After some much-needed sleep, we headed downstairs to the cafe for our buffet breakfast; Ange went for fruit and what resembled an 'English breakfast'; I had chana masala, paratha and pineapple. Very Arabic.

We walked down to the Creek, watching the endless aircraft taking off from Dubai International, just southeast of the City. This part of the City has such a different feel - grubbier, a little rougher and a whole lot more real. We crossed the Creek on an abra (boat taxi) and meandered through the souks of Deira: fragrant spices in open bags; endless shops of yellow gold encrusted with diamonds; general household goods. We wandered round, losing ourselves in the narrow streets. Thirsty work: we soon needed freshly pressed mango and banana juice, listening to the haunting call to prayer from the nearby Mosque.

Tummies were soon starting to rumble and we headed back across the Creek to Bur Dubai. We walked through a very touristy souk (like a flashback to Beijing - 'Copy watch? Copy bag?), then along the water, past all the dhows and fishing boats to the picturesque area of Bastakia where we sought out the XVA cafe for our lunch of yummy Arabic vegetarian food and the house speciality, mint lemonade. I was surprised to hear an old favourite French tune - La Chanson de Prevert by Serge Gainsbourg - while we ate.

A pleasant hour or so was spent perusing various arty shops and galleries in Bastakia, including a novel display of kinetic scultpures by a British artist at Majlis gallery which included giant fish which moved gently on the wind as if they were alive.

Relaxation is becoming a feature of our Emirati afternoons and we read by the pool for as long as it was warm enough - bit gutted that Dubai seems to be unusually cold at the moment - before making massage and dinner reservations.

A bubbly bath and homemade cocktails in our room before taking a cab to Madinat Jumeirah (named 'fake souk' by Cath and me in 2008!); it is basically Arabia does Disney and is reminiscent of a grand Las Vegas hotel but is somehow beautiful nonetheless. We wandered through little gift and craft shops in the 'souk' and then had drinks outside, reclining on bean bags and admiring the night time views of the Burj Al Arab, lit up in various colours.
An abra then glided us along the waterways of the Madinat - there was almost a full moon and all the wind towers were illuminated against the starry sky - and delivered us to the terrace of the Pai Thai restaurant.

We sat at a candlelit table by the water, listening to live Thai music and enjoyed the most exquisitely presented, delicately flavoured Thai banquet; the dessert was otherworldly, sweet but salty coconut milk on ice with small cubes of melon and Thai potato. I (Susie) had a spicy cocktail which was garnished with a whole chilli!!

A buggy then returned us to the front entrance of the opulent Al-Qsar hotel for a wee glimpse of how the other half live. Bizarrely, we were not whisked into one of the chauffeur driven limousines or enormous 4WDs but instead put in a Dubai taxi to be returned to the 'Country Club hotel behind the new gold souk', from whence we came!