We promised you more about engines - the ship has been running on one engine since we arrived in Muscat. The effects of this problem have been twofold really. Firstly it has meant late arrival to Dubai and therefore an expected even later arrival in Mumbai. Secondly the ship has been vibrating continuously for 3 days. Thinking back, it didn't sound too healthy leaving Southampton, but we are told that was to do with changing gear (oh yeah!!!), and a couple more times on the way. The Oriental Restaurant is well documented on the web as being noisy as a result of being above the propellers, but Sunday evening was the final straw when cutlery went flying, tea and coffee jumped out of cups and it was impossible to hold a conversation. Many of the passengers expressed concern and as a result were offered a table in the Peninsular Restaurant instead, including the 8 of us at our table.
As to our day in Dubai, there is so much to report. The approach to the port was marred by very misty conditions. It was barely possible to make out the incredible record breaking sky scrapers of the tourist beach areas. A heavy swell didn't help matters. We were sitting in a forward lounge when one swell caused the vessel to heel over significantly, the bar staff watched helpless as most of the glassware and bottles from one side of the bar crashed to the floor. There was no need for concern, inspired seamanship or blind indifference, not sure which, caused the ship to return rapidly to the upright; and then heel rapidly to the other side. And yes, you've guessed it, the bar staff were equally helpless as glassware and bottles went flying from the other side. On landing in Dubai we teamed up with friends from our meal table, caught a taxi and headed off towards the Souks around the creek of Old Dubai. The souks of the East never cease to fascinate us. You could go back day after day and always stumble across something new. Both the Gold and the Spice souk more than lived up to expectations and we would encourage any visitor to spend time here. We did not spend much time in the clinical, modern shopping malls of Dubai, why travel all these miles merely to visit shopping centres like those back home, OK, not quite like Grimsby. In fairness there is one major advantage of the shopping mall, free wifi, so let us acknowledge the excellent service, terrific coffee and wifi of the Dome coffee shop in the Bur Juman Mall which we visited later in the day.
We emerged from the souks onto the side of Dubai Creek and wandered along the quayside. Dhows, double or treble parked, are being loaded with a phenomenal range of seemingly haphazard cargoes. Tractor tyres are loaded, by hand, to be stacked alongside boxed fridges, microwaves, sacks of rice or grain, drums of oil, the variety seemed endless en route to Iran and beyond.
How the captain, a different breed of seafarer than our esteemed Cap'n Dave back on Oriana, I fancy, can see out of the deckhouse to steer these venerable craft is beyond me, surrounded as every structure was with the assorted trade of the Orient. Every now and then another pick up truck would hammer along the quayside with further cargo in the smallest of quantities. No containerisation here, no computers and iPads to ensure the cargo is balanced and stabilised. Just years,or generations, of accumulated knowledge and experience carried with confidence and time honoured expertise. It is one thing to see this kind of thing as outdated or even primitive but you can' t help wondering how long it would take the crew of one of these vessels to effect a repair or rig up an alternative in the event of a breakdown compared to the complicated and expensive systems we have come to rely on. What price progress? Will the dead engine,sorry, marine propulsion system, be repaired in time to ensure prompt arrival in Mumbai?
Next, to cross Dubai Creek. Not for us the subway. Abras are small, perhaps 20ft long vessels, with a bench down the middle with no side rails. Passengers, up to 20 or so at a time, pile on as soon as the boat noses into the jetty and organise themselves on the benches facing outwards. The little man in charge appears to sit astride the engine which lies below deck between the two benches of passengers, his head at about the level of passengers waists. How the hell he can see where he is going is a mystery, amply illustrated by his first attempt at docking at the jetty across the Creek, which he rams with an enthusiasm which would have made him an honorary member of any Japanese kamikaze squadron in the 1940s. Eventually there is sufficient proximity to dry land to enable us to leap to to safety. The locals appear not to share our sense of relief at survival. Some of you will know that not all of your correspondents enjoy a sense of confidence whilst on, or indeed, in water and it did not go unnoticed that there was a marked absence of life-jackets, distress rockets, flares and GPS devices. But we British do not show weakness in the midst of foreigners and we walked away with steady gait, if slightly glazed expression!
And off to another souk specialising in clothing. When you have been propositioned to become some Egyptian trader's second wife to merely be offered knock down priced pashminas is a bit of a let down but Janey entered in to the spirit of the occasion and haggled with enthusiasm and great determination to negotiate a great price. Skills such as this are enough to ensure reductions in housekeeping allowance on return to the UK!! Others in the party were waylaid by a most unfragrant Arab gentleman whose attempt to sell an Arabian head-dress, bearing a close resemblance to an old tea towel, involved having it wrapped decorously around said European's head. An event which I regret to inform the readership was recorded in photograph by a gleeful spouse and which I fear may be broadcast to a wider audience. I am open to realistic offers for the summer edition of the Next catalogue.
Alongside this souk is Bastakiya, an area of old houses with vented towers which in olden times provided simple yet effective air conditioning,another indication of how our forebears often had as effective systems as our great technology achieves today.
From here we ambled off along the south bank of the Creek passed the many dhows elegantly converted to restaurants and entertainment.
Finally to modern Dubai of wide multi lane boulevards to seek the air conditioned joys of the afore-mentioned Bur Juman Mall to replenish supplies at Boots, buy stamps at Clintons Cards and Facetime the much missed good people back home, where we understand it is quite cold and windy, shame.
Never mind, it can't be all bad, Norwich City held Chelsea to a draw this weekend, the satellite signal to Oriana held good so we were able to watch and hold a real time text conversation with Matt, Sam and Toby as it unfolded and, would you believe it, one of us can now claim to have watched her first Canaries match ever, without falling asleep. Albeit from the comfort of the bar of a cruise ship some few thousand miles from Carrow Road. Another first!!!