Day Five

January 10, 2008 | Filed Under Main |

I tried to be a good tourist today.

First, I went to the Dubai Zoo. It is a very old zoo. Someone who lives here described it as “very generic”. The zoo had the usual beasties (a lion, a gorilla, giraffes, tigers, etc.) – all of whom lived in some serious cages with only the slightest hint of “natural habitat”. Most times not even a hint. I imagine Alcatraz is more spacious than this place. And every cage – every compartment – had its share of mice running around. Sad. The main attraction of this zoo was birds. Parrots, in particular. There had to have been over a dozen varieties of parrots. The place was nearly 30% parrot! However, there was also a raptor enclosure which was pretty impressive. On an overhang inside the enclosure, just above eye level, two amazing birds sat maybe five feet from each other. One was a good sized hawk – the type you see winging around Jersey (though the signage referred to it as a “common buzzard”). Sitting next to it – at least 3 times the size – was a vulture. HUGE creature! Had to have been over four feet tall when it stretched its neck, with a massive body and a beak that looked like it could bend steel. Amazing.

However, my FAVORITE attraction at any non-American zoo is the North American Raccoon! Yes, every foreign zoo has one. Poor bastard – from your back yard to caged exhibit. Next time you have a raccoon raiding your garbage, threaten him with prison in a foreign country.

Next, I walked over to the beach. Jumeirah Beach is spectacular. The beach is wide and clear of rocks and debris. The breeze was cool. And the water was blue blue blue. To my right, you can see ships coming into the port. Way down on the left, you can see the hotel built like a sail – Burj Al Arab. In between was calm and gorgeous. There are two pathways at the top of the beach – one for bikes and one specifically for runners. Neither was made of concrete. The bike path was a type of tarmac. The running path actually had a slight give to its surface. These are two deliberate and expensive bits on construction. With the sun out full and people swimming and kids playing – it was postcard perfect.

Enough sun and walking for this white boy. More tomorrow

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2 comments so far
  1. terry January 11, 2008 11:45 am

    this is starting to sound like the trip to Kuwait that never happens :-)

    If you get tired of eating at the Irish place, check Chowhound.com, you’ll find recommendations for places to eat in Dubai there:
    chowhound

  2. mburma January 12, 2008 12:21 am

    Thanks! Parts of my anatomy are tired of fried ex-pat food and two of the good chain mentioned are right near by. Now, if only I knew how to order Lebanese food…