Our stay in Dubai was the shortest leg in our Middle East sojourn but I gotta say, the most fun-filled and I guess most meaningful because I got to be with important people in my life. Although we did some official duties here, our visit was more personal.
When we arrived last November, I was able to blog right away our desert safari experience because I was so excited about it hehe. You can view it here.
But this is the rest of the story.
From our last visit to one Philippine school, an officer from the Embassy drove us from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. The drive took us less than two hours, and as we enter the city, you can immediately feel the vibe that is Dubai.
That night, we met up with one of my closest friends, Bel and her husband Sherwin, at the Dubai Mall. Being the biggest mall in the city, there was a lot to do here. Since we cannot cover everything in one go, we just had dinner, watched the musical fountain show, took pictures in front of the Dubai Aquarium, and visited the Souk where I bought earrings for Mischa. Afterwards, we drove around the city and saw the Burj Al Arab.
The following day, we dispensed our official tasks. Met with the The Filipino Channel Middle East office to discuss the regional summit again, then paid a courtesy call on the Consul General.
Thank goodness, it didn’t take us that long. lol. Had lunch at Ikea where I wanted to but A LOT of stuff (Manila should have an Ikea!) but was able to restrain myself. After resting at the hotel, we flagged a cab and asked to be taken to the public beach so we can see the Burj Al Arab in daytime but the driver stupidly drove us around, and we ended up not being able to go since it got too dark. Tsk tsk.
Met up again with Bel and Sherwin that night. After buying some stuff, they brought us to the Burjuman Mall, to discount stores for pasalubong, then finally to yet another mall, the Mall of the Emirates, where they have the Ski Dubai.
Our hosts
The next day, before we left for the safari, I was glad to have lunch with a cousin and his family, who I haven’t seen in a long time. It was also my first time to meet my nephew, MC.
Tiring but fulfilled trip. So glad we ended on a high note.