Dubai = Luxury on Steroids!

My first sight of Dubai from my veranda

An oryx in search of dinner.

The falcon and his owner/trainer.

A glorious sunset in the desert outside of Dubai.

Oh my, this is going to be difficult. My experiences in Dubai were breathtakingly exciting, wonderful, thrilling, spectacular, you name the superlative and it was that and more! If money can buy it, or man can imagine it, it is in Dubai! Upon arrival into the harbor, the city was shrouded in fog somewhat veiling its beauty. Even with that light fog, I was awestruck. For years I have believed myself to be familiar with the city and UAE in general because of Howie's work here necessitating many, many trips and much of his time over the last decade or so of his career. Renda had also spent time in Dubai and did her best to pass on to me her view of the city. Yet I was totally unprepared for what I saw at each and every turn. My excursions while in Dubai were planned to take full advantage of the time available before moving on to the next port. After all, I could rest on the way to and while at the next port, and that I did.

The Insignia arrived in port about one in the afternoon of the one hundred and second day of our voyage. Once the ship was cleared by the port authorities, we were instructed to systematically proceed ashore to clear customs. That meant we were to go by deck level into the port terminal, collect our passport from the ship authorities, present our passport to UAE officials for stamping, move on to the next station to surrender our passport, then we were free to go explore or back to the ship. Flawless entry. Oceania had arranged a grant event exclusively for their ATW's, an Evening at Al Maha Desert Dune Resort & Spa. Quite an elaborate affair and no small logistical undertaking. Transportation of some four hundred people from the port through Dubai thirty odd miles into the desert would have stopped me, but this was not the Resort's first rodeo. We were all to gather in the Insignia Lounge at four pm to receive our "Jeep" assignment. Being well trained into HSB's fashionably early style, I and five of my friends received a group two assignment. Once receiving the assignment, we proceeded to the parking lot to find one hundred luxury SUV's waiting to take us to the event. We sped (as much as traffic would allow) through downtown Dubai along the freeway separating "old" Dubai from "new" Dubai passing The Frame and numerous other landmarks as we went. At one point one of my friends pointed out a new model Lexus covered in dirt to the point that it was difficult to determine its color. He said to our driver, "That's got to be the dirtiest car in Dubai" to which our driver responded "Oh, yes! He will be fined." What? There is a law here, and strictly enforced, that one must keep one's cars clean. If not, the fine is more than one hundred US dollars. Well I guess that explains why all these hundreds and hundreds of vehicles were sparkling clean. Dubai is by far the cleanest city I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Even the construction barriers/fencing are artistically painted. Old town, we were told, was built chiefly in the 1990s and in his estimation should be torn down allowing new, better buildings to take their place. Really, something from 1990 is past its usefulness? So what do they do with their old people? Say someone from the 1940's? Not sure I wanted to know, so did not pose that question. I noticed as we traveled that we, Jeep #13, consistently stayed two car lengths behind jeep #12 in the center lane of the freeway. Occasionally a vehicle with a higher number posted in the rear window would go around us causing our driver to mutter in disgust, "new driver." We were told that there is a system and all the experienced drivers knew the system and respected it, but the new drivers were not so obedient. He also remarked that while there were many venues out in the desert much like ours, Al Maha was the premier resort.

After pulling off the freeway, we stopped to let some air out of the tires to safely speed over the sand dunes to our first stop where carpeting had been spread over the sand and four hundred cushions placed in rows upon the carpet. From these cushions, we enjoyed drinks, dates, nuts and other nibbles, a falcon show and the sun setting behind the dunes. The falconer explained that the falcon was the national bird of United Arab Emirates. Wow! Who knew? And as such if the falconer chose to travel with his falcon, the bird MUST travel first class. His falcon was a beloved member of his family and lived with him inside their residence. The falcon's health and well being took priority over everything. I'm perched on my cushion thinking, well the falcon is the falconer's livelihood so they aren't so altruistic, just practical. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular show and ducked for cover only twice as the falcon flew very low just over my head. Before I was ready for it to end, having earned his keep, the falcon was fed a lesser animals remains equal to one third of its body mass. His daily allotment of food.

Then we watched in awe as the sun set over the dunes. Immediately after sunset, our jeeps began to encircle the spectators much like the scenes on "Wagon Train" if anyone remembers that old TV show. Then we were taken to the theatre for more entertainment and dinner. Along the way we disturbed a couple of oryx grazing, some gazelles fleeing over distant dunes, a whole lot of sand and the serenity of the desert. Arriving at the dinner venue we walked the gauntlet of Arabian rifle twirlers onto another carpet covered acre or so appointed with low, knee high tables surrounded by eight sets of cushions stacked two deep. Numerous times throughout the night gentlemen around me offered me assistance when rising or sitting. I am very proud to say that I made every ascent and descent unaided without a bobble! To one side of the venue were two tattoo artists skillfully applying henna tattoos to those who wished to have them. I decided to get one for shock value having been told it would disappear in three or four days. (God does have a sense of humor. Mine shows no sign of fading at this writing.) As we entered through the rifle-twirlers, we were given a glass of either champagne or wine of our choosing and soothed by the aroma of meat grilling. Once all one hundred vehicles had deposited their charges and all were seated upon our cushions, our hostess announced dinner buffet was served. A most delicious array of foods were beautifully displayed for our dining pleasure. Beef, fish, lamb, chicken, vegetables, desserts, salads, everything but pork. Not that anyone missed it. Before I had finished my dinner, the show began. First act was two handsomely attired men in colorful silk shirts and pants. They were whirling dervish performers. And perform they did! Unbelievable! Prior to them taking the stage, we were told by our hostess that they would avoid the dizziness usually caused by turning in circles by always turning counter-clockwise. Hmm. Never knew that trick but it worked for them. For a good long time they danced and twirled and stomped and shed clothing, never missing a beat until only their satin pants, black leather boots and beautiful silk shirts remained on their magnificent physiques. Then the lights on the clothing being twirled above their heads came on and they continued to dance and twirl. Luckily, I and my friends had chosen a table adjacent to the dance platform as they soon left the stage to enable them to be up close and personal with the audience. So close in fact that the more handsome of the two (no doubt wanting to give the old woman a thrill) twirled and danced his way over to me where he continued to spin his lighted cloak over our heads and asked how I was doing. At my response of fantastic and how are you he gave me a wink and thumbs up as he danced and twirled away.

The rifles were held by those to my left. Not sure what these guys were brandishing.

This took all of two minutes for her to paint.

Spectacular show. I would say the best I've ever seen but then it is the only one I've seen.

This lady had our full attention.

Following the whirling dervishers came the belly dancers. It was explained to us prior to their performance that this dance was first instituted as a method of preparing ones body for childbirth. Poppy cock! The bodies of these two young ladies were beyond perfect and their moves incredible. This was NOT your average strip joint performance but true art. Once again I was treated to an up close and personal exhibition which I dutifully video taped for my friend back home. Ask him, perhaps he will share the video with you. Entertainment concluded, appetites sated, we boarded our appointed jeeps for the return to our ship where we arrived shortly before eleven pm. The following morning was my scheduled hot-air balloon ride necessitating a 3 am wake up call.

Today Is Someday! Live It Up!