{"id":10174,"date":"2024-10-11T20:38:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T20:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strangethingstraveling.com\/visiting-dubai-reception-in-bed\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T19:09:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T19:09:44","slug":"visiting-dubai-reception-in-bed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strangethingstraveling.com\/en\/visiting-dubai-reception-in-bed\/","title":{"rendered":"To visit Dubai, reception in bed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many people go to visit Dubai just to see the world’s tallest skyscraper. I got there by a very comfortable bus from Abu Dhabi. The terminus was in the non-modern Bur Dubai<\/strong> area, with a nice reconstruction of old buildings in Al Fahidi<\/strong>). <\/p>\n\n

Spartan accommodation<\/h2>\n\n

Nearby was the building where I had booked a bed, this time in a dormitory. The one that for the umpteenth, but perhaps really last time, I catalogued as first on the list of super spartan accommodations. <\/p>\n\n

Again, there were no signs or signage, however, having the full address, I identified both the building and the floor and apartment. The door was ajar, and I entered the dormitory directly. There were only crowded bunk beds still half-full despite it being 10:00 a.m.: no closet or chair to lean on. They were workers’ beds, some perhaps temporary; I was probably the only tourist. <\/p>\n\n

A little boy saw me bewildered and asked if I was in need, I told him I had a reservation for the night, and he pointed to the guy sleeping in the first bed in the lobby: you have to ask him, but he’s asleep<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

The reception<\/h2>\n\n

That bed was the reception desk<\/strong>. The boy tried to shake the sleeper, but quickly gave up and said he would accompany me. <\/p>\n\n

He took me upstairs, where behind another ajar door was another dormitory; he pointed only to the bed. One look was enough for me to decide that I didn’t even want to know where the shower was because even though I had seen all kinds in my life as a penniless traveler, I decided that I would not wash there<\/strong>. He asked me for cash; I gave him the one bill I had just withdrawn from the ATM, but since he had no change, he said to wait there. <\/p>\n\n

In the meantime, I sorted out my things a bit and organized myself so that coming back at night I could easily find everything and then leave the next morning at a good pace without leaving anything in that garbage dump. I also connected to the wi-fi to give a nod to those who know me, including one of my brothers to whom I solemnly declared for the umpteenth time: this is the last one in a dormitory<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n

After about forty minutes, however, my change had still not appeared. I was afraid that by going to look for it I might not find it, and it seemed out of place to wake up any of my roommates to say that if any money arrived, it would be mine. I made up my mind and returned to the front desk<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n

The situation was unchanged, with the little boy in the bed fiddling with a laptop and looking at me questioningly.<\/p>\n\n

my money?<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Ah, he has them, but he sleeps<\/em><\/p>\n\n

I can’t stay here all day waiting for him to wake up<\/em><\/p>\n\n

He got up to shake him; after a series of grumbles, the sleeper gave him the money, which was turned over to me.<\/p>\n\n

Finally I could go and visit Dubai!<\/h2>\n\n

The Gold Suq<\/strong> actually starts much earlier, in fact already from the subway exit it is all a succession of shiny jewelry stores and I wonder how there can be so many people spending money like that. <\/p>\n\n

I went through it quickly because if you stop, especially inside the actual market, they will assault you. I went through it all dodging groups of Italians but also a group from Andorra. I wanted to chime in and say I had been there on my last trip, but I would have risked a long stop, and instead I wanted to go to the modern part, the part with hundreds of skyscrapers and that most characterizes the city. <\/p>\n\n

I chose the Dubai<\/strong> Frame, the frame<\/em>, as the place to invest time and money to get in and see the view from above. After a long line to get to the cashier, I saw a bit hidden the sign that says that once you pay your ticket there are two more hours to go up; of course I waved to everyone. <\/p>\n\n

\"The
Me framed in the Dubai Frame<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The metro is essential for visiting Dubai; in fact it runs littoral and is uncovered, so there are only so many glimpses. I reached the famous palm leaf-shaped<\/a> island<\/strong>; even there, however, there are lines and extra charge for the little train that runs through it. I decided to forward on foot, but I realized I had a bad idea, especially since if you don’t see it from above it is nothing but a succession of condos; they may be fancy, but they are still condos. I also wonder how there can be so many people living there. I had a snack in the mall where the famous ski slope is. <\/p>\n\n

I enter the buildings<\/h2>\n\n

Then I moved on to the world’s largest mall (<\/em>Mall of the Emirates)<\/strong>, just to say I pooped there and where in between boutiques, I passed a bunch of Russian women with their mouths done up and wondering how there could be so many rich people all there. Of course I didn’t miss the indoor ski slope, though only from behind a glass window because of the short time and crazy prices. <\/p>\n\n

While tacky, the top was the dancing fountain show (with Andrea Boccelli in the background) just below the Burj Khalifa<\/strong> the world’s tallest skyscraper (featured). It was getting late to go to Madinat Jumeirah; a re-creation of an Arab village with water canals; in hindsight I would have studied better and arranged differently. My visit to Dubai ended by dining as I walked with the second unattainable meal of the trip: Japanese cheese cake and chocolates. <\/p>\n\n

No, I am not a usurper of other people’s beds.<\/h2>\n\n

I arrived in the hovel, with the lights already off but a fair amount of coming and going (which lasted a long time), and the ‘ receptionist<\/em> this time awake and alert, asked who I was.<\/p>\n\n

I have to sleep here tonight<\/em><\/p>\n\n

But who are you? When did you arrive? <\/em><\/p>\n\n

This morning, you were asleep<\/em><\/p>\n\n

After peering at me puzzled: show me your bed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Ah yes, sorry sorry, bye<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Home travel It never rains in Oman anyway – travel to Oman and the Emirates<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Previous stop Visiting Abu Dhabi, a raptor for seat neighbor on the bus<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Next Stage Desert in Oman, tented camp and we will die Italians<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\"Inside
Here you can see the ski slope, and also the toboggan run, featured inside the Mall of the Emirates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Countries visited in my travel stories<\/a><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many people go to visit Dubai just to see the world’s tallest skyscraper. I got there by a very comfortable bus from Abu Dhabi. The terminus was in the non-modern Bur Dubai area, with a nice reconstruction of old buildings in Al Fahidi). Spartan accommodation Nearby was the building where I had booked a bed, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[851,781],"tags":[1148,1147,1150,769,1146,1149,768,770,771,1155,998,997,767,793,1153,852,1115,782,780,779,1154,893,853,1151,1152,772],"class_list":["post-10174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accommodations","category-asia-and-oceania","tag-alloggiincredibili-en","tag-alloggispartani-en","tag-burjkhalifa-en","tag-diariodiviaggio-en","tag-dubai-en","tag-dubaiframe-en","tag-esperienzediviaggio-en","tag-giramondo-en","tag-globetrotter-en","tag-lowcosttravel-en","tag-problemiinviaggio-en","tag-problemsintravel-en","tag-raccontidiviaggio-en","tag-solotravel-en","tag-spenderepocoinviaggio-en","tag-travelalone-en","tag-travelbyyourself-en","tag-traveldiary-en","tag-travelexperiences-en","tag-travelstories-en","tag-travelwithlowbudjet-en","tag-viaggiaredasoli-en","tag-viaggiareinsolitaria-en","tag-visitaredubai-en","tag-visitdubai-en","tag-wanderlust-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t