Kiwi visitors - Day 2

Day 2.

This afternoon sees us head to Dubai to drop the tourists for an overnight desert safari. When they return in the morning they are booked on a four hour bus tour to see the sights leaving the afternoon free to do the Dubai Mall, the Burj Khalifa and anything else before being treated to an evening dhow cruise with meal on the Dubai Creek. A full day awaits.

Only one hiccup in the plan so far - I didn’t book the Burj tickets as wanted to wait to confirm with them the time. Guess what? None available on Saturday!

Where would we be without Facebook? A couple of frantic messages on various groups and pages sees the tourists flooded with beds for the night so they can do the Burj on the Sunday morning before catching a bus back to Abu Dhabi. The up side is that this saves me a midnight trip to pick them up.

We head off around 1.30pm, about an hour later than I had planned. My plan is to drive to Ibn Battuta Mall and park there then catch the Metro into Dubai itself. The reason for this is because I don’t know Dubai but I do know that driving and parking there is difficult.

We make good time and are at the Metro buying tickets within the hour. Several men move over or stand to make room for the niece and me to sit down. She is seated opposite me and treated with interest and her every move has the men on either side of her craning to see what she is reading, what is on her phone, what is in her bag, etc...

As we are trying to figure out where to get off the metro, each time she reads the page in her hand the men look down at the paper, then she looks up at the board and they look up. TM & I are giggling behind our hands as we watch this display. The niece is oblivious to it all!

The niece has her shoulders uncovered so as more men enter the carriage I motion for her to cover up. I also have short sleeves under my dress so cover up at this stage also.

The metro is so easy to use and saves any hassle with parking. We are fortunate as the line runs directly to our destination then it’s a ‘short’ walk in the heat to the meeting place. The short walk seems to take forever and we are glad to reach an air conditioned building and go inside to wait.

A phone call earlier that morning to the tour company to confirm the safari is overnight led us to be told it isn’t and they will have to pay extra to stay overnight. Mmmmm....

A dodgy driver arrives and I snap pictures of his number plate and name on his card. Just letting him know that I know who he is. I ask where he is taking them and when I am satisfied I leave them and head back to the metro for the return trip to Abu Dhabi.

Imagine my ‘surprise’ when I get a text at 7am the next morning from the niece! To cut a long story short - they paid the driver the 300AED for the overnight. When the evening safari was over all the other guest’s vehicles arrived to pick them up but not ours. The camp owner said no-one was staying overnight - it was too hot - but they could stay with only the labourers there. They opted to return to Dubai with another group.

Then began the process of trying to get the 300AED back. Needless to say that wasn’t an easy process and has resulted in several heated phone calls already today. They won’t get it in cash and I am waiting to see if I get it reimbursed into my bank account. Talk about argue! I couldn’t get a word in and that’s saying something.

As to the adventures that followed the pair during an unscheduled night in Dubai...

That’s their story and we’ll just have to wait for them to return tomorrow and tell it.

 

Kiwi visitors

It has been a busy few days with the arrival of my niece from New Zealand. Due to land in Abu Dhabi at 11.40pm the flight from Sydney was delayed so at 1.45am we are finally welcoming them into the heat of the UAE.

A few touristy photos at the airport then it’s outside into the sauna like temperatures. We stop to cool off under the large fans blowing out mist to cool the waiting passengers outside.

2.30am sees us sitting outside at a café on the Corniche, sampling the local delights such as shisha. Cousin is in his element instructing them like a local. Now, I’ve lived here for 2 ½ years and this is a first for me. The visitors eat their first schwarma (arabic bread filled with chicken or beef & hummus) and bask in the warmth. Or should that read sweat?

A detour on the way home sees us arrive at the wharf in time for the landing of the days catch. We white people wander amongst the fishermen and the baskets of unusual fish. I’m not sure who is more out of water - the fish or us?

Making it home around 4am it’s difficult to get enough sleep for a 5.30am wake up call but we head off for a couple of hours sleep anyway. At 6am I decide I am having a sick day so head down to the gym to initiate the visitors to our facilities. A cup of tea outside while taking in the sights, sounds and humid temperatures is a wonderful start to their trip.

The order of the day is sampling beauty services. Four kiwi lads head off in a taxi for a shave and haircut while us girls get our nails done. I have to stop in to the hospital to get a sick note so spend a couple of hours sitting there waiting to be seen. Luckily my ‘sore throat’ was only minor!

I’d organised a kiwi roast night to welcome the couple so the boys begin the prep for that. Now, I’ve got these lads well trained and they are able to get the meat on before I’m home. A bucket of spuds and kumara later and all is well under way.

6pm sees friends start to arrive. The final count was 23 I think so a good turnout, mostly kiwis. The son does the honours tonight by leading with a karakia then it’s all good kai with a few bevvies to wash it down.

These kiwi roast nights are becoming a bit of an institution here with a regular crowd turning up. It’s always wonderful to meet new people and each time you never know who will turn up as everyone usually brings someone along.

Friday morning sees us girls head off to my Arabic family for a cup of tea. Now this was a real treat and turned out to be much more than even I’d expected.

We arrive precisely at 11am and are welcomed by the hostess. Her husband is waiting for us also and we sit. The hostess then brings around the oud incense and we learn the correct way to is to let the smoke come to you by wafting it. The nieces scarf is lifted so the perfume can enter her clothing so she will be able to smell it all day. We learn that the men use a different scent than the women and a lot of other information regarding this custom.

The tea tray is brought in and we are served chai karak (sweet milky tea which always reminds me of camping/tramping). Then three serving dishes with lids like terrines are placed on the low table in front of us. We are then treated to a traditional Arabic breakfast cooked by the hostess. Noodles topped with a mixture of egg, onion and spices is first up. Delicious. Then thin crepes made with date syrup are served with honey and cream cheese squares. We are taught the family custom of dipping them into your tea, similar to our dunking gingernuts into tea at home, so follow suit and try.

More tea follows. The conversation is wonderful and we are treated to many snippets of life in Abu Dhabi both now and in the past. What an amazing experience!

Pine nuts are offered, then whole cardamon (hale) seeds to chew on. Next more karak is made infused with hale which gives it the delicious taste I enjoy.

Soft dates cut into squares that look like chocolates are presented to us in a box to sample. Each one has a different coating so we both opt for the coconut one.

My niece gives the girls her gifts of kiwi pens and pencils and in return she is given two packs of soft dates (tamrr) to eat on her travels. Not just the dates but the history behind them, where they are grown, how the family packs them, how to eat them in odd numbers and the nutritional benefits of beginning her day with dates.

A tin of hale seeds accompanies this along with a beautifully presented box of chocolate brownies that have been made by one of the girls.

Sadly, we had to leave to head to Dubai. This was one experience that no tourist will ever get.