Eloise and Jerry's Travels: The Land Common Sense Forgot

Fujairah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Prepared August 20, 2012 at home Kona, Hawaii

April 9 and 10 at sea northern Indian Ocean enroute to Fujairah, UAE: Back in Pirate Waters

Silver Whisper departed Mumbai at 11:00pm on 8 April heading west northwest. We were back in pirate waters with the ship darkened and additional security in place. Our next destination was the UAE port of Fujairah on the northeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. There were, of course, the usual lectures, entertainments, and special meals to distract passengers during our two-day crossing. And, there was the rumor mill, which was busy with pirate adventures. About the only real event was the Hotel Director Norman and F&B Manager Sujith's wine and cheese event to introduce a collage of images which they had taken during the cruise. The collage was well done, and we have a copy somewhere in the house of mementos.

Our cruise across the northern Indian Ocean was uneventful and we docked in Fujairah, UAE at 8:00am on the morning of April 11. One does wonder what would happen if pirates did board a cruise ship. It would probably play out a little like John Hughes' novel, "A High Wind in Jamaica," with the pirates returning to their assault boats in a state of shock after being nearly heckled and nagged by the Mad White Women who make up most of the cruise passengers. Remember, these women are experts; many of them have heckled and nagged at least one husband to death, and no small number have put down more than one. No wonder pirates avoid cruise ships like the plague. Note: A movie version of "A High Wind in Jamaica" is available for the more image-oriented reader.

April 11 in port Fujairah, UAE: A Visit to Lulu's

As described in the one piece of tourist literature provided to the passengers before disembarking, Fujairah is "the authentic Emirati city nestled between the Haja Mountains and the Arabian Sea." The visual impact is of a number of modern buildings stuck in the desert. Fujairah's primary function is to support tankers and other ships waiting outside the Strait of Hormuz to charter and load cargoes in the Arabian Gulf. There are probably between 50 and 100 hulls anchored off Fujairah at any one time.

Fujairah's Skyline

Sorry about the sandstorm.

J & E's big adventure in Fujairah was to take the ship's complimentary shuttle bus to the Lulu Mall, City Centre. The approximately 10 minute (five mile) trip from ship-side in the port to the mall was essentially a complete city tour without a guide's description. Not a building looked over ten years, the streets were not congested, and the parking lots were so big you could get heat stroke walking from the lot to any of the buildings. There may be some traditional Arab souks and forts in the area, but they are lost among the new buildings, roads and parking lots.

Lulu's is Walmart of the Arabian peninsula, and provides a shopping opportunity for ship's company and passengers to stock up on junk food and other "essentials" at reasonable prices. This is where the local expats and foreign workers come to shop and to buy presents to sent back to Pakistan, Bangladesh, or the Philippines. The amount of luggage, electronics and saris for sale was amazing. No photos inside the Centre! After taking in this local adventure in modern Gulf shopping, (J used an ATM machine and bought a box of pencils for the trivia team) we reboarded the shuttle and returned to the harbor.

Much of the rest of the day was spent observing activity in the port. The most interesting point was speculating about the submarine, apparently under repair, tied up across the harbor from us. I doubt if there was a single male passenger who didn't check it out with the binoculars provided in the stateroom. Consensus guess is that it was a British Navy nuk-boat undergoing some kind of repair or reprovisioning. Here's an image -- make your own guess!

Name That Submarine

Tankers laying-off in the background.

At 5:30pm, we got underway and sailed north along the coast toward the Strait of Hormuz, and onto Dubai, UAE.

A Sandstorm Sunset on the Arabian Peninsula

Sorry about the spots on the image, a camera sensor problem.

April 12 and 13 in port Dubai, UAE: Welcome to Cloud-Cuckoo Land

At 8:00am, the Silver Whisper docked at the Port Rashid Cruise Terminal in Dubai. We had not planned any tour activity for Dubai, since we had been in the city many times since the 1980s when J advised a UN-supported project there.

Our big event in Dubai was to have high tea at At.mosphere Restaurant on the 121st floor of the Burj Khalifa, currently the world's tallest building. With our friends Kat and Don, we left the ship about 2:00pm and were driven to the Burj Khalifa. After passing through several checkpoints, we were allowed to enter the building.

Burj Khalifa, World's Tallest Building

(Wikipedia stats.)

Skyscraper	Burj Khalifa	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	829.84m	2,722.57ft	2010	25°11′50.0″N 55°16′26.6″E

Since we were early for our reservation, we were "invited" to wait on the floor above the concierge desk until it was "time" to take the express elevator to the restaurant. The floor above turned out to be the lobby of the flag ship Armani hotel, and old Georgio had done himself proud. The lobby was all pale grays and other what E calls "Georgio colors." (E is a big Armani fan.)

Escalator to Burj Khalifa Main Entrance

Yes, it is all glass and stainless steel.

Kat, Eloise, Jerry & Don, Armani Hotel Lobby

Glass, stainless steel, and Armani colors.

Precisely at 3:30pm, we were summoned to the entrance level, escorted aboard a very high-speed elevator, and shot up into the sky 120 floors. If you were a religious person, you might have started praying about 30 seconds into this elevator ride. About 60 seconds after leaving the lobby, we arrived on the 120th floor, and were introduced to At.Mosphere's maitre d'. She checked our reservations and led us to a table on the 121st floor, and tea was served. Tea was very heavy, with two large tea trays filled and refilled with goodies until waddling was all the movement possible.

Decisions, Decisions!

Eloise faces the tea tray (one of two) at At.mosphere

Sadly, Dubai was in the midst of a sandstorm, so visibility was not great; however, the image that follows will give you some idea of how high up in the air we were.

Looking Down from At.mosphere

Covered area at left is the Dubai Mall

See, Guinness Says So!

World Record Certificate for "highest restaurant."

Back on the express elevator and the fun of falling like a rock for 120 floors - that could have unsettled all the food, but it didn't. Then, the building concierge called for our car. (We doubt that they would let you in if you drove a private car!) While waiting, J took a few more images of the Burj Khalifa's interior. And then it was back in the car and on the streets to the Mall of the Emirates to watch some skiing!

Glass Panels and Louvers, Burj Khalifa's Lobby

Yard Art, Burj Khalifa's Lobby

You have to wonder whose cousin did this!

Back in the van, we were driven southeast toward the Mall, a super-sized, enclosed shopping center whose major claim to fame is that it houses the "Only Indoor Ski Slope in the Middle East -- Ski Dubai." No foreign tourist worth their passport could possibly miss seeing an indoor ski slope in the middle of a desert during a sandstorm! Our driver dropped us off, and after assuring us that we could find our way back to the pickup point, we began the trek through the endless cornucopia in this temple to excess consumption. After walking for at least 15 minutes, we arrived at Ski Dubai. Yes, a little Swiss Alpine village with ski and sled runs, lifts, and people in ski clothes. All that was missing was Julie Andrews singing "Edel Weiss." There were enough children about that no more were needed to sing the chorus.

Interior View, Mall of the Emirates

We have anything your heart desires for a price.

Looking into Ski Dubai

Think of it as a zoo for snow things.

Part of Ski and Sled Runs

Where is Julie Andrews when you need her.

Ski Dubai, Yes You Can Rent the Clothes

One suspects these outfits are not part of most locals' wardrobes.

After inspecting this triumph of engineering over common sense, and watching some attempts by paying customers to ski (not very well) down the run, we walked back through the mall and returned to our car just in time to participate in Dubai's rush hour(s) traffic, thereby enjoying an extended view of blowing sand from the car window. We eventually made it back to Port Rashid, tipped the driver, and walked up the gangway to the relative sanity of the Silver Whisper.

Our second day in Dubai was Friday the 13th. Of course, we paid no great notice to this long-standing superstition. After breakfast, we decided to join in what appears to be the singular most important recreational activity in the UAE -- visiting a mall! -- and boarded the Silversea shuttle bus to the Dubai Mall. It is another super-sized enclosed building (acres under roof) located adjacent to the Burj Khalifa. (The building where they serve tea.) After a 15-minute bus ride from the port to the mall, the bus parked across from it in a vacant, very large bus-parking lot. We were pointed across the street and told to walk until we found an entrance. So much for Arab hospitality. It doesn't extend to anyone not in a chauffeured limo (certainly not a bus).

The Dubai Mall is reputed to be the largest mall in the world with 1,200 plus shops. However, one mall is very much the same as any other. Except for lots of corridors with little foot traffic, thus facilitating a leisurely stroll, a stop for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and buying some birthday cards, the whole experience was like Ala Moana in Honolulu, less crowded. There was one challenge. The structure is so large you can get lost! We didn't, but we came close!

Dubai Mall Exterior

The number of people queued up to enter is amazing.

Botero Fat Horse, Dubai Mall Plaza

Not for sale!

The area between the mall and the Burj Khalifa consists of a courtyard and an artificial lake with waterfall. This courtyard contains a piece of yard art by Botero. Botero must have made a fortune doing yard art for new, "up scale" shopping areas. There also is one -- a fat chicken -- in Singapore near the Fullerton Hotel and several fat nudes in the new Rupungi District of Tokyo. Anyway, while J was taking his photo, one of our fellow passengers approached and explained that he had two Boteros. J, ever the wit, said, "They must take up most of your living room." Probably the humor was lost, but sometimes you can't resist! J also holds that Botero is largely responsible for the growing number of fat people in the world.

Dubai Mall, Water Feature

Always hearing about the "Lion of Judah," this must be it!

Dubai Mall, Shopping Arcade

Please form orderly queues to enter the shops.

Dubai Mall, Curio Shop

It's not easy to get a stuffed camel aboard, but the live ones are two doors down!

With all our urge to shop gone, we trekked toward the shuttle bus in the noonday sun. Taking our life in our hands, we crossed the street, entered the dust bowl parking lot, and boarded the bus for the trip back to port. On return to the port, four (or more) additional cruise ships were docked, bow to stern. There is a lot to be said for "build it and they will come."