The Dubai Museum
It was time for a little history/culture, so we took a taxi to the Dubai Museum, located in the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 and is the oldest existing building in Dubai. It’s in a historical area near the Dubai Creek and the trademark skyscrapers are off in the distance (which is a refreshing change). The admission price is only 3 dh, about 75 cents.
We didn’t spend a particularly long time in the upper rooms – the heat and humidity were particularly oppressive that day – just long enough to take a few photos. One of the most interesting parts of the fort are the “wind towers” which were the early form of “air conditioning” as it “caught” the wind and detoured it down into buildings.
The main exhibit is reached by entering the “modern” area and heading down a winding staircase. At the bottom you find various displays of “Old Dubai” – traditional market stalls, a Bedouin exhibit, the traditional ways of making a living – fishing and pearl diving are also highlighted. There were workmen working on a “dhow” the larger traditional ship of the area (you can still take rides on these – cruising the Marina and Gulf, some of the less traditional ones have an air conditioned area and offer dinner on board).
The photos are a little odd of the displays as they are mannequins – but I’m sure in the old days people weren’t terribly excited about being tourist curiosities, so it’s just as well.
The last section – other than the obligatory gift shop of course, is the anthropological section where models of ancient sites are depicted as well as artefacts found.
Sari Blouses
A couple of blocks away from the museum, we found the Meena Bazaar area. It’s a bit like India with only a fraction of the people. We of no sense of direction were heading away from it, but before we got completely lost, asked for directions. The lady I stopped was amused as we were heading towards the Hindu temple, not the shopping area (we went towards the tallest building we could see – we guessed wrong, as usual). She kindly walked us over to where we needed to be – we followed her and the lovely scent of the jasmine blossoms she had in her hair. Many of the shops were closed – it was Friday (the first day of the weekend here and many things are closed Friday mornings – prayer time – some places don’t reopen until the evening). The shops have street front entrances; it isn’t an enclosed structure.
A few years ago when I attended Jason (my younger nephew) and Jyothi’s wedding in India, I brought back saris for Sarah and me. The cloth had an extra piece to make a matching blouse. Needless to say, in Belgium to find a place where you can get a sari blouse made was unsuccessful. We picked a shop called “The Fashionista” – if for no other reason than a young woman came out and herded us into the shop – and yes, they did make blouses.
It has always amazed me how people can just pull out a tape measure take the necessary measurements and then whip out a blouse in a few days. Because we did this only a few days before Sarah left, hers was done first, it’s quite lovely. Mine is to be ready this week. The woman wrapped Sarah in the sari to get the full effect, but because she didn’t take the time to pin it properly, Sarah looked rather engulfed by all of the material.
Sarah was concerned about where she would ever wear it, but hey, at least it’s done so she can if she wants to. I’m sure she can call upon Jyothi to help “wrap her up” should the occasion arise in Portland. The “politically correct” atmosphere of Lewis and Clark made her nervous about being accused of “culture appropriation” – really? Anyway, I told her to wear all of the jewelry and doodads that Jyothi has given her to wear with it and say that an Indian woman gave them to her, so what’s the problem? Personally, I’m too old for some of this…
Judy and Richard - 1001 Arabian Nights 
Enjoying your blog, Judy. Thanx for sharing your experiences.