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Abu Dhabi

UAE 2010: Heading to Dubai by bus; checking out Bur Dubai

Date: 6th April, 2010

After visiting Sheikh Zayed mosque, it’s not that I was done with Abu Dhabi or anything. I was going to come back to be with family, spend some time around the creek and visit the Yas Marina circuit.

But today, I was off to Dubai! Mostly to meet friends and to see the ‘heights of insanity’ Dubai’s reached in the past few years. I was going to visit all the famous buildings (because let’s face it, what else is there to see in Dubai?) and I was also looking forward to the David Guetta concert!

So yeah, a lot planned — and I was excited!

Post lunch, my uncle dropped me at the Abu Dhabi bus station from where I boarded the bus to Dubai (Dhs 15 = Rs. 180/US$4/€3)

The bus was, well…

Bus ride Abu dhabi to Dubai — ... very nice!

Those monitors display the pristine condition UAE’s roads are in… if that’s your thing. No other in-bus entertainment, unlike Thailand.

The journey was expected to take around 1 and 1/2 hours.

Sheikh Zayed bridge construction Abu Dhabi — The long overdue Sheikh Zayed bridge in construction

As I was leaving the city, I got glimpses of what to expect to see at Yas Island.

Al Raha mall The HQ Yas Island Abu Dhabi — The landmark office building simply called 'The HQ'

Yas Island apartments Abu Dhabi to Dubai — Apartments facing the Yas Marina circuit

Yas Island Ferrari world — The insanely massive Ferrari World in the distance

The bus was hardly full and though you are assigned a specific seat with your ticket, I took advantage of the empty seats behind me and rested comfortably.

An hour later, we were in Dubai, on Sheikh Zayed road, just about to enter the city.

Then it began…

… aaaand that was Dubai Marina.

Building after building after building. Five years ago, this was all sand. They carved out the land to their desire, a lot of dredging and sand dumping later, they went from this…

Dubai Marina early construction — (images from Google)

… to this…

Dubai Marina from helicopter — (image from Google)

… and the work still isn’t done.

There are still more buildings yet to be completed.

In the Middle East, Dubai was always a land of opportunities. From the many expatriates who made their riches here to those who have now even made it their home. Despite the recession, there are still hundreds of job seekers from all parts of the globe here in Dubai in search of work.

In fact, I sat next to a fellow Indian (from Tamil Nadu), who was returning from a job interview from Abu Dhabi.

Past the Dubai Marina, lies Dubai Internet City.

Dubai internet city companies — Some of the IT majors at Dubai Internet City

But hard as they may try, remnants of the current economic reality are all over Dubai.

Want office space? Dubai has plenty to offer.

As we drove up Sheikh Zayed road, to my right was the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Dubai bus ride Burj Khalifa — I didn't get a great view -- but you can't help but stare at it

Half-an-hour later, I was at Bur Dubai bus stand where my friend Azhad was waiting for my arrival. He got me a Nol Card, the smart card Dubai’s RTA (Roads & Transportation Authority) introduced to be used in the newly launched metro service and Dubai’s public buses. Your Nol Card costs Dhs 20 (Rs. 240/$5/€4) — of which Dhs 6 is deducted as the cost of the card — and the balance is your usable credit. The credit can be “topped up” at various stations and select stores all across Dubai.

We walked around a bit, chatted about old times and made our way to a bus stop. We had to make it across the creek to Deira, where Azhad stayed (& where I would be staying too).

After freshening up, Azhad didn’t waste any time in showing me around.

Dubai Deira fish roundabout — Azhad lives around here... y'know, in case you want to stalk him

Deira Syrian shawarma Azhad — Azhad stops for a snack at a Syrian joint

Dubai Union Station metro evening — Union Station, the metro stop in Deira...

Dubai Al Ghurair City Centre traffic — ... if you want to go to Al Ghurair City Centre

Dubai Deira road traffic — The Burj Khalifa in the distance

Azhad took me to the creek.

Dubai municipality office building — Dubai Municipality office building

Dubai creek cafe prayer hall — You can stop by here for evening prayers

After an hour or so of walking, Azhad said we were now going across the creek to Bur Dubai on an abra.

Basically, small passenger boats that ferry people across the creek. The cost: Dh 1 (Rs. 12)

The ride takes less than 2 minutes, but taking a ride on the creek is pretty much a ‘must do’ for any visitor to Dubai.

Once on the other side, it was more walking to see what the souk had to offer.

Traders from India (mostly Sindhis, Gujaratis and Keralites) have been in Bur Dubai for years. So much so, the souk is also called Meena Bazaar by the local Indian community.

Given the Indian population in the area, it was no surprise to know the Hindu temple was also located here. Though, you’ll need some help in find it the first time.

Dubai hindu temple — You have to take a left from a small alley lane to enter the temple

Dubai hindu temple narrow hallway — And it only gets narrower once inside

Inside you’ll find stores selling all your religious and devotional ‘merchandise’.

Once out, it was straight to the Dubai Museum.

Dubai museum Bur Dubai Regal — The first thing you see as you enter Dubai museum

Dubai museum old traditional room — An old traditional room. You're not allowed to sit on the bed.

Dubai museum old traditional room Azhad — So Azhad sat on it

Dubai museum old coir mats — Ponchos* worn by Arabs in the old days (*not really)

Dubai museum Dubai 1822 — Dubai in 1822, way before they discovered tall buildings

Dubai museum birds — Giant man-eating birds* of yore (*not really)

Dubai museum through the years — Downstairs was a hall with a Dubai 'through the years' demo room

Dubai museum carpenters shop — That's a holographic video playing in the background

Dubai museum food shop — Selling items decades past their expiry date

Dubai museum study Azhad — Azhad listens in, locals ignore him

Dubai museum stone hologram — This was a really cool hologram

Dubai museum under water — This section was to showcase marine history in Dubai -- thus the guy's legs sticking out of the ceiling

And with that, we made our way out of the museum.

Dubai Museum isn’t as big as say, Bahrain museum, but it’s still recommendable considering the entry fee is just Dhs 3 (Rs. 36/$0.80/€0.60).

We then roamed around Bur Dubai some more…

Bur Dubai abundant trading strange — Left: Grand Aboundant must be well-stocked; Right: ..............

… went through the souk again…

… and then back to the creek.

We just kept walking along the bend.

Dubai Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's old house — Passed by Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's old residence

Al Siraaj the Guiding Light hall panorama — Dropped by Obaid bin Thani's house which houses the exhibition Al Siraaj

Al Siraaj the Guiding Light lamps — Al Siraaj - The Guiding Light seeks to educate the public on the Qur'an's take on science, creation of the universe, etc.

After that, it was one last glance at the creek…

Dubai creek Bank of Baroda — Seeing the Bank of Baroda sign, one can't help but assume this part of Dubai feels like a 'mini-Mumbai'

… before heading back.

By now my legs were aching and so, we decided to take a cab back to Deira.

For dinner, it was back to a Syrian restaurant in Deira.

Deira roast chicken dinner — The challenge: Finish an entire chicken* between the 2 of us

I was really knackered by the time we got back to the room. Legs were aching and I just felt like sleeping. I saw quite a bit today and I was all the more excited about where I was going tomorrow — the tallest building in the world and the biggest mall in the region!

*P.S: Me & Azhad did our best… but we couldn’t finish the entire chicken.

Next posts in this series:

UAE 2010: Dubai Mall (Aquarium, Underwater Zoo & Gold Souk) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Burj Khalifa, At the Top (and Wafi Mall) – Part 2

UAE 2010: Mall of Emirates and Times Square Center

UAE 2010: Driving around Dubai (Souk Madinat Jumeirah, The Atlantis & The Palm Islands) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, The Walk and David Guetta concert – Part 2

UAE 2010: Showing my parents the sights of Dubai; inside Ibn Battuta Mall

UAE 2010: From the desert sands of Abu Dhabi to the corniche

UAE 2010: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit

Previous posts in this series:

UAE 2010: Heading back to the Gulf after 7 years

UAE 2010: Driving from Abu Dhabi to Dubai (& back)

UAE 2010: Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

UAE 2010: Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Date: 5th April, 2010

As I mentioned in my first post in this series, I had plans to visit Sheikh Zayed Mosque and explore the place a bit from the inside.

My mother and grand mother were keen on joining me as well. So post lunch, we set off by (the usual) taxi.

The eighth-largest mosque in the world is a 10 minute drive from Musaffah and around the same from Abu Dhabi city.

Sheikh Zayed mosque palm trees — The largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates

In case you are wondering, there isn’t an entrance fee or anything for non-worshippers.

There was a security guard right as I climbed up the steps and so I went straight up to him to ask him if photography was allowed. He said it is but asked me not to take photos of the burial site of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan — the late ruler of Abu Dhabi — after whom the mosque is named.

Another thing was (which the taxi driver also told us) women have to wear the traditional abaya to enter the mosque. My mother and grand mother didn’t hesitate. They laughed it off as an experience worth remembering while in the Middle East. Clean abayas are provided by the mosque as soon as you enter and they are free (you have to return them of course).

Sheikh Zayed mosque inside panorama — The courtyard of Sheikh Zayed mosque (panorama comprised of 5 photos)

We walked around the quadrant before stopping to take photos my ‘elders’ could look back at and smile about.

Sheikh Zayed mosque Mithun mother abaya — I call this photo: "Prejudice"

We then walked across the courtyard to get to the other side because my mother went: “Well, that must be it”.

Sheikh Zayed mosque minarets — Sheikh Zayed mosque has four minarets

We saw a door to the left and noticed people entering it minus their shoes. So we did the same.

And then I went: “Wow.”

(Oh and by the way, I had no idea what to expect as I hadn’t researched on this place or anything prior to coming here)

This was the entrance to the main prayer hall.

I walked through that door and then saw the main hall. That made me then go: ” “

(that was my silent “HO-ly%&#*… W-O-W!”)

Sheikh Zayed mosque prayer hall center — This was the center section of the prayer hall

(The above photo obviously doesn’t give you the scale of this hall, so you’re better off just watching the video below for that)

I tried to take a panoramic shot of the whole hall but only managed to get the left side right.

Sheikh Zayed mosque prayer hall one half — One half of the hall

This being the UAE, they obviously wanted some record-breaking bragging rights for this project. Sheikh Zayed Mosque has:

the world’s largest single-piece carpet, made by an Iranian company using 1,200 weavers. Weighs 47 tons and measures 60,570 sq ft
the world’s largest chandelier, from Germany

Sheikh Zayed mosque largest chandelier — 49 feet in height and 33 feet in diameter

The prayer hall has three massive chandeliers, the center one being the largest. On either side are two “smaller” chandeliers.

I spent a good 15 minutes inside the hall, just gawking in awe. They may have not built the biggest mosque in the world but they surely made one of the most impressive looking mosques.

And the funny thing is (being a gamer), all I kept thinking about was the video game Prince of Persia. When I saw the large chandeliers and pillars, I imagined what it must be like jumping from one to the next 🙂

We left the hall after a bit, put on our shoes and made our way out.

Outside Sheikh Zayed mosque — Step out from the old into the new

Shaikh Zayed mosque is ‘must see’ in my books if you happen to be in Abu Dhabi. It’s really impressive if you love Islamic architecture… or just about anything huge.

Here’s the HD video I took:

Pardon the shoddy editing. Still learning the basics.

Next posts in this series:

UAE 2010: Heading to Dubai by bus; checking out Bur Dubai

UAE 2010: Dubai Mall (Aquarium, Underwater Zoo & Gold Souk) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Burj Khalifa, At the Top (and Wafi Mall) – Part 2

UAE 2010: Mall of Emirates and Times Square Center

UAE 2010: Driving around Dubai (Souk Madinat Jumeirah, The Atlantis & The Palm Islands) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, The Walk and David Guetta concert – Part 2

UAE 2010: Showing my parents the sights of Dubai; inside Ibn Battuta Mall

UAE 2010: From the desert sands of Abu Dhabi to the corniche

UAE 2010: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit

Previous posts in this series:

UAE 2010: Heading back to the Gulf after 7 years

UAE 2010: Driving from Abu Dhabi to Dubai (& back)

Abu Dhabi to Al Ain highway distance sign

UAE 2010: Driving from Abu Dhabi to Dubai (& back)

Date: 4th April, 2010

On my second day in Abu Dhabi, I really didn’t have any plans besides checking out some stores nearby. But I ended up not doing so when my mother told me we had to go pick up my grandmother from our relative’s place in Dubai. And I thought: “Great, road trip!”

So post-lunch, we set off from Musaffah via Emirates Road for Dubai.

We stopped at the gas station for fueling up and to grab some coffee, and while there, it was good to note the locals still love their SUVs.

Abu Dhabi Dubai ENOC station SUV — Fill 'er up! Even after the price hike, a litre still only costs Rs. 16 out here

There really wasn’t a whole lot to see on the journey besides dry land on either side and heavy vehicles…

… but my mother did ask me to notice just how long this green and white compound wall would stretch for.

Driving from Abu Dhabi to Dubai compound wall — I didn't see it end until after 60kms or so!

45 minutes into our journey, as we entered the emirate of Dubai, things started to get a lot more interesting.

The number of heavy-duty trucks all lined up, heading in and out of Jebel Ali was staggering.

Then, slowly but surely, came the construction projects. Besides factories, all the newer office buildings and the massive ambitions of Dubai.

Dubai Autodrome Emirates road Motor city — Dubai Autodrome: The FIA certified racetrack in Motor City

If you want to know what heck is Motor City, check out their official website.

The 25,000-seater stadium is part of the US$4 billion Dubai Sports City project. If you want to… actually, just click here (.pdf document).

(FYI, most Arabs don’t give a shit about cricket. The UAE national squad is mostly comprised of Pakistanis and Indians. Despite that, ICC’s international headquarters will now be in Sports City.)

The Dubai Global Village mostly comes alive during the world-famous Dubai Shopping Festival.

But the sad reality behind the facade and the large signs that advertise these massive projects are that… well, they are either on hold or are lying empty. Some bits are done, but there are still many phases yet to be started/completed due to the financial crisis of last year that put an end to Dubai’s extravagant dreams.

In fact, the Motor City, Sports City and Global Village are all part of the massive (you’ll see me use this word a lot) Dubailand — what they described at launch would be the largest theme park in the world. But all I saw was a statue of a dinosaur near Dubailand’s hoarding. Sigh.

Abu Dhabi to Dubai power grids — Saw a lot of this on the way too. They'll need it.

By evening, we were in Jebel Ali heading to a residential complex called LuLu Village where my relatives were staying.

An hour later, coffee and chit-chat over — and with grandmother in tow — we set off once again.

The sights weren’t obviously that different on the way back. More construction…

Dubai Emirates road twin towers — ENOC = Emirates National Oil Company

… completed apartments …

… and Dubai’s new skyscrapers.

Dubai Emirates road Marina distance — Dubai Marina in the distance -- and where the mistreated labour that built them live in the fore

All of which now have disappointing occupancy rates.

Regardless, I was still looking forward to my time in Dubai.

Dubai Burj Khalifa shadow — You can't really hide the tallest building in the world now can you?

Dubai exudes excitement. It is the party capital of the Middle East. I was looking forward to meeting my friends and going around the city.

It’s not for everyone of course, especially the uneducated poor, for whom it can be one of the harshest places to be in.

Dubai Emirates trucks highway — There were a lot more trucks on our way back

Abu Dhabi Yas Island Aldar distance — The impressive Yas Marina Circuit in the distance. (Yes, even this was on my itinerary)

By nightfall we were back home in Abu Dhabi. The plan for the next day was a visit to Shaikh Zayed Mosque — and as with a lot of things I had planned, I was really looking forward to it.

Also read: Heading back to the Gulf after 7 years (First post in this series)

Next posts in this series:

UAE 2010: Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

UAE 2010: Heading to Dubai by bus; checking out Bur Dubai

UAE 2010: Dubai Mall (Aquarium, Underwater Zoo & Gold Souk) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Burj Khalifa, At the Top (and Wafi Mall) – Part 2

UAE 2010: Mall of Emirates and Times Square Center

UAE 2010: Driving around Dubai (Souk Madinat Jumeirah, The Atlantis & The Palm Islands) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, The Walk and David Guetta concert – Part 2

UAE 2010: Showing my parents the sights of Dubai; inside Ibn Battuta Mall

UAE 2010: From the desert sands of Abu Dhabi to the corniche

UAE 2010: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit