Day 2 (2023) Dubai: Old Souk, TODA, View of the Palm, Expo City

6.4.2023

Day 2:

Visited Highlights:

Old Souk Deira (Spice Souk & Gold Souk), Madinat Jumeirah, TODA (Museum of Digital Art) BANSKY 360°, the View of the Palm, Expo City, The Palm Fountain / The Pointe

The night is short. Due to the time difference, I am not tired and only go to bed at 2 o'clock (midnight on my internal clock). At 4:45 I sit up in bed. A scream!! A guy is screaming outside. So loud that I think he's in my bedroom. Then I realize it's not a scream, it's a kind of singing. The muezzin calls to prayer. At 4:45 in total darkness. OMG...
Barely have I fallen asleep again after the 15 minute 'prayer', he shouts again at 6 o'clock....oh my, I'm going to need earplugs for the next night....
At 7:30 the alarm clock rings. Short night. From the window I can see that the mosque is right below our hotel. No wonder we can hear the muezzin so well 🙈
After the not really restful first night, we go for breakfast at 8 o'clock. However, it is unexpectedly varied and diverse. There are at least 6 coffee machines where you can get everything from cafe latte to cappuccino and regular coffee, of course also milk, cocoa, various juices, and water. Cereal, yogurt, cornflakes, various breads, cold cuts, sweet pastries such as croissants, mini muffins, waffles with chocolate sauce or caramel, honey, syrup, etc.
An Arabic Corner with delicious hummus, an Arabian 'bean mash', fresh herbs and vegetables. Next to it is the American/Asian and Continental Breakfast (scrambled eggs, salad, beans, vegetables, potatoes, bacon, etc.)
In the adjoining room, there is the Egg Corner where you can have an omelette of your choice made.
Okay, we're getting full!

All my prejudices against Russian guests, which I have collected during the last 20 years of vacation, are confirmed here again: no manners and no dining culture. The food is scooped onto the plates in piles, only to be quickly called and left on the table. A lady at the omelette corner has two fried eggs prepared three times, only to say that she doesn't want them. Before I can react, the employee shakes his head and throws the 6 freshly prepared fried eggs in the trash can. Unbelievable... I would have taken at least 2 of them. Russian children mostly sit in front of a tablet or cell phone and are constantly entertained, never looking at their plates while eating. We had the same experience during our last Maldives vacation. Too bad, no improvement in sight....

After eating, we drive to Deira to the Spice and Gold Souk. We were there last time in 2015 and wanted to go there again. It's not too hot yet, so we can stroll through the alleyways more comfortably. However, the walk through the spice market turns into a obstacle course. There are hardly any tourists around, so we are fair game for all the vendors who want to sell us spices or scarves by any means possible. Damn, it's exhausting. The daughter is now nicknamed 'Shakira' or 'Helene Fischer', the son is 'Schweinsteiger'. The 'Aldi Sud' store from 2014 & 2015 is still there - with a new Aldi sign. Funny.
We explore the Gold Souk, look at the largest gold ring in the world, and fend off all the vendors who want to sell us luxury handbags. Back at the Spice Souk, we finally let ourselves be lured into a store and buy the 'stone chocolate', which was already very popular in 2014 and 2015. Supposedly made from camel milk.... Well, who believes that!?
The daughter also manages to get a small colorful bowl, which we negotiate down from 5 to 3€, then we continue to Madinat Jumeirah, where we watch the show 'BANSKY 360° Art of a Rebel' at TODA (Museum of Digital Art). Very loud, but definitely worth seeing. Here too, we are almost the only visitors.
Outside on the terrace, we catch a glimpse of the Burh Al Arab, then we spontaneously decide to take a trip to the Palm and visit the observation deck 'The View of the Palm', for which we quickly book tickets on our mobile phones in advance. Parking is recommended at the Nakheel Mall, as you can take the elevator directly to the entrance of the View.
We can go straight up, no waiting line, hardly any tourists. Very nice. Still pretty empty so far.
Once at the top, we enjoy the view. It's really amazing to see the Palm from above. Unbelievable how much extravagance and wealth is 'built' here. Villas, pools as big as an entire swimming pool, yachts...
The gigantic view is definitely a clear recommendation to visit!

In the early afternoon, we reach EXPO VILLAGE. On the huge expo grounds, there are still several pavilions from the World Expo of 2022 (actually 2020, but that was during COVID), as well as a huge round dome with a light show at sunset. We take a golf buggy to the waterfall, which we unfortunately cannot enter because all the tables in the roundabout are set up for a party. The 'wave' that we actually want to see only exists until 15 o'clock, after that only the water runs down the waterfall. Well, it doesn't matter, then we go on the train, the Expo Express, which takes us to the terminal near the dome. Before sunset, a light show with music already begins, with birds flying around the roof. The sunset and the end of today's fasting, are heralded by a loud cannon shot (the cannon is located at the entrance of the Expo). We are scared to death 😅
The actual show is about the history of Ramadan, depicted through a colorful light show and 3 performers on stage. Everything very colorful - I liked the show with the birds better. A matter of taste. After the show, we drive to the Palm and watch the water show of the 'Palm Fountain' at the promenade 'The Pointe' while having dinner at 'Donna Carmela' with a view of the water show. Of course, the water show is much smaller than the Dubai Fountain, but still great and beautiful to watch and one of the few free attractions in Dubai.
What an eventful day!