Day two in Dubai

After a yummy breakfast in out hotel, we headed off to the Jumeriah Mosque, where they do guided tours called " Open  doors, open Minds ".    This was more a tour of the religion of Islam rather than the mosque, but we did enter the mosque, having first clothed ourselves in the correct manner.  Many women here in Dubai were the chador,  a long black covering accompanied by a black head scarf.  Some wear a face mask as well.   This is all the name of modesty, I'm not sure why  hair is considered  immodest though.   As men are to be covered from  the navel to below the knees,  some men wear the traditional dress....such as this...and any man with uncovered knees had to put one on for entry to the mosque.

The lady who spoke to us was an English woman from North East London, living in Dubai for seventeen years.  She has been following Islam for fifteen years.

After leaving the mosque, we walked to a small mall for coffee and a patchwork shop.   The prices of the fabrics were comparable to Melbourne, and I purchased two fat quarters. 

Hailing a taxi proved a very simple procedure, so we headed to the Dubai Museum, which is an old fort converted.   This provided us with the history of Dubai and the Bedouin which was very interesting. 

Traditional Bedouin dress, note the face mask on the lady.   The explanation given for these at the mosque was protection from the desert sands.

This afternoon we were picked up at four o'clock for our desert adventure.   Out in the desert, we enjoyed a falconry show, four wheel driving over the sand dunes, sunset , camel riding, dinner, and a belly dancer.   All this in extreme heat!   At least the four wheel drive vehicles were air conditioned.  There were forty four wheel drives in our expedition, and that number can increase to one hundred in peak times.  

We were safely returned to our hotel by ten o'clock for an early night after a very full day.