Just a quick entry .... apparently this system does not have any location markers for the United Arab Emirates so my Travel Map cannot be updated - shame, I was hoping for a nice little pin in the Middle East by the time I'd finished !
Anyway, today I thought I'd have a "wander" down to the beach and along to see the Jameirah Beach Hotel (The famous Dubai landmark) .... the "wander" became a test of stamina. I think the map I have is a bit misleading with the scale. After about an hour of walking past customs offices, docks, dry docks and completely uninspiring surroundings I eventually fell upon Jameirah Road which run alongside the beach. Unfortunately a lot of the beach is private so you can't get on but after about ... ooh, another hour, I found the "Open Beach", glanced at my map and I seemed to have walked a nano millimetre of the way.
So, onto the beach, very nice - luckily the weather here is only about 24 degrees, very chilly (tee hee) so not exactly sun bathing weather, which of course I wouldn't be able to do anyway as I have to remain "modestly covered" here in this strict Muslim country. However I walked onto some rocks and I looked out to sea and I think I could discern in the distance some small islands - probably the start of the infamous "World" development - there is also now a "Universe" addition I believe. If you don't know what I'm talking about check it out on Google Earth. Strange to be so near to something so bizarre and not be able to see it.
I glance left and in the hazy distance I saw the familiar shape of the Jameirah Beach Hotel. So, taking a deep breath I thought I've got to walk up there so off I strided .... and on ..... and on ..... back on the road for easy walking .... and on, popped back on the beach to see how far to go - THE BLOODY THING IS STILL MILES AWAY !! On a bit of a mission now, back to the road ......back to the beach ... I swear that thing is a bloody mirage, it never got closer. After 2 hours I gave up. Right, my legs are knackered, I'm going to get a bus back. At the bus stop there were about 10 of us waiting and a bus turned up (not the one I wanted) and the driver stopped, glanced back into his bus and signalled that there wasn't enough room for everyone, only 2, let 2 women on. So 2 women, the 2 people who were last to arrive were allowed on the bus. Wow, what a chivalrous country !!
Then my bus arrived, the driver stopped, did the same thing, glanced back then told the 3 of us waiting we couldn't get on as it was full. FULL ??? In my recent experience a bus is not full if you can shut the doors, the bus is not full if your nostrils aren't jammed into someone's armpit - from what I could see you could fit a baby elephant in the front standing area, what the hell did he mean full ?? Obviously I didn't verbalise any of this, I just shrugged it off and decided to walk (a UK woman yesterday was jailed here in Dubai for adultery - I'm thinking this is not a country to mess about in) - the first country I've been in a long time that has any semblance of H&S procedures and they follow them - god help me when I get home !
So, my legs complaining all the way - I walked back - 2 bloody hours, according to the map I think I managed to get half way to Jameirah Beach Hotel. Maybe tomorrow I'll try the bus up there .... if it's not FULL !!
|
