A Day in Dubai

My Kam Air flight left Kabul at precisely 8:30 a.m., strangely on schedule. I disembarked in the Dubai airport at about noon local time - my connecting flight to Frankfurt (and then Toronto) would not leave until 2:30 a.m. I decided to hire a cab to take me around town so that I could get a taste of the City. Luckily, in a passport lineup I ran into an acquaintance from the Afghan Research and Education Unit (AREU), a Danish woman named Erna. Erna introduced me to her colleague Anna and we decided to meet up at the Meridian hotel for dinner.

As I walked outside the doors of the air-conditioned airport, I was slapped by a wall of blistering heat. Arabs in immaculate white dresses, red-checked headscarves, glittering gold Rolexes and $500 sunglasses walked confidently between masses of South Asians, Phillipinos and East Africans. I hired a cab and asked him to take me to the famous gold souk, thinking I might find a nicely-priced gold bracelet or a chain for Tariq. The souk was impressive - the only place I've ever seen so much jewelry was in Sultanahmet, Istanbul - but overwhelming. I was hungry, laden down by luggage, and without the heart to engage in an hour of haggling. Instead, I settled for some curry and the best coconut shake I think I've ever had. I hired a new cab and was lucky to get a personable Indian man with great English. He decided that it was necessary that I see all the major luxury hotels in Dubai, and off we went to the Jumeira Beach area. We glided through the Palm Beach area and took a glance at the famous Emirates Mall with its in-house ski hill. Impressions of Dubai? Master-planned. Clean, but sterile. Luxurious and commercial. Stark. White. Hot. Under more construction then I've ever seen happening at once, anywhere. I've never been to Las Vegas, but thought that Dubai might be a commercial (if not lifestyle) equivalent. The tour was good, and convinced me that I'd rather be in India for a rest vacation than Dubai when I return to Afghanistan.

As planned, I spent the evening at the Meridian hotel with my AREU friends. The hotel boasted at least five restaurants, one of which was a fresh seafood extravaganza. We all admitted that, after the dust and anxiety and silence of Kabul, it was so nice to have cappacino and chocolate while listening to the soft sounds of a baby grand piano. Erna and I returned to the airport for our early a.m. flights.