We arrived into Dubai earlier than planned having made up some time due to the aborted stop for Muscat.

Now one of the things you learn after doing a few cruises is that it takes longer to get off the ship than what is planned. Always a delay of some sort. No different here. Another thing you learn is that there is no way you can see everything. You have to pick and choose. Allthego and Homealone are teaching Slobro to see something that is iconic, have a new experience, engage with the locals or just sit and observe the world go round. But get on with it because the time goes quick!

On this our first day in Dubai, Homealone is staying onboard as she is reluctant to catch the lift up the tallest building in the world. Allthego goes off to do this half day trip on his lonesome, Slobro is just a no go!
Burj Khalifa is 830 metres up. The observation deck is on level 124, 452 metres up.

The lift to the deck is silent and takes about 40 seconds, as you rise the lift interior lights up with views of the urban landscape and skies. Quite spectacular, as are the views. At this time of the year the skies are quite heavy with dust and haze. Our guide tells us it’s not smog. Long distance views are compromised but the views down and over the city show the enormous amount of property development taking place.

Burj (Tower) Khalifa is set amidst the sprawling Dubai Mall. Most things in Dubai are big. Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world, 1300 plus outlets, Olympic size ice rink, huge aquarium, 3 story waterfall. It covers 4 floors with 12 million square feet. Simply enormous.

All sorts of people wandering around, traditional Emirati and Muslim outfits to ripped jeans and bare midriffs. Quite a contrast. It is a reflection of Dubai’s libertarian turning of the cheek to breaches of Muslim practice, except when it comes to the mosques.

On the way back to the ship we pass by the current Ruler’s Palace, security ever present but not too obvious. The famous Jumeirah Mosque is also passed. The guide passes on an interesting fact about mosques. On the minarets and domes there are gold spikes sticking up.

The ones on the Jumeirah mosque have a circle shape on top. This means the mosque is a Sunni mosque, common in Saudi Arabia and these parts. If there is a sickle shape on top it is a Shia mosque, common on the other side of the Persian Gulf in Iraq and Iran, although there are Sunnis there as well. So that might help readers in a trivia quiz! I won’t dwell on the difference between these two, Wikipedia will help the curious.

Back at the ship Allthego found that Homealone and Slobro had enjoyed the day doing the washing.