Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Day 59 and the end of the third leg
of the World Cruise. We have reached
Dubai, UAE, located on the Persian Gulf.
Since departing Los Angeles we have traveled 21,812 miles on this
journey.
Social traditions and acceptable
public behavior differ in this part of the world. We were given a tourist code of conduct to
follow while visiting.
- Public displays of affection
(holding hands, hugging and kissing) are to be avoided, regardless of age and
gender.
- Do not photograph an Arab lady
wearing traditional dress without first receiving her permission.
-Public consumption of alcohol and
appearance of drunkenness are considered offenses and subject to law
enforcement and prosecution.
- Both male and female should dress
modestly, shoulders are to be covered and low cut necklines are not
acceptable. Legs should be covered at
least past the knees.
Dubai is a very large, natural
harbor along the Emirates coast and is one of the most modern cities on earth, considered
a friendly and secure environment.
Many people don't know that before
recent times, Dubai was no more than a small fishing village and trading post
at the mouth of Dubai Creek. The people
made their living from fishing and pearling (until the Japanese cultured pearls
came about), as well as camel breeding.
Having seen most of the modern
sights of Dubai on previous visits, i.e., Burj Khalifa (world's tallest
building), Jumeirah Mosque, Burj Al Arab (world's only 7 star luxury hotel), Dubai
Mall and Emirates Mall, we chose to visit Bur Dubai, the old quarter, Deira the
commercial center and take a cruise on a wooden dhow down Dubai Creek.
Currently, only wooden ships are
allowed inside the Creek for reasons of safety.
But it is a nice tribute to the sturdy dhows which represented the
luxurious trade of the Indian Ocean over many centuries.
Dubai is still adding many reclaimed
land areas (artificial islands such as Palm Island and The World ) to continue
their growth and expansion. These
islands come with huge price tags.
Our stay in Dubai was extended to a
second overnight and we departed at 8AM
on March 26. We have 7 sea days through
a very "interesting" part of the world to our next scheduled port of
Aqaba, Jordan. The ship is traversing
the entire outer perimeter of Yemen where war planes from 8 Arab nations are
now striking.
