Time for another blog…yes, Tam, that’s right…we are endeavouring to continue with this writing thing…for now anyway!!

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Well my week hasn’t been terribly eventful, it’s really just been a normal working week. Lots of calls, manta IDs, project plans and ideas being discussed…but that’s nothing out of the norm.

As a result I don’t have anything terrible exiting to share other than our trip over to the old town on Monday. FYI – Monday has been reclaimed and my new ‘off-day’ – this is to coincide with when Sergey gets his off-day

So Monday being the joint ‘off-day’ we decided to take a trip down to the older part of Dubai.

This was quite an interesting adventure but I was a bit too tired by the time we eventually got down there so it was all a bit of a blur which involved quite a spectacular sensory overload….

After disembarking from a rather long metro trip to the older district and crossing through the bustling traffic we found ourselves in amongst the tiny corridors which snaked throughout the different souks (market streets in the old town).

These roads appeared to be cloaked in a hazy smoke which immediately stimulated the nasal passages. From dusty car infested streets to incense laden pathways, the smells were captivating and so intense that for a brief moment they overshadowed all other senses. Light and sound seemed to fade and we were engulfed by a mix of familiar and unfamiliar scents that hung in dense mats mid-air. It created such a peaceful pause… one which is unlikely to source when living in concrete trapped cities.

Refocussing my eyes once again on the cobbled streets below and glaring through the grey shrouds of enticing smoke, I could see some warm yellow glow in the distance…with an abrupt pulse the beautiful glow vanished as a heavy whisper and eerie voices intruded my personal senses. The noise echoed thru the passages – ‘cashmere pashmina…want to trrry’-with the sellers urge to advertise their goods and entice you to venture into their store. ‘Come madam, sir there are more spicesss inside’ – with each ‘r’ rolling off the tongue in a rattle and ‘s’ haunting the word in use.

Haggling is obviously the thing here…but I’ve had far too many people haggling me in South Africa to last me a life-time so I was not falling for that trick. It doesn’t help that I’m a very ‘snoep’ individual and wouldn’t spare a penny for just about anything. Even toilet paper should be bought in one-ply and the cheapest deal on special promotion…please! They managed to get Sergey into one or two of their stores but I was impressed by his reservations to purchase anything! He’s learnt well ;)…

The walk through the souks was good but it was quick – the sheer stimulation of the senses was a bit overwhelming and we needed a bit of a gateway escape from the confined quarters.

We meandered through some more opened lots and found our way at the waters edge with many people offering a water taxi tour or ride across to the other side of river. The locals were adamant to give us a river tour but we were not having it. Eventually they gave in and showed us to the boat taxi heading directly to the embankment on the other side. We had a nice little taxi ride over and we hoped off at our destination. Took a little stroll along the embankment and entered into the ‘old town’ recreated city, which was very desolate but interesting.

I’m not one for claustrophobia but felt a bit weird whilst walking through this area, so we didn’t stay long. We had an ice cream and some cold drink and then started making the long journey back home.

All in all, a good experience but not something I’d do very regularly.