Dabbling in the delights of Dubai

First off we’ve got some big news; we got engaged!! Well sort of, Alex didn’t actually pop the question, but after hearing the stories about unmarried couples getting into trouble for sharing a bed we thought it might be wise to play make believe and so one of Rach’s older rings came out of retirement to give us some authenticity. Maybe it was too old though as it did end up turning her finger green!

Anyway to Dubai; today has been incredible and we can only hope this is a sign of things to come. We started out the day with what we thought would be a quick visit to Dubai Mall. We had a bit of a fuss getting the metro tickets but all was good in the end. As we stepped out of the metro station our mouths hit the marble pavements. Partly because it was so hot that we started panting but also because of the Burj Khalifa. The world’s tallest building and truly magnificent. It towers over the Dubai Mall which is just as impressive, although be warned; you could spend an entire day wandering its hallowed halls. Inside there is *deep breath*; an ice rink, a water fall, a massive aquarium, giant gorillas, miles and miles of shops, morphing floors, children’s pushcarts with TVs built in... we could go on but there isn’t enough space on the internet. The best part for us was the cascades of butterflies as can be seen in the photo. In other words with everything to do, the Mall was a backpackers heaven, lots to do; little to pay!

We made it back to the hotel just in time for our desert safari. We were picked up and crammed into a jeep with four awesome Aussies. We’d barely had a chance to chat before being thrown around the sand dunes of the desert in what was a rollercoaster of a ride. After everyone’s stomachs had settled there was short break to watch the sunset in the desert which was the time for all those obligatory couple photos.

Pulling up in the middle of the desert there was a camp with plenty of food, drink and sheesha. When you weren’t watching the belly dancer you could get henna tattoos, or go on a camel ride, how could we resist? Unfortunately we couldn’t choose the camel so we got stuck with a mean one that spat at us, but it was still amazing nonetheless. We’re now back at the hotel trying to condense what has been an amazing day into something readable. It’s a tough job considering the amount we’ve covered in one day and we could have bored you with much more. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as packed!

Rex’s Rules of the Road

• Remember it is another culture so try and be respectful; keep shoulders and knees covered and no snogging in public!

• Don’t listen to the naysayers and bringers of gloom; there’s so much to do in Dubai you could do it for practically nothing.

• The Malls are mahoosive, make sure you drop in on one, but know where the exits are or you may never get out!

• Desert safaris are amazing and amazingly easy to book in the UK too.