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Manoj and I took a trip to the Middle East in December of 2001 to visit his family. We flew into Dubai and stayed there for about week, and flew from there to Muscat, Oman where his family lives. It was one of my first trips abroad and was absolutely fascinating! I didn't write travelogues per se, but emailed friends and family about my impressions while I was on the trip.

First impressions of Dubai

Jennifer Radcliffe
2005-11-11 11:09:28

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on the other hand, we were completely on edge and felt like targets! it was so wierd. felt very vulnerable there, even tho i used to live there! crime rate is much much higher there. also here, people don't shun tourists and automatically judge us or become rude because we're doing a touristy thing like taking a picture or dragging our roller suitcase along. those things would embarrass me in some places, but not here.

i think people here have pretty good lives. they worry about different things. i think kids probably have a much easier life here. less stress to worry about, they're more protected. hm, what else.. not many palm trees, but many mosques.. i enjoy hearing the singing when they call to prayer. food is delicious! i could live like this. haven't gotten sick yet, and i've taken some risks. people are very generous with food here, we were walking by the water around 5:30pm when they break their fast (for ramadan), and some men were eating in the back of a pickup truck, and offered us some samosas and other indian goodies they had. they insisted adamantly, and generously shared their food with us. it was very touching. that seems to be the way here. :)

everyone drinks bottled water, even the locals. costs 1.5 to 2 dirhams for a large bottle (1.5 liters) which comes to less than .45 cents in US dollars. that's what i mean, they could charge much more to tourists, but they don't. there isn't a money-hungry streak here. it's very fair. i'm sure we still don't get the local price for some goods, but i bargain them down to as low as they'll go. and i always feel that i'm getting a good deal when i leave, as opposed to being ripped off. they seem to respect me more for bargaining, and actually laugh and smile while we're negotiating. they complain to manoj in hindi or urdu and say i drive a hard bargain, but i know they like it. :) then the second time i go back i automatically get a better price to start with.

another thing that is very different here is the smells. walking down the street you're likely to smell a variety of yummy spicy indian and pakistani curries... mixed with the sweet musky scent of frankincense or sandalwood. it's a very fragrant city. the sweet aromas and the surreal melodic calls to prayer mix to form a very exotic experience, and one that is very endearing. they say that dubai is the new york of the arabian world. you can buy practically anything in the souks. all kinds of spices and saffron, oils and perfumes, electronics, gold, diamonds, cloth, beautiful arabian dresses, shoes.. the list goes on. it's a shopper's paradise. and a cultural delight. i highly recommend a visit here.

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