T For Travel

Today we decided to take a road trip out of Dubai and headed off to the East Coast. Our first stop was Fujairah National Dairy Farm at Dibba. It was a hot day, about 37 degrees Celsius if you can believe that. We walked around the farm a bit and spotted a few birds, but not as many as we hoped. One of the guest staying at the Five Star Hotel Dubai where we were staying recommend this place for birding. Ha, I don’t think so!

So, back to the car to rehydrate and cool down. We then drove into Dibba to take a quick look around before we headed down the coast. Not much interested us at Dibba, so we continued on and had lunch at a resort to escape the heat of the day. I think I actually got 2nd degree burns on my feet. I was walking around in sandals across the hot sand of the beach. Hot, hot, hot!  But, we didn’t give up our road trip, young and stupid, I guess. We headed on south towards Fujairah where we stopped at the famous Al Qurrayah. We wondered around there for a while, but the heat was still rising, so we figured we had had enough birding for one day and decide to see some culture.

We visited the Fujairah Fort, which currently is being redeveloped, so we couldn’t get in. Someone there told us to check out Al Hayl Fort, it’s not as old, but they said it was still interesting. So we did go and check it out. It’s well preserved and it was amazing how the updrafts caused by the rifle holes kept the inside of the fort cool, even though it was 43 degrees outside. We went up little stairwells to go from one floor to another. It turned out to not be a bad place to visit.

Our final stop was at Khor Kalba, which is south of Fujairah and we spotted the Collared Kingfisher. A rare find indeed! We decided to turn back around when the sun set and head back to Dubai and take a nice swim in the refreshing cool pool. Next time, we decided to come to Dubai in the cooler months, it’s way too hot in the summer to do anything of interest outdoors.

With a stunning beach along one side of the city, and the other an urban delight, with a generous supply of stores and restaurants, Dubai is really a traveler’s dream.  The city is steeped in long traditions, not least of which is its tradition as a port town, which makes it one the most multicultural and exciting places for tourists in the UAE.  There are festivals and fairs that go on all year, devoted to cultural traditions, art, music, and more family fare.  There are also a number of new cultural scenes that have developed fairly recently, fed by the inspirations and collaborations of local and international artists now living in the city.  There are many new trends and developments, but there are also some old-world traditions, such as hospitality and grace, that permeate the air.

In the historic part of town, in the Al Bastikiya district, there are lots of things to see and do that are perhaps a bit less traveled, but by no means less interesting.  Here is where the sea comes to meet the land, and there are interesting juxtapositions, with new and extremely stylish galleries set in old buildings.  There is also a fantastic market.  Called the Souq Al Bastikiya this street market is a breath of traditional air to the more extreme luxuries of the new shopping centers.  Here is where real old-world customs are practiced, with an eye toward the future.   As part of the trend in the city to develop the parts of Dubai which inspire creativity and local talent, Souq Al Bastikiya is featuring vendors from around the city to highlight the cultural and market offerings here.  There are workshops to entertain the family, and to bring people to connect with the heritage of Dubai in a traditional market setting.  While this remains a fantastic place to find unusual local specialties, there are also a number of established businesses offering wares as well.

The more traditional, however, the more curb appeal to the tourists.  Some of these services, such as future-telling through reading coffee grounds and henna painting appeal to locals as well as internationals.  There are also live concert put together by the local Dubai Lime to keep all ages interested.  The Souq Al Bastikiya has something for everyone, with art workshops, drum sessions, and even a knitting club.