Driving on the wrong… I mean, sorry, the… left side of the road

OK so I guess that the biggest adjustment I have had to make here in South Africa is driving. The desire to change gears with my right hand and hitting the door instead, forgetting to take the e-break off because my left hand just isn’t used to doing it, ending up on the left side of a lane instead of staying on the right, focusing really hard when turning on/off a road making sure I’m on the “right” side of the road has been an interesting challenge to say the least. I guess the weirdest thing so far is sitting on the right side of the car. I’m used to driving with the rest of the car to my right and being able to judge distances accordingly. You have NO IDEA how often I’ve thought I might hit this or that car/wall because my brain just doesn’t work with the car to my left, resulting in me over-adjusting by staying well on the right side. Have you guys seen the movie “The Holiday” where Cameron Diaz is driving for the first time in England? She’s passing this huge truck and the only thing she can say is “Don’t hit me!” in this really annoying squeaky voice. Well, I always thought that she was being a bit silly but now, I TOTALLY understand her! You really feel like the car coming the opposite way is going to hit you! Or I might be driving on a two to three lane road and I feel like I’m dangerously close to the car on my left, when in fact, I’m exactly where I need to be. It really is an uncomfortable feeling let me tell you.

Another funny thing is, because they drive on the left side of the road, everything else is flipped. What do I mean? Well, for instance, at the mall the escalators are the opposite of what we’re used to. The descending side is on the right while the ascending side is on the left. It’s a little mundane thing that, in our day-to-day lives, we don’t even notice, and I’m sure that you’ve never even thought of it, but it’s one of those things where you get to the escalator and you just know something’s odd, you just can’t put your finger on it, until it hits you; they’re reversed!

Anyway, I’m rambling so I’m going to stop. It’s getting better, I promise. I am learning and getting used to the system here, it’s just going to take a wee bit of time :o)

Dubai

Now, how do I describe Dubai? It is a modern city where every other building is a 5 star hotel and a tribute to what man can do. Their motto is; second to none. The man who is responsible for most of the development there said that everybody remembers the first man who climbed Mount Everest but no one remembers the second (actually I don't know the name of the first man who climbed Everest, but hey that's just me). As such they need to be at the forefront of everything so as not to be forgotten. Hence they have the tallest hotel in the world, the only 7 star hotel in the world, they have the tallest building in the world with the fastest elevators: a dashing 18m a second! Since they couldn’t have the first robot operated metro in the world they have the longest one. They also have some of the largest shopping malls in the world. One of them is actually the size of, no less than, 50 football fields! You get the idea. They need to have the biggest, the fastest and the best of everything. Dubai is a great place for people who want a luxurious 5-7 star vacation. It is the place to go if you want to do things, not the place to go if you want to see things. Dubai has no character. It is one of the most impersonal places I have ever been to. Don’t get me wrong, the people there are some of the friendliest that I have ever met, which is a stark contrast to the city itself, who is as cold as it is modern. I went on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the city and their entire commentary was about the different hotels, how many stars they have, what kind of attraction they offer, how tall they are and who designed them. There is no real soul to the city; it is all about business and luxury. It’s sad really because it truly is a beautiful place and I really enjoyed the contrast displayed in the city. On one side you have the turquoise blue sea with the most amazing palm trees and greenery while on the other you have the sandy planes of the desert; life vs. death; lush vs. barren. I know it’s a little morbid but the contrast really is fascinating. Anyway, I had the opportunity to go dune bashing while I was there. This consists of getting into a 4WD jeep and driving up and sliding down desert dunes. Let me tell you, I thought the car was going to tip over a couple of times. It was a LOT of fun! :o) After all the bashing was done we ended up in a Bedouin campsite… which is more artificial than the hotels… for a BBQ – which consisted of… shaved meat! LOL I left Greece to go to the U.A.E. and have gyro! Oh the irony, LOL.

The best part of what I did in Dubai was the old town. I wish I had gone there from the very beginning. If you ever go, do that first! There you finally feel like you’re in the Middle East. I heard the call to prayer, which previously I hadn’t heard, I saw their local gold and spice market, which is the real deal and finally saw the soul of Dubai. The contrast is interesting; on one side of Dubai you could be anywhere in the world, with it’s hotels and shopping malls, whereas on the other side you can really tell that this is the U.A.E.

Anyway, I had a great time in Dubai and really enjoyed seeing it. You have to go there at least once in your life.