to zoom at 6 mt per second up to the 52nd floor and admire the interiors of this building, entirely in glass, and the incredible view it offers!!! A taxi is then indispensable (about Dh60 from the creek...) to reach the Burj Al-Arab, the only 7-star hotel in the world, where for E.40 and with a reservation, you can visit the excesses of this world, among which the gold interiors and the underwater restaurant: the hotel is today a must-see in Dubai....on the third day, if you've walked km like us, and everything has been seen, you can dedicate yourself to shopping: by choice and for economic reasons, Michael and I did our shopping in Deira, even if more than in Dubai it feels like being in New Delhi, try it to believe it!!!i
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