That was the “feels like” temperature in Dubai yesterday, July 2. (The actual temperature was only 104 F. ) It was 96 F when we got off the plane at 4:00 a.m. yesterday morning. Yes, it’s hot!
Yesterday was full: walking around Dubai, ATV driving and camel riding in the desert, dune busting in a Toyota Land Cruiser, sand dune surfing, an after dark dinner and a show in the desert, actually there were three shows; a male dancer spinning himself around, a belly dancer who wanted to be anywhere but there, and a fire dancer who bore a striking resemblance to Vanilla Ice! For having only been in Dubai 18 hours, we certainly did a lot.
Today we did more exploring, taking in several souks. Souks are traditional marketplaces that offer a unique shopping experience. We wandered the Gold Souk, Wafi and Khan Murjan Souk, the Perfume Souk in Deira, and the Textile Souk. Ellie and Caroline bartered well in the Textile Souk, leaving with camel pants, aka, ultra loose, baggy pants with camels in the fabric. Before heading down the Gold Souk, we all had camel-milk ice cream at Geewin Cafe. Delicious!
It’s really hot where we are. I soak through an undershirt and shirt in a matter of minutes. We carry water with us each time we go out (just as we did in China). As we were walking one of the souks, Caroline saw something she wanted to explore further. Ellie and I waved her on and settled for a spot in the shade of a vendor’s building. The owner noticed us and waved us in. I waved him off and said through the floor to ceiling windows that we were fine. A moment later, he came out with two bottles of water. Again, I waved him off telling him that we have water.
Caroline now back, we decided to go into a small grocery store to get something cold to drink. As soon as the transaction was completed, the owner motioned to me to sit down in a chair next to his desk. He then called to his staff to bring another chair for Caroline. He was fine with Ellie sitting on the floor beside us. We enjoyed our cold beverages in the air conditioned grocery store near a popular souk. Seems to me that those vendor/owners know a little something about being rooted and grounded in love.
Brad
Wander Tales by PC, PB, and Ellie 