I arrived to Dubai airport from Istanbul at 6.30 in the morning. After doing the VISA control and to pick up my luggage, a car driver was waiting for carrying me to the hotel. Once there I made my check-in and I went sleeping until 11.30 when I called Matías, my Argentinean friend I met in Bratislava, after meeting him and Pablo in Slovakia and Milano, the invited me to Dubai. The problem was that I couldn’t connect him, so after trying a couple of times I gave up and decided to start walking in the street.
Once outside, I realize that Dubai is not so beautiful in everywhere, my hotel was in the old Dubai, in the Indian neighbourhood full of dirtiness by everywhere, but at least was a sure place. When I started walking, without a map and without the hotel address I felt totally lost… I was still trying to connect my friends but was impossible, so I said: “ok Pablo take it easy” and I just took a taxi and I went (or tried) to go to the “city center” and of course the taxi driver dropt me in the city center… but the problem was that the city center is not “the city center”, IT WAS A SHOPPING MALL called city center. So well I said ok… I went in and I made a call again to Matías, but this time I finally could connect to him and we meet together in the mall.
After meeting us, we went to Emirates Training College in order to do some stuff and after that we went to the Woman ATP, where we saw all the best woman tennis players like Hantuchova, Serena Willams and Dinara Safina, we spent the whole afternoon until night there and after that I returned to the hotel.
The other day early in the morning I took the Big Bus Tour, where I went to all important places in Dubai, was incredible because I saw all the sky buildings the Palm and the World Island, and of course the Burj Al Arab 7 stars Hotel. The whole trip was like 1 hour and a half and I could also see all the modern Dubai architecture and the 808m Burj Dubai Tower. After doing the tour where I also passed by each Shopping mall I returned to the hotel, I picked up all my stuffs and move to Matías and Pablo`s house, because I had to sleep at least one night in a hotel in order to get the visa. So I moved everything to the 21st century tower, which was made only for the Emirates Crew and there I met Pablo, because Matías had a Flight early in the morning.
During the afternoon I went with Pablo to make an on walking city tour where we took a boat to cross the Agra sea entrance and passed by some museums. In the night I went to have dinner with Pablo and Nicolas to a restaurant, mall and hotel complex pretty close to the Burj Al Arab. After that we returned back home.
The other day was going to be a very long day, why? After having lunch I did an incredible dessert safari, where I was jumping in the dessert and climbing sand mountains with a Filipinos group in the 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser. After jumping we stopped a couple of times just for resting and taking some pictures, in the second stop we could see the sunset in the dessert that was something magnificent. After sunset we went with all Toyota caravans to the beduine tent, were we tasted most traditional dessert meals and Arab foods, the tent also had some places for smoking nargileh and a scenario, because after dinner we saw an odalisque show. Once I returned home again, I took a shower and received Matías which came back from Germany, we have been speaking and chilling in house until late in the night.
The other day after having a big breakfast, Nicolas, Pablo, Matías, Christine and me went to the beach were we have been like 3 hours. The temperature was between 20-25°c and the water was transparent and cold, but they told me that in summer time, water is so hot. After taking a swim in the Arabic gulf and playing some badminton in the windy beach we went to have lunch to Johnny Rockets. When we finished eating we separate, Matías and Christine went to the ATP, Nicolas and Pablo went back home and I went to make to city tour. At 12 we met all together for going dancing. At four when we returned back home I checked my emails and dismissed Matías and Pablo who accompanied me in every moment during my stay in Dubai.
Dubai is an independent Emirate ruled by the Sheik Al Maktoum. Their main business is the real state, the tourism, the finance services and the oil industry. The Dubai populations mostly comes from foreign countries, specially India (51%) and Pakistan (15%), but there are also other citizens, like Filipino and people from all over the world. In general, work contracts includes also a house.
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