Trip Of A Lifetime....Part Five

We were off to Dubai!  I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect, but a lot excited. Nate and Carolyn were so fun to visit with.  They were wonderful hosts and we had a great time. 

The first thing we did right off the plane was go to the Jumeirah Mosque.  They let non-Muslims tour the Mosque at scheduled times, so we couldn't pass up that opportunity!  I wore a Burka (scarf over head) and an abaya (long black dress or robe).  We had to take off our shoes to enter. 

The first thing we watched was their washing ritual.  It was very interesting.

Then, we entered the Mosque and watched how the prayers are said.  He was very nice and answered every one's questions about their prayers and religion in general.

It was a beautiful building and I was impressed with these kind people.

I don't know very many people who have been inside a mosque...it was a great experience.

After grabbing some lunch, we headed to Dubai Creek.  It's an ocean inlet and we took a water taxi. One of the first things I noticed is how incredibly HOT it was.  Not dry heat like in Utah, but very humid and sticky.  I also noticed how many huge buildings there were.  Dubai is such a modern city.  It was fun to take in all of the sights from the water.

We went to the older part of town and walked through this "Souk" or market place.  It was a fun and interesting experience because everyone wanted to sell me "real nice fake stuff" such as fake Louis Vuitton, fake Coach, and fake Armani.  

We then toured the Dubai Museum, which was very interesting.  It gave the history of Dubai and the surrounding area.  Dubai used to be a huge pearl diving spot until manufactured pearls became available. This is a primitive hut.  In this picture I am looking up a wind shaft that they would build to keep air flowing in their dwellings.

We then went back on the water taxi through the Creek. 

On the Creek, there were many small boats transferring workers.  The boats were so small and so full of people that I thought they might sink, but our water taxi was bigger and nicer.

We then went to Nate's house and got ready for dinner at the Jumeirah Beach Club.  This hotel is pretty famous for it's wave-like shape and the Burj al Arab behind it with it's sail-like shape.  This picture was taken from Nate's front yard!!  Wow, what a great view!!

Fraziers and Oscarsons at the Beach Club.

Our dinner was wonderful and the views were fantastic!! While visiting over dinner, we planned some of the things we would do while we were there.  We couldn't wait to see what was next on our adventure. We were worn out, but it was a great first day in Dubai!