Dubai : Desert Desire

Ep.29

“It's no wonder most religions are born in the desert, because when men lay beneath that boundless night sky and look up at the infinite expanse of creation they have an uncontrollable urge to put something in the way” -Terry Pratchett.

DXB – Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

5^th-8^th January 2012.

Me @ Burj Khalifa

My first flight in 2012, which was also my first flight to middle east, was Dubai. Adoring the exotic middle east culture, also dreaming to become one of their airlines’ crew, got rostered for this flight made me super excited. This flight got a shuttle flight to Bahrain in the middle of it, and that made this flight more exciting. If you asked me why I would like middle east so much, well, I can’t really explain. It was just a little part inside of me always attracted to that side of the world (so not well-explained). Anyway, this time I would not have any flying buddy, but I will surely find one or two.

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

It was not a full flight, easy 9 hours flying, enough rest and felt very fast. I arrived at the hotel at around 9 pm local time. And (gosh! I’m so lucky) I met Ireine and Odel, other Indonesian crew from other induction after me, right at the reception. It seemed that they got a little problem regarding the allowance calculation. Ireine was doing Bahrain shuttle at that day and Odel will do the Jeddah shuttle next morning. Me? I got one full clear day at Dubai. So, I invited Iriene to my room and we chatted about almost everything until around midnight. She will operate back to HK the next day at around 6 pm, and she agreed to accompany me to shop in the morning until noon, just before my desert safari time. Ah! forgot to tell, the only thing that I (no matter what happen) must do during this first visit is Desert Safari.

The Gold Souk

I have had asked all of my crew, whether they interested to do the safari or not, but due to it was the sale season of Dubai (up to 80%), and then they interested to do the shopping more. No friend no go? Never! None such thing in my dictionary! So the next morning, I met Iriene, and she accompanied me to book the desert safari tour at the concierge desk. It cost AED 215 per person, I listed my name, paid in wrong currency (stupid!), and finally paid in the right one after the clerk gave me a super weird expression. We got on the shuttle bus, and we explore the Dubai Mall (all the crews said it was so big and nice) first as we had discussed the night before. It was, for me, just so-so compared to others that Indonesia got (best malls ever were all in Jakarta!). The only thing about this mall that caught my interest was the indoor aquarium and the waterfall. Iriene and I explored the mall, got in from shop to shop to do the price comparison. We talked about everything; shop a lot (coz it was on SALE!). I managed to get myself a pair of Aldo sandals for only AED 70 and sunglasses for only AED 35. I also bought itsy bitsy things in Forever 21. Dragging our shopping bag, we had lunch at the food court and (blushing!) took a lot of picture already.

So soft and runny!

We were planning to go back to the hotel before 3, because my desert safari tour will pick me up at the hotel at 3. And we’re planning to go back by the sky train. In fact, at 2 pm we’re still buying dates at the supermarket and when we finally got out from the mall, we took pictures here and there and found ourselves reached the Burj Khalifa already. So, we just took it easy! We took a lot of picture first. Trying to get the best angle with the tallest building in the world (at that time) and try to recall the scene from Mission Impossible 3, which took set on the very same building. I still remembered how I want to work at Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa, as a back up plan if I didn’t manage to be accepted by any airline. But never mind, I’m here now. While we were taking picture in front of Burj Khalifa, I noticed that every time a car made a u-turn, it tires screeched annoyingly and once I reached my limit of tolerance, I looked around and found out that the screeching voice was made due to the friction between the tires and ceramic road. Yes! Ceramic like sort of porcelain flooring. Why does they put this kind of flooring on the main road anyway? They’re definitely rich!  By the time 2.30 pm, we haven’t got ourselves into the sky train station, so we hail a taxi. It cost AED 10 from Burj Khalifa to our hotel.

Me @ the desert

As soon as we arrived, we drop our shopping bags at our rooms and Ireine was just nice enough to accompany me at the lobby waiting for the tour to pick me up. Right at 3.10 pm, the concierge guided me to the tour car, which already waited in the lobby, along with another woman. The tour was actually carry 5-6 persons per car, so I would definitely joined to another group of people. A sudden light bulb turned on in my head. If she was also having the trip by her own, then she could be my ‘single traveler’ partner. I initiated a conversation with her on our way to the car, and YES! She was also taking the tour alone. (God, you know just what I need. Lucky me!) She’s a Japanese, which made me easier to look for a topic with her. And we became friend as soon as we enter the car. In the car, there was a Spanish family of three, Mom, Dad, and Son. So there were 5 of us and 1 Filipino tour guide.

beautiful sunset

The tour started by driving along the highway a little far away from the city centre. Approximately around 45 minutes later, all of the modern buildings and the hassle of the city changed into sandy desert with many other tour company cars. We made a stop in a souvenir shops and mini markets, also for a quick toilet. While we were busy with our things, our guide was busy in tuning the car’s tires. After 15 minutes, we were back in the car already and the guide brief us about the next thing on the list. It was Dune Bashing. The car would drive over the sandy desert, ride onto the sand mounds and it was just like having an off road driving, the difference is, this one was done in the desert. Yippie! We hold on tight to the dedicated handle on the side of every seat (even at the ceiling of the car). We stopped at the Camel breeding point just to see how to differs baby camel from mature camel. And that camels have 4 layers of eyelashes, and everything about camel. We continue the dune bashing until we stopped at one of the sand mountain.

Gold Class

Having my feet stepped on the desert, my heart flinched a bit. I could never be more grateful than experienced all of this things in my life. Desert sand was totally different from the beach sand. It was rather earthy color (reddish) and smaller in pieces, softer as well. To hike a sand mountain and walk in the desert would be very hard. It took a great effort to walk on a very soft surface like that (twice the energy). Lucky it was still January, I mean, the weather was still consider winter that it was only 24°C at daytime. The Japanese girl helped me to take some pictures as well as the Spanish boy. We continue our dune bashing from mountain to mountain. At one point, we got the best view of sunset at the desert. It took my breath away. Wherever you turn your eyes, all you could see was just sand, desert, spreads all over the vicinity. How big is this world and how many wonders does it offers us? Our guide did something to the tires again (I guess it has something to do with the car’s suspension) and we’re heading to the camp now.

Dune Bashing

Nope! We’re not going to camp. We were just stopped at the camp to enjoy the buffet dinner and some middle eastern shows. Once I saw the camp within my sight, I freaked out of excitement. Camel riding! I want I want I want! So as soon as we got off from the car, the guide showed us our table and explained to us about where this and that (couldn’t concentrate at that time) and leave us to do whatever we want. There were approximately 500+ people at the camp. I asked the Japanese girl to come with me to ride the camel and she agreed. We grabbed ourselves a cup of coffee and queued for the camel! 30 minutes queued and we were on the camel.

ride the camel

The sensation was so much different compared to riding a horse. Now I know how it feels to become a middle east traveler or Medjai in The Mummy movie? Ha-Ha! Ah! we asked a man that queued behind us to take our picture while we were riding the camel (tricks). One more experience has been added to my lifetime achievement. The Japanese girl and I, then continue to explore the place, I tried on the traditional costume of middle eastern ladies, then we nibbled on the welcome snack (which actually tastes like caramelized donut), I got the mendhi tattoo on my right feet (no worry, I would wear black stocking during duty). I lost on counting how many picture have I taken that day.

in traditional costume

By the time of 7 pm, we started on our feast. We queued for the buffet (middle eastern food), took just much enough, took our seat and the shows began. The shows started with a sexy lady belly dancer dancing along the exotic music gracefully. She challenge one or two from the audiences to make it more interesting. It did! One of the audiences that she challenged is also a belly dancer. So it was like a battle belly dance show. We clapped and laugh under the starry sky in the middle of the desert. The second show was a Turkish dance. This time a male dancer spins and spins and spins and showed his skills in dancing. I don’t know how does he manage to do all the maneuvers while spinning like a spinning top like that. But it was surely entertaining. By the time of 8.30 pm, the shows finished. We got back into the car. Just before exiting the camp, I bought a picture of me and the Japanese girl riding a camel for AED 50 for 2 (one for her and one for me). The guide drop the Spanish family in their hotel lobby and so did he to us. I bid farewell to the Japanese girl and thank her for the fabulous trip (we also exchanged email and I promised her to send all the pictures later to her).

Yeay i conquer Dubai!

The next morning I have to operate the Bahrain shuttle at 5.40 am. Dragging myself to the lobby and found out that the flight was delayed. We were supposed to have a 6 hours rest in Bahrain hotel, but thanks to the delay we only got 4 hours left. Bahrain is just 50 minutes flying time from Dubai and it was a super easy flight. The hotel in Bahrain was superb. I cannot imagine that only for 6 hours rest, the hotel was that awesome. Literally awesome; it got washing machine, pantry 2 bathrooms, extra large bed with 6 pillows, pantry, kitchen, dining table, living room 2 TVs, and aarrgghh! It was like a whole apartment (in fact, it is bigger than my 2 bedroom apartment in HK). 

beautiful flowers and ceramic road.

I was also shocked to found out the exchange rate of Bahraini Dinar, so high! Middle east is freaking rich! I love it more! How did I spend my 4 hours in Bahrain? I went out just to look what’s around the hotel, and it was nothing. One of the shopkeepers said that the nearest shopping center, which is located in the city center is 30 minutes away by taxi. There would be not enough time so I just spend the rest of the 4 hours sleeping in my sweet room. I reached Dubai at around 8 pm. and I was thinking what should I do for the next day. I would still have half day (like Ireine did when I came) for the next day. I was thinking of exploring the Mall of Emirates, and if no one was available, I will just do it by myself.

with Kun-kun

I went online in my room, got in touch with my bf and logged in my facebook just to see that one of other Indonesian crew from other induction after me, Kun, will arrived that night. Yes! Another partner in crime (I was so lucky!). I messaged her, gave her my room number and asked her whether she wants to hang out with me. As soon as she reached the hotel, she contacted me and gave me the agreement (agreement?). We agreed to have a breakfast together and explore the Mall of Emirates until her time to do the desert safari and my time to operate back to HK (just like my itinerary on my first day in Dubai). 

skyscrappers

We met up for breakfast the next morning at 8 am. The corporate rate allowed us to have breakfast at AED 50 per person. We met the Indonesian chef and chatted a little bit with him. We missed the shuttle bus to Mall of Emirates. Give up? Never! We went to the sky train station. Along the way to the train station (we were on foot), we could see all the modern and unique building of Dubai. We stopped now and then to took some pictures (some?). We bought the sky train rechargeable card called NOL (AED 15). The train service is very simple and the train was so clean. The unique thing is (I guess it is in all middle eastern countries) that they dedicated a special space in the train for ladies and children.

Ski Dubai

Mall of Emirates is slightly smaller than Dubai Mall, but in term of shops, it was more or less the same. The architectural design of the mall is exotic. And they have indoor ski called Ski Dubai inside the mall. Wow! That was like the Snow World in Genting, Malaysia, but this one is much more bigger. We just looked around the Ski Dubai and shopped and shopped more. By the time of 2.30, we decided to go back to the hotel (once again) by dragging our shopping bags. We bid each other good bye and see you in HK and then I went back to my room, to prepare myself for the inbound sector back to HK.

Lucky Me!

I called it a lucky opening flight at the beginning of the year and I was hoping it was a good sign that I would be stay lucky as it is. Ha-ha! Dubai has been one of my top list must visit place and I made it there in the beginning of 2012. I can’t wait how would God keep amazed me in His way throughout the year, and what does He has in store for me for the upcoming trips? I will definitely wait for it!

“Whatever you desires, put it in a prayer, and God will answer it sooner or later” –Me.