The numbers in red beside destinations in blue are the entries related to every destination.
Number 0 is the introduction : "Searching for foam of waves"
The 3 entries about Dubai on this trip has a different page.
I also will do my summer 2013 display at my website www.salakot.com
I visited the interesting home museum of the poet Al-Oqaili (19th century) located at Deira beside one of the oldest souks -"Al Kabir"- not far from the mouth of the creek in Al Ras district, the area where the city begun as fisher port and trade harbour with India and Africa.
The Dubai Marina such as other areas with sound names like "Internet city" or "Nakheel Harbour and Towers", "Financial Center", World Trade Center"... are easy accesible by a modern metro, made just five years ago that holds the guiness record as the longest automated , 75 kilometers run by two lines, the green and the red, 47 stations.
The Marina is one more luxury complex, full of huge towers -Hotels and apartments- and water "rias" for the yachts access surrounded by exclusive restaurants and some art galleries.
Highlight here is the unfinished yet "Infinite tower", I talked there with one inmigrant -not specialized worker- who said to me about his low salary of 1.000 Dh (250 euros). (I didn´t ask about).
You can not do absolutely nothing with this money in "Dubai Mall" or "The Mall of the Emirates" but around the, let´s say, old city -nothing is to old here- you can have a good meal around 20 Dh in one of the so many restaurants from all neighbours gastronomies, Indi, Pakistani, Iranian, Turkish, of course Chinese -where not?- apart from the arabic ones.
I tried some of them and were very tasteful.
I also bought 750 grs. of fabulous iranian dates by 10 Dh at the food market, first price accepted with my turistic look, camera hanged included.
It is advertized in some pamphlet I have that 150 nationalities live here, I talked with hindues, philippines, indonesians, bangladeshies, citizens of Myanmar, malays... and I see/heard/talked with tourists from all continents starting by predominant asians.
In the old area, both sides of the Creek there are several souks, guild style, spices and dry fruits, gold, textil, pottery...
The renowned grand Jumeirah Mosque it is the only mosque in Dubai which is open to the public -including non muslim-.
Although a tourist from Abu Dhabi remarked to me the importance it has the one they have in his associated emirate.
Jumeirah Beach beside is a wonderful beach with warm and clear water and great sunset facing one amazing skyline of Dubai city.
Early morning before leaving Dubai I visited the fish market located not far from the mouth of the Creek.
The flight coming back was a fantastic crossing of the Saudi Arabian dessert within some oasis and a perfect definition later of Aqaba and Suez Canal.
From the streets to souks and huge shopping markets.
Many people in Dubai wear western clothes, youngest the most.
But also many people wear on Dubai style, men in white and women mostly in black although some times more colourful traditional dresses.
Apart from that all ways of dressing around the region are welcome in its streets.
Shop windows´s look is shocking to me mostly coming from Japan, I would say both window´s dressing are antagonists.
That dummy reminds to me spanish "dama de elche"
although at "Iberos time" the arabs hadn´t visited us yet.
Spanish iberic "Dama de Elche" (IV C. BC)
(This picture is not mine).
So I guess mankind we have not changed so much.
In middle age to be more you must have a bigger castle with higher walls and widest and deepest moat.
Nowadays still remain "the most" the way in which americans define their bigger cities. So if you want to be recognized, if you want to communicate in a better way your location, you must point yourself with a Petronas or a Burj. Who is next?
Conclusion the concept has not changed around here and of course is quite evident they accomplished the same goal with some records.
Globalization is reflected here, fabulous shopping centers display all main world brands. I have not seen anything new but I have seen together all you can see adding a certain amount of big cities.
Kinokuniya, Debenhams, Zen, Lafayette... To say some of them not always present worldwide differently to Zara, Gucci or Comme Ça... list is long that always are everywhere and so here.
Out of the shopping centers, beside the Creek both sides there are souks and less sophisticated shopping centers. Much more local atmosphere.
One more attraction of the city, this time in "Mall of the Emirates" is "Ski Dubai", 22,500 square meters of snow.
"Mall of the Emirates" big as the Vatican is the big expression of luxe shopping in Dubai. But there are "Burjuman", "Deira City Center", of course "Mall of Dubai" alike a part of the Burj complex, and another ten as well big enough as cathedrals.
People is in the shopping centers as well as in the city center, both sides of the Creek, the rest of the extended city is made for the cars. Fortunately there is the metro and a good bus service.
Skyline of Dubai city coming back from the Marina.
On the same course view of a corinthian column supporting another image of the Emir.
Burj is Dubai icon.
But Dubai is further than the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world with 830 meters height and 163 floors.
In spite of its amazing fountain performances...
... And its also surprising neighbours.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum, UAE prime minister, UAE vice president and emir of Dubai, is a controversial personality.
Recently has been published his book "My Vision" "Challenges in the race for excelence". I have not read it but the sinopsis which is written as a wonderful musical score.
We will see in the future how it sounds.
He has been educated in Cambridge so he knows perfectly about our global times and western aesthetic.
And he plays in a very smart way at the international context all subjects that can, probably will, make a country grow furthest in these competitive world.
And he has the power, he has the energy, the fuel to propel it.
And the pawns to move it such as First Gulf Bank or Emirates airlines, two big ones.
He is involved in fabulous donations related to ameliorate education as well as it is said that he owns 100 cars and he has a yacht which consumes 1.000 petrol liters per hour so up to here let´s say he lives -although in a highest range- in the same contraditions that most of us.
Apart from that he likes poetry and horses racing, also camels racing, activity which few years ago, 2006, extended a shadow over him due to an impeachment of some fathers of young kids working in camel cares interpose through an american Court indicting to him foralleged responsibility.
But what I have seen is a very modern country, the most modern I have visited in muslim world, a highly developped society of comsumption, with a very visible class media.
Of course all that glitters is no gold, even here glittering every corner, but looking closer you can see empty skyscrapers in main avenue, or within a low maintenance some others, I guess it must be hard to keep clean tons of glass facing the more tons of sand of the dessert.
But at the same time some others skyscrapers are being built.
Numerous golf fields.
Diversity of entertainment projects.
It seem like a big bubble impossible to blow up until the oil revenues could disappear and that is not going to happen for long.
And up to then the most expert market strategies are being displayed.
Over 1.6 million of annual visitors on a well built hub competing with so many others not far such as Bangkok, Singapore or neighbour Qatar.
But the huge scenery is not completed.
And apart from the dozens, some hundreds in all resorts, of skyscrapers pointing highest that so many minaretes too. There are empty and dusty areas among them, even not paved beside luxurious buildings around the corner of the Burj.
Many things done it and to much still to top.
The propaganda of the leader also resembled a bit more to the autoritarian countries than to the modern democracies.
Luxury is spread for all world enthusiasts of that.
Price of luxury great offer is high as high as the Burj or the 400 Dh (100 €) cost to go to the top of the Burj with express service or 150 Dh (37.5 €) if you have applicated in advance.
Excellence is far.
¿What is excellence in 2013? It is not something linked to harmony, balance, equity, renovables, environment, social awareness, sustainability...
Of course these are also matters that are on the "Vision" focus and also in quite experimental way too developped / talked as I have read in pamphlets and heard on TV ad but it don´t seem to be in the first rank, no the first priority.
In some way petrol -the main sector-, the Dubai´s propel is opposite to all this requirement of this century.
And that can be a hard weakness for the demanded concept.
Atmosphere in Omotesando.
Design, fashion, architecture...
Atmosphere in Shinjuku.
Crowds, shops, skyscrapers.
The big dolls on the truck in both clips advertise a robotized restaurant.
SOMETHING IMPORTANT : First leaving Japan I must give thanks for all attentions received from my friends here.
Also thanks to so many people I have met that didn´t know about me but they were some times helpful, sometimes nice -just having a chat- or even giving me a ride to somewhere.
I wish to come back soon.
I will continue learning nihongo.
I like you, I like this country. おかげさま。
On the way to Nihonbashi.
Tokyo, Istanbul, Madrid ?
Some japanese I have talked about they think favorite Istanbul.
One said : -. Japan is still sad for that.
When in Nihonbashi area I like to have a look to Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Not far from what remains from Nihombashi, to me a symbol of japanese pragmatisme, I mean about "how it remains", first is first we can visit ...
Mitsukoshi "head quarters" with the deity Magokoro, goddess of sincerity presiding the central hall.
The Nihombashi Mitsui Tower holds the Mitsui Memorial Museum nowadays with a selected collection of Noh and Kyogen paintings from Kawanabe Kyosai.
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