We arrived on the evening of the 27th and went straight to my friend Sophie's house, who lives in the residential part of the palm jumeriah, the palm looking land mass that's about 20 mins away from the centre of the city (thank goodness taxi's were very reasonable).
We chatted into the early hours of the morning of course, with some of the booze we'd brought. But it was late and we were tired by the time we arrived, and so we didn't last that long. I was put into the 'maid's room', basically a windowless box room, on a camper sprung bed. At the time I thought it wasn't going to be great, but in the end I think it was good as whatever time we got to bed (and there were a few late nights!) I could sleep in the next day. And add alcohol to my fairly heavy sleeping and the bed wasn't too bad - was one of those ones where you could feel all the springs. A bit harsh!!
Anyway, the next day was the poshest 'brunch' we went to. A 'brunch' is actually more like a lunch, where you pay a fixed price (about 100 pounds/120 euros) to go to a hotel restaurant and eat and drink all you can in the four hours you've paid for. It's pretty amazing, especially when the hotel is really done up in christmas lights and baubles. That first one I really enjoyed, and wandered around the themed buffets in delight (I enjoyed the Spanish one the most) - before being bombarded with 'patron' and 'jaeger' shots by Sophia, and her boyfriend Graeham. A guy called Terry sat at the end of our table, more on him later, and the cousin of Sophia, called Chris, a kind of skinny and nervous looking creature chain smoking ciggies that weren't really ciggies. It was really cool though and honestly the food and this hotel were mind-boggling, I didn't feel over-dressed at all in my sparkly sequinned number (although I did feel really pasty pale as not much colour).
After there we went to the hotel bar next door, 70/80 themed music and a motley crew of expats like us bent on drinking more. We sat outside until the sun went down, and then went inside for a little dance. We weren't that keen on that place, so ended up going to bar baristi, which wasn't far away, and was this amazing two storied bar. Of course got chatting to some dutch sailing team there, at least Sophie and Anna did. I talked more to Terry, a lovely but kind of misplaced man it seemed to me. Still out partying and drinking into his late 40's?? Might be me, but I kind of hope not.
We ended at Buddha bar, we went there to meet the others but the kind of cool black and red interior, and gorgeous view over the city made us all sleepy (and Sophie got talking to someone at the bar, she called him the gay saudi, no idea if that was true). The others were meeting at Movida bar a bit later, but by this time at 2am we'd been drinking for over 12 hours and were all feeling a bit old and pooped. Not a bad start to our hol though...
> El Quezar, Baristi, Buddha bar.
The next day we all went to the beach. Anna and I were dying to get outside as we hadn't seen any sunshine for a while, a few months for me, a few more for Anna. Of course we were a little hungover from the brunch, so we decided to go somewhere easy for dinner, we headed into the town and did the area that has all the boats going from it, and a lot of tourists - all I can remember of the name is 'something jacks' - there were a lot of restaurants around the water as well. We did some Iranian for dinner, which was ok. Not my favourite food but the girls enjoyed. In fact I lost my appetite a bit by this stage, something to do with the travel and heat I think...we did a boat trip around the water area and saw the hotel we'd eaten at the day before all lit up...was pretty cool. We were all a bit wasted so trundled home and watched a film, still very nice.
The next day, Sophie had to work. So Anna and I headed to baristi beach bar, I didn't quite realise it was the same place we'd already been to and got a little confused (story of my life out there?!!) We chilled there most the day, Anna was a bit restless and couldn't really settle. We had to stop at the shops on the way home, so we didn't stay there too long before heading back and picking up some VERY expensive bits at the shop. Crazy prices of things out there, lol.
That night we just headed into town to meet Sophie as she was working there. We first went to this amazing bar in the address hotel complete with roof-top views (to be fair most the places there had roof-top views) and then went to one of her favourite restaurants, called 'the Mango Tree', this very lovely thai place. We met a french girl called Celine up there first...There was a view of fountains to music (a little enya and celine if I remember correctly!!!), quite impressive. We had the keenest waiter ever, he kept coming and making sure we were ok as Sophie used to be a regular there. We ate so much that we didn't make it to 'the sail' bar as we'd intended, we had to roll ourselves into the cab practically, and then home...that meal cost about 100 quid each, I think it was the wine that was expensive.
The next day we felt a bit better (although was still not hungry). We went with Sophie as she was looking after a dog of a friend of hers, and it was nice to see a new area actually...slightly more residential, further away from the city. This dog was so super cute though, certainly got my pet-fill this holiday - Sophie's flatmate had 3 cats no less. We walked the dog, and then headed into the gold souk and dubai creek area, probably the most authentic looking part of Dubai we saw, slightly more down class, with proper ferry boats going from one side to the other. We took a boat from one side, and walked around a lot while we tried to find the souk area. It took us about an hour of going in circles to find it, but eventually we did...and then GOLD! Anna and I both bought the tiniest diamond earrings ever, got distracted by the sparkle or something...I saw a bracelet I later went back and bought another day. ALl that bargaining and walking and looking meant we didn't make the fake handbag place, although after our experience going back, I wish we'd just gone then, ha.
We headed to the mall as the next day was Christmas, and bought our secret santas. Then back home to get ready, and out to the address at the mall this time for a drink, another most amazing and sat outside at 'winter wonderland' (nothing wonderland about it btw) for one of the calmest all you can eat buffets we did. It was very civilised, a small crowd - Sophia and Graham, Terry, Chris and a new recruit Noaz (who was late and so picked us up in a cab) were there...After we'd booked a table at Mahiki, one of those poncy club's in London that celebrities and ppl with money think are cool, but really are just expensive and trashy. We went because it was an experience, it was very expensive inside as you have to buy the hugest bottle of vodka you've ever seen, and of course we drank it all. Music was baaaad. Sophie got hit on a lot, but wouldn't give them a chance, apparently that is what she does :P, and Anna got vodka goggles and was kissing this really young arab guy 'who was stacked', she rated him so I left her to it.
We left when the vodka had run out, and the arab tried to get into our cab.
The next day was christmas, and we had the christmas day brunch booked. Very lowfi one but fun and they did have turkey (lowfi means just as much food, drinks themed around the fruits they come in - coconuts, melon, etc, and bigger tables, mostly inside). It was nice, but at this point I was a bit done with the buffet thing. I did eat a decent amount, it was christmas and I figured my stomach could do with lining. I tried not to drink too much there, I also knew it would be a looong day, and was right not to. We went to this bar called the 360 bar, right next to the sail and down this jetty thing into the water. Amazing. We got there just as the sun was beginning to go down so the light was beautiful, and commenced to stay there all evening and night, dancing to balearic tunes in an open air bubble on top of the sea. How cool is that? Did have one of those moments when the DJ was playing some old classics of thinking, well this is another of those moments I won't forget, ever. And I hope I don't. I had a couple of glasses of wine there, but didn't even want to drink that much, just danced (with my big heels ON, hahah, got to be an expert at that), and then walked back with anna back down the jetty, and through the amazing hotel lobby to get a cab. Pretty great Christmas day I'd say :) :) Oh I was dancing with Terry a lot on the dance floor, he can do that kind of partner dance thing, was fun too (until he wanted to dance a bit too much but by then my feet were hurting anyways).
The next day Sophie was really ill - she came in after us and stayed up with Noaz drinking and talking. In fact looking at my notes, we all ate pizza before we passed out. Anna and I took an easy morning went to the JBr area which is next to the sea and has this knd of americanised, built up promenade. We found some recovery juice (pretty good) and coffee (starbucks of course), wasn't hungry again until the evening. And then after we arrived back, we wanted to shop!!! So we went back to the gold souk and bag place in the early evening, by ourselves, which took us longer than expected, and meant that we only had time for takeaway - Sophie was still being sick and not feeling great well into the evening (and the next morning dropping us off at the airport). I bought too much to mention, and then we wandered along to find the fake bag men, which we found - entails you being brought upstairs to what should be a tiny flat, into a locked door they close behind you, and then you move from the plastic bags to the leather ones...very dodgy but certainly an experience. If Sophie hadn't told us what would happen I would've been a bit more worried, apparently crime there is almost non-existent because of the strict rules and laws, and what happens if you break them.
The next morning we left around 7 to get to the airport for 7.30. Sophie was still feeling ill though, poor thing!!
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