Breakfast consisted of more Indian offerings plus a man cooking eggs so I though it would be rude not to give him something to do and ordered an omelette.
We walked to the Creek, past the ship-shaped Dubai Customs building and via a Carrefour supermarket (they seem to be taking over the world: Tesco eat your heart out) which boasted an astonishing array of spices, dates, fruit and vegetables. Many things are very cheap compared with home and the array of breads took Angie's breath away! Evidence of the many different cultures which coexist in Dubai.
We walked though the historic Shindigha area north of the Creek and looked around a traditional house which had been painstakingly restored. Curiously, it was free to get in but you had to pay to get out....
At the abra station, we quickly and painlessly hired an abra to take us on a one-hour ride up the Creek in the beautiful sunshine. We photographed heavy-laden dhows on the water and saw Dubai's floating bridge; we watched helicopters in the sky ferrying the well-heeled around the City.
Yet again, it was food time, so we jumped in a taxi to Lime Tree Cafe on Jumeirah Road for yummy quiche and a delicious orzo pasta salad. Great recommendation, thanks Rob, mwah. We took at a look at the exterior of the adjacent Jumeirah Mosque and read the display boards outside. All this sight-seeing proved too much for us, so it was time for chillaxing on the Open Beach with the Burj Al Arab hazy in the distance. I would have taken a picture but there was a sign stating 'no cameras on beach' (presumably to preserve the modesty of beach-goers although maybe the Dubai government is concerned about tourists' cameras getting wet?)
We were entertained by an hour long beach cabaret consisting of the loud shenanigans of two middle-aged Spanish couples: beach changing Mr Bean style (except they barely bothered to cover themselves with their towels); running around the sand shrieking in the most unflattering swimwear; the women wading through the waves at roughly knee-height while doing breast stroke movements with their arms in mid-air?????? One can only assume that they had over indulged on the old Sangria at lunchtime.
A quick coffee at Costa and it was back to our hotel in the soft yellowy nearly-sunset light. Tonight, we treated ourselves to dinner at 'Na3na3' restuarant at The Address hotel - an Arabic buffet with more mezes than I have ever seen!!! Amazing food; every mouthful a taste sensation, washed down with an exorbitantly priced glass of vino.
After dinner, we had tickets reserved to ascend the sparkly new Burj Khalifa. The entry featured displays about the construction and the various records held by the tower. Then it was into a space-age lift with twinkly lights and screens which whisked us up 124 floors in under a minute, but gave the impression that we were moving really slowly. At the top, we were treated to amazing clear 360 degree views of Dubai by night. I was convinced that I could feel it moving slightly but Ange was sure that any movement was not perceptible and it was only because I was scared.... I should admit that I was most relieved when the lift deposited us safely back on solid ground!!!
Just time for some people watching in a Juice bar in Dubai Mall, which is the most American looking mall you could imagine but incongruously full of Arab men wearing different coloured headresses in various styles with different dishdashes and women wearing elegant black burqas, revealing hands dripping with jewels. A veritable melting pot of cultures and traditions....