My Dubai Tryst

I am back to rainy Mumbai after a long vacation in Dubai. Yeah, I know that’s not a vacationy city but I had a place to stay and a car at my disposal so I am not complaining. I love vacations especially long ones where I have no agenda whatsoever. It’s nice to be in a place where no one else knows you, no one has any expectations. It’s a reprieve and boy did it help clear all the cob-webs in my head.

The planning for this trip started a year ago when my dear friend, let’s call her rose-tinted-glasses, moved to Dubai. She was adamant that I come visit her. After many-a failed plan from my side, she took things into her hands and booked my ticket. It did me good though, perfect timing for the trip to get out of the country. RTG is my only friend during those dreaded two years of IIT prep where we were the only two girls who made it through. So, it’s sort of a relationship which we never questioned.  We made a pact back then that we would meet once a year wherever we may be. It took me exactly 8 years to do that :) who says I am lazy :D

I dint have a clue as to what I would be doing the 10 days I was there mainly because RTG is an aggressive planner. The last time we went on a trip to Pondicherry I got the itinerary for three days in my mail which included exactly 15 mins for lunch and dinner in between all the sightseeing, so I knew I had nothing to worry about. The night I landed in Dubai, she got her white board out and a bunch of tourist brochures and made a time-table for my touristy thing. I dint know whether to laugh or cry but I did use that board during the 10 days as my day planner, so I guess I can’t complain meticulous planning.

So, let’s see the things I loved about the city:                       

The clean, clean roads, city lights and high rises, it looks like a sci-fi movie about a futuristic city. And, let’s not forget the metro; I think the architects did a marathon Alien movie run before designing them.

The malls, OMG the malls; I went crazy, RTG dint know what to do. She had to warn her friends beforehand if I was going out with them, it was that bad. But I did buy enough shoes to last me a year, half my bag on my way back was filled with shoes.

Being in the middle of the desert at 5 in the morning without a soul for miles, the quiet is so eerie but so peaceful. You can just sit in the sand and draw circles and just be.

The food, I literally went crazy and RTG dint stop me on this even though she is a born again vegetarian (if there is something like that), I dragged her to any and every restaurant that I read about in the guides.

The gold souk, man I never thought I would go glaze eyed looking at all those baubles but I sure as hell was slobbering in front of those windows. I did finally buy something, well that was the reason I gave my parents for this trips so I have to cover my tracks.

The boat cruises along the marina are a treat for the eyes. I couldn’t take my eyes of all the lights. It was so pretty. I know they are just buildings but I couldn’t stop clicking my camera.

The beaches, especially during the night, I was out in the water till 2 in the night with the cool wind blowing. I just sat there just feeling the waves crashing against me with the water changing colors because of all the city lights glittering. Bliss.

It was a great trip, a bit of shopping, a whole lotta gossiping, lots of walking. All in all what I just needed. So, I am making a new resolution now, one country a year that’s it!