Day 42 Dubai

First up this morning I got up early for my helicopter scenic flight. I was collected in a nice Lexus (so many Lexus here!) and taken to the police academy where the helicopter company is located. There were only 3 of us so I was given the copilot seat & the other 2 had the back seat. We flew above Dubai seeing all the main sights: Palm Islands, World Islands, Atlantis resort, Burj al Arab, Burj Khalifa, old Dubai and the mega beach mansions of the ultra rich. It was very hazy so visibility was nit the best but it was still good.

Next I went out to the Dubai Miracle Flower Garden. This is a huge flower display constructed each year. It was absolutely incredible! They even have an Airbus A380 covered in flowers! There are gazillions of flowering plants in all shapes and sizes. Stunning!

Then I had a booking at the Burj al Arab for afternoon tea. This was the only way I could gain access to the building as only guests are permitted onto the island. It was in the Skyview bar, on level 27, so it has great views on clear days. I have been fascinated with this place since hearing about it on tv many years ago. I was early so the guard sent me down to the outside terrace. The pool area was stunning! It is new and so beautiful. When I went upstairs to the restaurant I got a window facing the ocean (bummer, I wanted the shoreline) but oh well. The staff gave the best service I have ever received! It was a 7 course menu. The food was amazing and the iced teas were so delicious! I could not fault a thing. I ate almost everything they served me (at $250 aud you need to eat everything!!!) and almost had to roll out of there!

I decided to head to the gold souk and spice souk in old Dubai after lunch. On advice, I parked at the Dubai Mall and took the metro. The souks were one of the worst experiences of my whole trip. Just after leeching the Stein the harassment started. I walked past a spice shop and they told me to come inside. I said no thanks and kept walking. Then he yelled at me "EXCUSE ME, COME INSIDE MY SHOP!!" How rude! At the souks there are sooo many men on the footpath who come up to you and tell you to come into their shops, they have Gucci, Prada bags, jewellery, silver etc. They follow and keep trying to get you into the shops, no matter how many times you say no. Then I got cornered. I was walking and these 2 men walked in front of me and stood there to block my path, telling me to go inside their shop. I said no and they kept trying to direct me infuse! I was so uncomfortable and a little frightened. It was awful! The gold is everywhere and allegedly cheap but I never went inside any stores due to the harrasment. I would have liked to buy a gold bracelet but no. There is the world's largest gold ring there too which is 57kg. The spice souk has loads of spices out the front in bags and they have millions of dollars worth of saffron threads in the windows. All in all, it is not a place I would ever go back to.

Then I headed back to the mall. It is one of the largest, with over 1200 shops. They also have an ice skating rink, aquarium, waterfall and a big fountain show each night. I also found a real, full Victoria's secret, complete with the full lingerie range! By then I was feeling really unwell so I headed back to the hotel.