the hyatt regency dubai is a 24-floor 5-star hotel
not at all centrally located so buses, taxis, trains required
to get to some of the big ticket items on the visitor's menu
but we snagged it well for a couple of must-visit destinations
first up on this day was a 5 minute walk to the fish market
it took no time at all to realise this place was premium
at least one of us in raptures over the smorgasbord on offer
prawns sized like fists, blue swimmer crabs stacked 20 deep
anchovies, squid, sardines, lobsters, salmon of all sizes
more shellfish varieties on offer than ever seen before
stalls specialising in smoked, dried and fresh fish
row after row of vendors dressed in common atire
gently seeking a sale or mostly teasing the tourists
no need to purchase so back to the metro to move on
next stop a cultural tour in the old part of the city
started well but turned into another q&a come lecture
this from an entertaining arab in robes on a mission
muslims are not oil-rich, woman-hating, bomb-carrying zealots
yes well had that pretty well sorted so the message a bit tedious
lunch in the courtyard of a nearby arabian teahouse welcomed
then back to the (un)real world of modern day dubai
a monorail trip out on the trunk of the pines project
a mind-boggling project on land claimed from the sea
hundreds of apartment blocks and beachfront houses
surely a case of money no object and we-can-so-we-will
ditto with the atlantis development where the monorail ends
a huge waterpark with man-made rivers, lakes and waterslides
we happy to get into the fresh water and have a bit of fun
reminding me of days spent floating down real rivers on tubes
but also thinking how sad that today it's artificiality that rules
and even worse that it costs a small fortune to get into fake
no wonder the middle class is disappearing - fun costs big
a desire to get back to another reality sees us at the souk
the gold market also in the old part of town near our hotel
a pleasurable time spent wondering the blocks of shops
window-shopping for jewellery has never been such fun
culminating in a visit to the spice market - ditto
a day in the markets to obtain saffron and coffee
but another day of unforgettable experiences...
