A Day Out in Dubai

Hello friends,

So we went to Ace Hardware at first to pick up some items my friend wanted for her car, and after that we didn't know where to go. While driving down Emirates Road, we made a spontaneous decision to go to Bab Al Shams, which is part of Jumeirah International- the chain that has Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Emirates Towers and Wild Wadi. Bab Al Shams is about 35kms outside of Dubai, and so after a quick lunch at Arabian Ranches, we made our way to Bab Al Shams.

The drive is not exactly a scenic one and very straightforward, but once you come to the main entrance to Bab Al Shams, it's all about tradition and arabian delights. Hanging lamps lead us through winding roads to the main entrance where men in traditional Arabic clothing greet us and valet park my car. Walking down curved pathways lit with oil lamps brings us to the center courtyard where we climbed up to the rooftop to get to the cafe. The sun was setting and the skies were turning purple, red, orange and a dark blue. There was music emanating from the other end by a Filipino band singing Latino songs, where the lead singer was all dressed up like Shakira. The mood was festive, lively, enjoyable and most of all romantic. I wish I were here with someone who I truly loved so the time here would be more enjoyable- not that I was not having a good time with my friend.

We ordered cheesecake- probably the most expensive one I had in my life, about 30dhs- and all I got out of it were 5 small bites. After watching the sunset, and witnessing the whole rooftop cafe lit up in traditional Arabian lanterns, we made our way back to Dubai driving down a patch of dark road in the empty desert. Sometimes, it's an amazing experience to be able to go out in the desert with modern gadgets and cimmune with nature.

On our way back, we stopped over at the Dubai Autodrome, where there was a 24 hour drifting/ racing taking place. The first thing that hits you is the intensity of the noise emanating from the cars that whiz past by you. We climbed up to the seating area and saw cars zoom past by so fast. It was an experience to witness. However, no one was drifting their cars.

Went to Lamcy later on to check out roller blades which we plan on buying to go for the Terry Fox Run happening on January 26th '07.

More on what's happening in Life of Mansur later. As for now, I am going to be moving out of my place in Sharjah to Dubai on Monday, 15th Jan. Will get back to you after that day.

Mansur