A Day in Dubai.

We're sailing back into the Indian Ocean after our wonderful day in Dubai. At the moment we're confined to our cabin as we're under attack from two skiffs which are approaching at speed and are now 50m off our starboard side aft. Gunfire has been reported. The captain is giving constant updates. The skiffs have been unable to catch the ship however before turning back one has fired a rocket propelled grenade towards the stern.

A general emergency signal has just been sounded. The grenade has hit the aft mooring deck and a fire emergency crew are attending to it.

It's just a drill but I can imagine how it would feel to really be under attack. In the next two days we'll be sailing into waters where most pirate attacks have occurred. We'll be stopping in Salalah which is on the south eastern coast of Oman, close to the border with Yemen. I hope we sail through the area safely.

Back to our day in Dubai.

Alan had found a map of Dubai the night before when he went ashore. It had a lot of touristy type ads on the back, one of which offered a good deal in tours. We bought a city tour and a desert safari which included dinner and a show in the desert. Cost was $62 US pp, compared to the ship's cost of $290 AU pp so we saved an considerable amount.

Dubai is magnificent, opulent and totally over the top. So many things are the world's largest, highest, most expensive, highest rated, etc, etc. 'Nothing exceeds like excess' describes Dubai perfectly. Everything is amazing. The road systems are wonderful. The architecture is superbly modernistic and many buildings seem to reflect their function in their design. For example, the training school for Emirates Airlines is shaped like a massive jet and the customs or coast guard building resembles a boat.

We went everywhere in the city and saw the indoor ice rink in Dubai Mall, the world's largest TV screen, the biggest aquarium, the only 7 star rated hotel in the world, the palm tree shaped island development, Palm Jumeira, the Gold Souk, you name it. At about 4pm, we transferred to a 4WD to drive into the desert. Wow! It was exciting, scary and exhilarating.

The desert is not disappointing. It is breathtakingly beautiful and full of contrasts; the smooth undulations of the dunes, some high and some low; some sharp edged, cut by the wind, and some rounded like the hump of a camel. Then there are shadows that highlight the dips and slopes and the ripples of the sand, just like the wave-rippled sand at the edge of the beach. The colours are muted, surprisingly. Pale ochre for the sand, white washed blue for the sky and dull green for the little vegetation that can be seen. As night fell, the sun itself faded to watery gold.

We bashed dunes at a frightening speed in the 4WDs which elicited many quite uncontrolled screams from yours truly. On the crest of a dune we stopped and piled out to survey the magnificence of the Arabian desert. I almost expected to see Lawrence appear in full Arab dress atop his camel!

You know those movies where the hero ploughs for days through the desert? I don't believe a second of it after trying to walk in the sand. It's impossible - you just sink ankle deep and cannot take the next step until you've dragged your foot out, only to immediately sink again.

We eventually reached the camp in convoy and were treated to dinner which was pretty much like any barbecue at home. The entertainment was the usual - a belly dancer followed by some whirling dervishes. They were good. Alan and I had a ride on a camel, believe it or not. Parts of my anatomy are suffering today. I think camels are too wide. I had my hand decorated with henna and held a falcon on my wrist.

It was a super day in Dubai.