dubai

some little bowling pins dressed as women
russ outside our hotel
burq hotel
crossing the 'creek' actually more like a river
jameriah mosque
city scape
in the souk..the lady in the black veils had a package on her head


today we toured dubai...but, before our 2 pm trip...we decided to go to the pool...it's really nice..very peaceful...hotel is lovely...arabian..very cool...from the beach you can look at the palm islands..then, russ and i had massages..very relaxing..the girl put so much oil in my hair, it isn't out after 3 washings! we went on this tour of dubai...it was very interesting...the city is very new...it's been a village here for over a 100 years, but, nothing much until 1960's...the then sheik found oil and from then on! he came up with ideas for dubai...after he died he's son has carried on and come up with many fantastic ideas...the city is totally under construction..so many cool buildings, parks, islands, you name it, they are building it...new roads...it's unreal, they seem to have so much money for stuff...crazy...this place has so many different parts to it..the new is really nice, clean, beautiful buildings...the old side, is just sort of old and junky...we went to the sheiks palace..very huge...went to the most famous mosque..very pretty...went to the spice souk and gold souk...bazaars...they sucked...the one in turkey was waaaaaaay better.after the souk, russ and i left the tour..it was over, so we caught a cab...this guy was from egypt and very smooth..about 60..he took my hand and kissed it! and after when i was paying, he didn't give me change..guess he figured that he'd wooed me and wanted his payment! .i'm very impressed with this city..for one, it would be so easy to live here as an american...everything is either in english or arabic...everyone speaks english..it's very american i think...the roads are fabulous..like i said, everything is new..oh, an interesting note...went to the bathroom at the museum..there was toilet paper, thank goodness, but also a hose to rinse yourself off!!! weird...the other thing about this place...this sheik has figured out how muslims and everyone else can get along beautifully...he wants people to come to his city, so he can make money...he has alot! anyway...why can't the rest of the middle east do the same? it's a very safe city...it's really nice...tomorrow we're going to the sail hotel...and on a desert safari...