Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum 2

The post is a continuation of the last one on Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum in Al Ain. Pictured below is a replica of the Land Rover that the former President used to travel across the emirate to meet with his people. Another interesting picture is the one of the kitchen utensil. The utensils that were used were so huge that a step was included so that the cook could climb up and stir the food!

Driving through the countryside - Camels

Driving through the country side can be an absolutely awesome experience. When we went out for a drive yesterday, we had one of the best views of camels in the desert. We spotted these camels on the way to Umm Al Quwain. Referred to as the ship of the desert, the camel forms an integral part of the local customs and traditions. Camels were the primary mode of transport and were used to get across the vast desert. However, with the booming socio economic progress of Dubai in the last few decades, the use of camels as a means of transportation has lost its importance. Camels still continue to be an important element of Arabic traditions but have now become more of symbols of pride and affluence.

Camels have once again hit the news recently albeit for an entirely different reason. Camel meat is a local delicacy and one of the local chain has recently introduced 'çamel burgers' which have attracted a fair amount of controversy. Located in the Bastakiya district, the Local House restaurant's menu includes several local delicacies.

Read about the Bastakiya district here.

Other posts of interest:

Dubai's eco warrior

Dubai's mall culture

Global Village 2010 Part II

In my last post, I have spoken about my visit to this year's edition of Global Village. Here are a few more pictures from the visit.

Global Village 2010

Positioned as one of Dubai's premier cultural, entertainment and shopping festivals, this year's edition of Global Village was just as popular as the previous years. I was expecting a smaller turnout given the recent crisis situation but I found the place buzzing as usual when I visited the venue last night.

Started as a small event alongside Dubai creek in 1996, Global Village now attracts over 4 million visitors each year. Here are a few pictures from last night.

Picture of the tallest building in the world CLICK HERE

The link to the website of Global Village is here

Dubai Dolphinarium

Went down to the Dubai Dolphinarium over the weekend. I just cannot believe how these beautiful dolphins can be trained to perform at the tricks!! and they seemed to be even enjoying themselves.

I know that in the past there has been some criticism about the project on the basis of the way the dolphins are treated. Do you have an opinion?

An Abra ride

The Dubai experience would be incomplete without a ride on an abra. Abra is a traditional wooden boat and used to be the primary mode of transport across the creek that divides Dubai. Designed to carry between 15 to 20 passengers, the abras continue to ferry passengers even today. In modern times, it is a very important part of the tourist route but is also used by the common folk to get across Bur Dubai and Deira.

The Wind Towers of the old Bastakiya District

As one walks along the Dubai creek, one cannot help but notice the numerous rows of neatly spread wind towers. Dubai was famous for its wind towers that lined the creekside. While a lot of conservation work has been done to retain the old magic, I dread the day when these beautiful structures will give way to ugly new develpoments.

Wind towers were engineering feats of their time. The wind tower is a four sided structure with vertical opening on all sides and a small roof on top. They were designed to trap air moving in any direction and funnel it down to the room underneath. The tower's inside tunnel is partitioned in a way that allows air to move around in different directions. A very simple concept that kept the houses cool in the hot scorching desert.

Probably still relevant amidst today's modern day energy and environmental woes.