Monday, 27 Mar 2017 – There was great
disorganization this morning when we were trying to join our tour group and
then exit the ship. When we were
arriving at the meeting place onboard the ship at 8:45 AM, the time set for the
meeting, we met (coming toward us) a large group of people already dismissed
from that room and heading into the hall to receive their bus number. People in
line told us that we needed an “In Transit” sticker for the front of our shirts,
which had been sent to our room – but we didn’t have them. The crew member giving out bus number
stickers said that the bus number was more important than the “In Transit”
sticker, and to stay in line. When we
were close to the ship’s exit, our line totally stopped for at least 20
minutes. Today was the end of the cruise
for many people (only 400 out of the 2500 passengers, including us, were not
disembarking). At first, groups of
disembarking passengers were called to leave the ship (normal procedure for
disembarkation so that their exit is kept orderly), but then those people
filled up the area near the exit where our line was standing. But there was also a long line of ship staff
boarding at this time, and the exiting passengers were completely stopped while
they boarded. Only Jesse (and a few
other tall people) could see the boarding people; everyone else wondered what
was happening.
Due
to that mess, our bus was a half hour late (9:30 instead of 9:00 AM) in leaving
the pier to begin our 4.5 hour tour “Discover Dubai – Old and New.” Dubai is often referred to the Golden City.
At
the pier, we saw the ship, Queen Elizabeth II, which will soon become a
floating resort. Also, new cars filled
huge parking lots. Our guide said they
import cars and then export them.
 |
| Jumeirah Mosque |
A
drive through Dubai consists of great photo opportunities. Our guide told us that their ruler wants to
attract tourists here, which is a big reason for such impressive
buildings. The dazzling hotel Burj Al
Arab, designed to resemble a billowing sail and dominating the Dubai coastline,
is one photo opportunity; another is the Jumeirah Mosque, an impressive example
of Islamic architecture.
Our
guide mentioned that If someone is seen riding on the metro with gum or candy
in his/her mouth, they could be fined.
(This is an effect to keep the surroundings clean, but Sally felt
sympathy for any residents who might have a severe shortage of saliva as she
does!)
Since
the sun was under clouds during some of the day and apparently there had been
storms not far away, we were lucky to experience quite comfortable outdoor
temperatures in this entire area. The
bus stopped for about 10 minutes by the beach.
Our guide told us that there are no fishermen here from Dubai; the
former fishermen are now rich, only foreigners are fishermen. Since everything is imported, prices are high
here. Although men here can have four
wives, they are becoming more modern with “family values,” so that most have
only one wife. “Locals” (citizens)
receive 40 percent discounts at grocery stores.
The ruler of Dubai also gives $20,000 or $30,000 US to each male citizen
getting married to start his “new life.”
A mosque is present for every 10 houses; if this is not so, citizens
can petition the government, and a mosque will be built.
This
guide talked about camels and camel racing.
Since camels can never be tamed, their front feet are tied at night so
that they won’t wander away. In the
past, camels were raced using small children (of 5 or 6 yrs) on their backs; if
the child cried, the crying caused the camel to run faster. After human rights people objected to this
practice, technology had also progressed to the point that a small box could be
tied to a camel’s back, with sounds like a crying child emitting from the box –
with the same effect.
It
is difficult to believe that barely 30 years ago, this gleaming metropolis was
a little more than a desert-strewn wilderness, where nomadic tribes roamed the
sands and a cluster of settlers crowded around the banks of Dubai Creek. When we visited the Dubai Museum, located in
the 200-year-old Fort Fahidi, we viewed a collection of monuments and
artifacts. Much of it was quite dark, as
visitors filed past reproductions of people as they lived in previous
times. Because of the darkness, it was
difficult to see some of the exhibits; and Jesse wasn’t able to get good photos
because his camera’s flash wasn’t working well.
Incidentally,
two people on our bus had received extra “In Transit” labels, which they gave
to us; therefore, when we approached the pier, we had no problem in re-boarding
the ship. Later, when Jesse checked more
carefully, he discovered that we had never received any “In Transit” stickers,
though we did receive the letter that should have contained them! All’s well that ends well!
After
reaching our cabin, Sally napped for about 45 minutes before we had to attend
the mandatory lifeboat drill again, as we had when we boarded in Singapore 18
days ago. Although it seemed unnecessary
for us to repeat the procedure, it was a requirement. After dinner, we danced for a longer time
than usual, which somewhat made up for not swimming at all today.
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