Shank’s Pony

As you may have gathered, walking anywhere in Dubai is pretty much impossible. But I did prove that it can be done this weekend! After a delightful evening of wine and cheese at a nearby hotel (15 quid for 3 hours of unlimited delicious wine and divine cheese) I decided to leave the car in the underground car park and walk home. This was quite a hairy experience – dark, no pavement, and people driving way too fast. Still, I made it home in piece. It’s cooled down to about 25 in the evening now so it was actually quite pleasant.

Fast forward to yesterday when I then had to retrieve the car. Broad daylight made the walk a bit easier but as it was about 37 degrees it was a bit of a hotter walk. What was amusing about the whole episode was how bemused people were that I was walking. Three taxis stopped to see if I wanted a lift – and couldn’t believe that I was opting to walk what is probably a 400 metre stroll. The ever-present construction workers sweeping, holding ropes, going past on a tricycle (what DOES that guy do?) were completely fascinated by me walking past. “There she goes, the crazy English lady walking in the heat!”. I’ll concede that it was a tad hot. But my legs really appreciated getting stretched.