Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
We sailed into Dubai at around 2pm. It was awesome to see a few building sticking up from a thick red haze.
We were given a lovely welcome. Falcons, men doing ‘manly man’ dances and kids.
Dubai port is built on reclaimed land. There are little boats scattered around, on roundabouts and such, to look pretty. I worked out how they got there. The authorities must have put notes on all moored boats saying move them by Tuesday. When they didn’t move them they must have just reclaimed the land around them. I am funny.
I had planned to do a desert tour. I had done one before and it was great fun so booked to go on one. That and a trip up the Burg Khalif.
But plans change…….the Pinnacles were invited to a Polo Match. It was an invitational match that was being put on just for us. One of the passengers is a reality TV star – the guy who crashed a party that Barack was holding at the White House fro the Indian Prime Minister. Tareq Salahi and his wife got in to sit down before security got them. He plays polo for low point USA teams so put on this game. Royal sponsored it to some extent.
It was the “Royal” team with Tareq and other nations and the “Others”.
So how could I turn down a chance to go to the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club. Pretty damm exclusive.
So I cancelled the desert tour but still had to pay for the ticket up the Burg – didn’t want to waste a $60 ticket.
Rather then stay and have the cocktail party on the ship, then go to the game, I went to the Burj and then caught a taxi to the Polo.
I went with the tour to the Burj – tallest building in the world. And it is amazing. 160 stories high. That is 828 metres high. Almost a kilometre above the land. Unbelievable.
Tallest building in the world,
Tallest free-standing structure in the world,
Highest number of stories in the world,
Highest occupied floor in the world,
Highest outdoor observation deck in the world,
Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world,
Tallest service elevator in the world.
It’s actually taller but “Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest continually occupied floor within the building. Maintenance areas are not included.” The top floors are too high to sustain life! The O2 is too thin up there.
The foundations are 50 metres deep. There are “refuge floors” every 35 floors. These are on seperate ventilation etc systems and are there as a rest place in the event of an evacuation.
It was completed in 2008 and was originally to be called Burj Dubai. Burj meaning tower. But the financial crash put a dent in plans until Sheik Khalifa came through with a loan. Thus the name.
It really is a beautiful building. Getting in…. not so much fun.
The bus drop off point in on the opposite side to the worlds biggest shopping mall – Dubai Mall – close to 15 minutes walk to get to it. Then of course the airport security – understandably.
And up the tallest lift that travels at 10 meters per second. That is after waiting in the Disney queues and being herded in.
But wow. You know Dubai is built IN the desert. Not near the desert, but in it. When you get to see that it is amazing.
We could see the ship… and everything else. Sadly the dust storm that was brewing didn’t eventuate. I so want to see that.
After “ooohing” and “aaahhing” it was time to head off to the polo. Down the lift and out to the taxi rank. BUT, the nearest one was at the entrance we came in. RUN! Back the way we came then out side and around two sides of the building. But the wifi would not work at the UBER point so back to the taxis.
Then to get the taxi to be able to find the place. But I did arrive in time for the start of the polo.
It was great. The place was amazing. The Dubai Polo and Equestrian Centre. Amazing. The land alone would be worth billions. It’s where all the Olympic show jumpers and dressage riders keep their horses when in Dubai.
It was a closed event – just for us, so there were no squillionaires walking their cheetahs on diamond leashes. But still fun. And still plenty of fancy cars.
The Princess was playing – yes the Princess – as in daughter of the absolute ruler His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. I had a lovely chat to her at half time about horses. Very normal. But once the game was over she was off her horse and zoomed off in her very flash car.
The game was fun. There was an open bar and we sat in the evening sun and watched. After the stomping of the divots that is.
Polo was originally played as an evening game – thus the changing of ends each chukka. So no team was riding into the sun more then the other.
After that we piled into the buses and back to the ship. What a lovely little C&A treat that was.
It was then up bright and early for the next days adventure.
A trip to Abu Dhabi. The capital of the United Arab Emirates and the second largest city. It’s on a collection of islands on the Persian Gulf and is where the real money is Dubai is the poor working town – the commercial centre. This is money land. Where the oil is. Dubai relies on tourism and retain. This place doesn’t have to rely on anything and the oil money keeps flowing.
This fact just blows my mind – there are 65,000 yes sixty five thousand BILLIONAIRES living in Abu Dhabi. I cannot wrap my head around that.
It was a great drive thought the desert to get there. The Sheik has put in a green belt joining the two cities as a wildlife refuge. All irrigated for the first few years.
And the highway – Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road or Abu Dhabi motorway is amazing. Eight lanes wide in places and has a speed limit of 160ks – 80 f0r buses so we chugged along.
We passed amazing things like the new Dubailand – soon to be the biggest amusement park in the work and their answer to Disneyland. Home to Lego Land, Marvel Superhero land et al.
And Ferrari World, biggest indoor park in the world – with the Formula One track. And a hotel built over the Formula One course. You can sit in your lounge room to watch the race – if you have a few $100,000 per night. It is always booked out three years in advance.
In town was one of the most beautiful modern building I have seen. The Alder Headquarters. Winner of the best building in the world in 2010. The coin shape is based on the “Golden Ratio”. It is self sufficient for electricity with solar panels.
Then the visit to Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
Dress code is extremely strict but so worth it.
It was really hot when we were there and the sun blasts off the acres of marble making a striking site. Hard to describe the beauty. Hard to photograph as the white was soooo white and the sun so harsh, and it is so big everything seem to lean in the photos.
The largest carpet in the world. Made in Oran by 1,300 carpet knotters. It weighs 35 ton and took two years to make their pieces and then longer to join them all in-sutu.
The chandeliers are from Germany an have millions of Swarovski crystal pieces. The large one is 10 metres across – which shows how big the main praying area is.
The pools are designed to reflect the minarets and are meant to be amazing at night with a moon.
The 96 columns in the main prayer hall are marble and inlaid with abalone (mother of pearl).
The wall shows the 99 names (qualities) of Allah in calligraphy.
The cost of the whole thing??? More then $800,000,000 US! There was no budget in the planing. Just get what as needed.
Amazing!
As we were leaving Dubai they were loading tones of building materials on. The construction is about to begin.
Then six glorious sea days.
Three of them through the Gulf of Aden and past the horn of Africa. So into super security time. We took on extra passengers in Dubai – a security team! And on Day two we go into “Operation Safe Haven”. All totally unnecessary as a cruise ship is too big for pirates. They want small boats they can run aground and rob. Not much point taking a ship that is so big there is nowhere to take it.
We had our drill. On the command “Operation Safe Haven, Safe Haven, Safe Haven” we were to go to an inside place ie theatre, shops, inside cabin and wait. One again I think I misunderstood the talk about ‘Pirate Drill’.
At night the outside lights are off, curtains are shut and all decks are closed. Not to stop pirates seeing us…to stop harming the night vision of the people on watch.
Our crack team and all security patrol. Other measures are in place like charged fire hoses.
We also have extra protection. One of our drinking mates was the guy who put the crack team of snippers in to save Captain Phillips. Not in the movie – in real life. We are safe!
On the second day one a Zodiac came along side and unloaded the weapons. Our guys are ready.
There is also a frigate shadowing us.
It’s funny having the curtains closed in the dinning rooms. And if anyone has bedroom curtains open after dark they get a call from the bridge.
ANZAC service was a not quiet dawn service – because deck are closed till day break, and then set up.
But we did have a lovely service. A few Aussie staff and veterans did the readings. Captain officiated. Very nice. I did miss being at home to watch Andy march yet again. Not many people get to watch their WWII Vet dads march! Lucky Sarah was there.
Our table group continues to be fun and our wonderful servers serenaded us one night. Awesome.
We saw many dolphins. Many pods.
Then more days of fun and relaxing. We left pirate waters with of course no pirates in site.
Next page Jordan!