The marina, mosques and maccies

20/2/22

Much to my surprise, I managed to get up at 09.00 after 4.5 hours sleep (and alcohol) to make my guided mosque tour!! I hoped that when I messaged them at 05.30 to confirm details they would think I was up because of the early morning call to prayer! (Yes, I’m still running with the exclamation marks!) Got a taxi to the mosque in the marina since I’d never haveade it for 10.00 otherwise, only to be dropped off at the wrong one, despite the man at the mosque telling the taxi driver on the phone where to go. He simply did not wish to go to the other area, since there was more traffic! After wandering around the outside of a random mosque for awhile, I asked a Careem (a food app) delivery man on a bike to help me. He rang the correct mosque and gave me instructions on how to get there. I hailed another taxi and set off again, getting the taxi driver to re-ring once we were outside a second mosque. After establishing that we were in fact in the right place, I thanked the driver and headed in.

After dressing up in an abaya (second time lucky, since the first one was way too small), I went into the mosque to be welcomed by a man called Mohammed who was the tour guide. The tour was funded by the government and was a way to tell tourists correct information about Islam (to counteract Islamaphobia essentially). He was friendly and didn’t mind all my questions about Islam with references to Somaliland, but also pointed out that there was a difference between religious and cultural practices, which is a fair point! His sister was also working at the mosque along with a white girl from Yorkshire, who had moved to Dubai for work and had found Islam in the process. It was interesting talking to them, and apparently they’re opening a women’s centre soon, to support all women, not just Muslim women. They gave us tea and date cakes while we talked, which was great for me since I hadn’t eaten breakfast!

After the tour, I headed out towards the marina, walking along the river, dwarfed by rows and rows of skyscrapers. I tried to head towards the beach, but because everything was so tall, it was difficult to navigate.

I arrived at a mall, Marina Mall, and headed in to see what food was about. I headed to the food floor and after assessing the options, I shamelessly got a maccies. Then I headed to the cinema to watch Death on the Nile – I was too tired for any more walking!! The film was good and a nice way to chill out. Then I got the metro back to have a nap.

After a nap, a shower and some food, I headed out with some hostel peeps and headed back to Rock Bottom bar, the place I went to on the first night. This time though, there were significantly fewer prostitutes and more ‘young’ people. There was also a guy who danced incredibly and pretty much started the party, and then we got up, moved the tables aside and danced. The band was insane as per!

21/2/22

Had more of a chilled day, since I was pretty exhausted from all the walking and partying that is somehow required in Dubai! I had a breakfast of eggs with bread before chatting in the kitchen, and then heading out with some of the hostel guys for food. Bizarrely, we ended up in an English pub, which another one of the hostel guys, Lee, used to gig at. (Small world ayyy?!) I had a chicken caesar salad with parmesan and a G&T before we headed off to a fancier destination. There was discussion about whether my outfit (fun yellow trousers, a crop top and Morrocan sandals) would be appropriate for a posh golf resort but we tried it anyway, and the hippie vibes were not questioned! 🥳🥳🥳

We sat around and had some more drinks and chatted and played some games, namely Banana, Kiwi. We waited until the sunset before heading back to the hostel. Then we joined some other hostel people and chilled on the balcony. I headed out with Lee to get cash, since he did not have his bankcard, and then we went on a hunt for food and beers. The beer shop had closed, but we found plenty of delicious curry at a good price. I had paneer butter masala, with a cheese naan, which was aggressively cheesy, but pretty delicious. I dulled down the cheese with a fresh lemon and mint juice – divine. Then we headed back to the balcony, which was filled with smoke, scary songs and beer. I chatted awhile before escaping all the forementioned things to sleep! 😂😂

22/2/22

On a date, which is essentially the crash call number for emergencies, things did not go to plan.

After I packed for over an hour, fuelled by coffee, I headed out to the beach, with Lee, a guitarist from Hull. We got the metro and made it to the beach with some directions from an Irish girl. We found a bar which served drinks after more directions from a juice bar and settled in to the party scene with a drink. We took in the surroundings and did not much. There were some girls dancing on rollerskates and a DJ. I imagine the nightlife would be pretty good here, and I was a little sad I had not made it sooner!

We headed back around 2pm, and of course, I confidently got the metro in the wrong direction a few stops, before we realised and got off and tried again. Then the lift was not moving back at the hostel so I went up 11 floors two stairs at a time! I said my goodbyes, grabbed my bag, and headed back to the metro to get to the airport.

2 hours later, I was still nowhere near the airport. I had got off the metro at a station called airport free zone, which was apparently nowhere near the airport (logical I know), and then tried to call a taxi from various points on both sides of the road, as directed by locals (when I asked them) for over 40 minutes. Eventually, I asked at a Pakistani restaurant for them to help me get a taxi and a guy came to the roadside and helped. Almost immediately a guy pulled over, though he was not a taxi, he was a Pakistani brother who wanted to help. After a taxi refused to go to terminal 2, I agreed 50 Dinham for the guy. Once I was in his car and flying down the highway, he told me he was a driver and business man, so I felt reassured. I googled the terminal to double check, and it said flydubai was terminal 2. When I walked into terminal 2, I walked over the glossy floor past the Emirates and British Airways check-ins. It didn’t feel right. I asked some guy at an information desk and he informed me that I was indeed at the wrong terminal. I had to go down one floor and hail another taxi to go to the correct terminal. I arrived at the check-in area less than one hour before my flight and despite me pointing this out to the check-in staff, they waved me to the back of the queue. After 15 minutes queuing and minimal progress, I asked one of the staff if I should really be in the queue since my flight was leaving imminently. The man was horrified that I had been put in the queue at all and pulled me to the front. The lady on the desk tried to help me, but since my flight had been closed could not do much. I was taken to another desk where they called management and somehow overruled the system. I asked to skip the queue for security and ran to my gate just in time for the final call. Once I had made it onto the transit bus and sat down (causing the man next to me to stand up and sit somewhere else, lol), I remembered I had not eaten since 10am and was famished! Then I remembered that I had been carrying a bag a snacks all day and tucked into a banana and some Indian snacks. I had nailed the flight, getting a full row to myself on a nearly completely full flight. Protecting/respecting the lone woman perhaps?! I rate flydubai a lot!