Dubai again
Mood:  on fire
Wow, silks from India and spices from Iran, Iraq and who knows where. The gold,textile, and spice souks (markets) were like something out of a movie. I felt like i was in an "Indiana Jones" scene. The temperature topped 43 degrees Centigrade today. Shops are closed from 1-4pm and i can definitely see why. I was walking back to the hotel at 1pm and just about melted my shoes getting back.

The Sunday evening cruise on Dubai Creek was so very romantic last night. Air conditioned wooden dhow (about 30-40 tourists on board). The buffet dinner was delicious with curries from India as well as lots of local dishes. I sat next to two guys from India on a holiday break from university studies. B-Com (bachelors in Commerce) seems to be a common college degree. Another sweet older couple originally from India but living in London also were close by my table. The night cools off just a bit here. Out on the top deck is lovely for awhile and the photo opportunities are great. I have to retreat back to the air conditioning after about 1/2 an hour. The creek is studded with dhows of all sizes strung with little yellow lights. The city lights outlining the many skyscrapers of outlandish architectural design are capped off by a sliver of a silvery moon. The belly dancer is not the best, but she gets quite a group up gyrating happily at the end of the cruise.

Ok, so here's a funny story on my first part of this trip. I was so tired after boarding the plane from Osaka that my first trip to the bathroom i just grabbed a paper cup next to the sink and downed 3 cups of water before heading back to my seat. On the second trip to the toilet after a dinner and a snooze i again reached for a paper cup and went to fill it from the faucet when - much to my surprise - i read the big red sign next to the faucet that had a bar thru the picture of a cup with a written warning that this water is NOT fit to drink. GOOD GRIEF, SO WHY DO THEY SUPPLY THE PAPER CUPS THEN!!!! My nerves were a bit on edge wondering whether i was going to come down with an extreme case of my favorite - diarrhea. Luckily a day later, all is well. whew.

Buy, buy, buy, Dubai should be this town?s mantra. Shopping seems to be the favored form of entertainment. Last night?s cruise cost 200 dirhams. Tonight?s dinner at a local vegetarian south Indian restaurant is 12 dirhams. (3.67 dirhams/US dollar) This is definitely a Muslim town with 5 times-a-day broadcast prayers over loudspeakers everywhere. Pretty liberal and most women walk around with no head coverings.