Day 4 (2014): Boat trip on Dubai Creek & Deira Souk

24.10.14

DAY 4: Dubai - Deira - Abu Dhabi

Visited highlights: Spice Souk, Gold Souk, Boat trip on Dubai Creek, Dubai Creek & Yacht Club, Dubai Festival City, Dubai Marina

Our alarm clock goes off at 8 a.m. Wow, we're tired....

After a quick breakfast, we load the car and then drive towards Deira around 9 a.m. Today we don't have to navigate alone, which relaxes the situation considerably.

It's even nicer to see that my cousin isn't doing much better in terms of navigation (even though she has been here several times in this area).

Finally arrived in Deira, we are amazed at the amount of goods stacked along the Dubai Creek - some packed in crates, some not.

However, a glance at the Spice Souk is not promising - everything is closed!?

We learn that today is an Indian holiday - great - the Indians therefore do not open the Souk today. A local explains to us that he also does not know if and when something will be open today. On the other side of the river, a few stalls would be open, while the other stalls would probably only open in the afternoon.

Great, it's 9:45 and we are already standing in our own 'soup' at +38 degrees Celsius...

We decide to take a boat trip to the other side and want to visit the Dubai Museum and the stalls that are supposedly open there.

For the equivalent of 20 cents / person, we 'whizz' across with the traditional wooden boat to the other side.

Some stalls are actually open. However, I find the vendors extremely pushy (I don't like that - it really annoyed me in Egypt and Greece). If you don't want to stop, the sellers will follow you, even throwing scarves around my neck several times, so that I have to go back to return the scarf. Nerve-wracking!

It's hot....way too hot!

We get something to drink and then want to go to the Dubai Museum a few streets away. Finally arrived there, we are disappointed: closed!

Great! According to the information board, it should be open. The Indian holiday makes it possible. Everywhere the Indians are walking around in festive clothes. Well, I wish them a happy holiday - just a shame for us....

We think for a moment...then decide to go back to the 'port' and maybe take a boat tour.

We go back through the bazaar. I have discovered the shoes of the 'Enchanting Jeannie', hehe.

At the boat dock, we then 'rent' a boat for 30 minutes (I think we pay 5 €) and chug up and down the Dubai Creek a bit. At least there is a little breeze here. By now, we have broken the 40 degree mark!

We see the preparations and advertising signs for the EXPO 2000, everywhere things are being built and dug.

After the boat tour, the first hunger makes itself felt. However, we are searching in vain for a restaurant in the Souk area. So back to the car and continue driving. We want to come back to the Souk later - hopefully it will be open then.

We drive to the Dubai Creek & Yacht Club. There are cool BBQ boats, but not right for today. Unfortunately, everything in the restaurant is reserved today.... we have bad luck...

But the sight of the BBQ boats was worth the stop

We continue to Festival City (mall right next to IKEA) and relax at Pizza Hut after the hot morning tour. Air conditioning is great!!!

After we have strengthened ourselves, had delicious ice cream for dessert and peeked into a few shops, we drive back to the Souk. By now it is 4:30 p.m. and most of the shops are open!

Spice Souk (with ALDI SÜD sign)

Here I am in my element! How it smells and how it tastes here!!!!!

Delicious!

We haggle eagerly (okay, the men haggle and I choose) and leave the vendor of our choice with a lot of spice blends (saffron, curry, etc.) and 'stone chocolate' - milk chocolate that actually looks like small gemstones!! A nice souvenir for children's birthdays.

With 2 bags in hand, we continue. At least I have now gotten all my souvenirs.

We continue to the Gold Souk. For example, the largest gold ring in the world is located here (apparently even in the Guinness Book of Records). Well, if you're into all this 'gold'....

I'm not really a fan of gold when it comes to jewelry, so I'm also immune to the temptation to buy something here. Most of the 'Suleika chains' also look more like 'costume jewelry' - but they are actually very expensive....

Nevertheless, we are really impressed by these 'gold masses'.

Of course, the kids especially like the golden 'camels' and glittering stones (and NO, we are not buying a golden camel!!).

White gold is also available - but as I said, I'm here for the spices.

Here I find the 'Jeannie' shoes again

By now it's already after 8 p.m. Hard to believe how quickly the time has passed and above all: how hot it still is!

Since the next feeling of hunger is approaching and the children are pretty exhausted (not only the children), we drive back to Dubai by car. We want to have dinner somewhere in Dubai Marina.

And there it is again: the Khalifa! Unmistakable in Dubai!

We then go from the parking lot of Marina Mall to Dubai Marina.

After we have found a nice restaurant and had a delicious meal, we stroll through the Marina for a while and then make our way back to Abu Dhabi.

We arrive around midnight and fall into bed in a coma. It was a great, but thanks to over 40 degrees, also a very exhausting sightseeing day!

So bye bye Dubai - see you next year. Now it's time to continue in Abu Dhabi!