Day 2

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Friday, May 2, 2008

A good nite sleep can do wonders for the body and mind and I awoke this morning feeling a lot better than I had been the day before. It's surprising how comfy a strange bed can be and that not even the big black man, from Central Africa, snoring (like only those of us who have had the privilege of camping with Scott can vouch
for) in the bed next to me could wake me. A new day and new country was calling and I decided to get out and go see the 'tourist' side of town. Oh, haven't I told you? That I am one of the only a few white people around here and everywhere I go I get stared at? Yeah, that's right, I even had someone take a photo of me tonight on their phone while I was eating dinner. Anyway, after slowly getting up, having a swim, kicking the foot with a local soccer team then deciding it was time for another swim to cool off, I took a walk down the street to see if I could catch one of the many unreliable bus services into the touristy area. I ended up meeting a couple of others trying to catch the same bus as myself. We waved for 45min at the occasional bus and ignoring taxi drivers for a lift. We decided to split the cost of a taxi as that way, we will get to where we want to go without all the stuffing around on the bus. After parting ways with my new travel companions, in a taxi ride that cost me 12drm (about $5) I soon found a park that had the many sky scrapers as a back drop.  Zaabeel Park is what I had come across and although it is not yet finished, and the promise of a mini golf course that, to my disappointment, had yet been built, it was a very nice and relaxing park. Surprisingly green actually, hard to tell with all the haze that is constantly around. The park took you away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets and constant honking of horns from the crazed motorists. After finding my way from one side of the park to the other, coming across some many strange things along the way, one being the surfing Kangaroo and koala monument in the middle of the park! Very strange, but still, a nice reminder of home. Out of the park and into the concrete jungle that is Dubai. I walked past several, well, more than that, around the block and back again. Another hot afternoon of doing what I had said I would not do again, walking in the midday heat. By the time I had done a few little thing I had set out to do, and buy a couple of little things (like a map so I actually knew where the hell I was) it was time to wave down a taxi and take the inexpensive trip home. Although i hadn't really planned much, other then getting out and seeing some sights, the one thing i didn't come arcoss was the Burj Al Arab Hotel. You know the one, claimed as the world's only 7 star hotel, made famous by Fedora and Agassi playing tennis on the roof. Oh well, as long as i get a job in the next few days, i will have plenty of time to see it...