6) The Taxi Drivers Of Dubai Poem by Otradom Pelogo

I landed one day at the Dubai International Airport, checked in, and started a short vacation, which led me into the back sit of a taxi, where I began to search for a hotel; Dubai is as reasonable as it is beautiful, and thus the cab driver and I began our search from the most eloquent, which I doubt I could have afforded, to anyone that had a room for the night, and it didn't take too long, or truly only a few tries, before he suggested a place that he knew about, of course by now; The Ambassador Hotel on Naif Rd. (named of hotel changed...) in the heart of the Deira District. Like, I guess, New York would be the best example of the taxi paradise, where you'll find people from just about every country you can think of, driving and taking you to your destination, and thus, I have had memorable rides from men, and I'm certain the majority of them are from Dubai, India or Pakistan, and the surrounding countries. If the statement, which I have certainly used many times before, would fit anywhere more appropriate, it would be here, which is, 'I couldn't go any further without them', of course, either in the city of Dubai or, here as I sit and write.

Our relationship started shortly after I got there, and which I soon found out, that these guys do more than just drive a taxi, and without a doubt, more than entertain as they make a minimal attempt at it, excuse the pun on the former, taking an extra step in seeing that they not only do their job well, but being more of a diplomat, at the least, at the latter of making you feel at home while taking you to your stop. Later that night I struggled out of my hotel and tried to shake off a burnout, and not take the four or five days that it takes to recuperate, which is approximately the whole of a short vacation, if not the half of a long one; and thus it must have manifested itself to the taxi driver. I was looking for a nice quiet café or even a bar somewhere that would be close to formal; and not explicitly, but telling the taxi driver something close to this, and he said sure and headed down the road, where the car door, after paying him, opened, and I knew before walking up the driveway, that he somehow knew just where I didn't want to go. I walked on side of the garden area, where the chef was cooking a small meal outside for a few guests, while others were casually sitting quietly having a drink listening to nice, soft music, shaded from the traffic several paces away by a row of freshly watered trees and trimmed hedges, making a beautiful clear desert-night seem even more romantic. Instead of joining them, I decided to walk up the path, where stenciled on the glass, read a sign that said, Irish Pub; I'm not sure if I would have thought of going to an Irish pub the first night or so, on my first vacation in the Middle East. But this is, before I go further, the evening, and it would be unfair to say this without saying more about these guys; the taxi drivers of Dubai, and that it would be impossible to have an enjoyable stay there without their assistance. I was at my hotel, and thus heading out to tour the city. You'll soon find out that I literally do just that; tour the city, which means, if not taking off walking for four or five hours, some days easily, jumping on either cable car, train, and here in Dubai, I would have jumped on the bus once having the taxi driver bring me to the center of downtown, where I would usually start. Telling him my plans, he suggested that I start at Jumeirah Beach, and never having been there before, I said okay. A thirty minute drive and I was now, like the Irish Pub, standing in the lobby of probably one of the better hotels in Dubai, where after paying for a ticket inside, I decided, after not bringing shorts with me, to bypass the pool where a group of gentlemen sat, having a cold drink and talking, though I must say that I hadn't seen a pool where the bar stools were attached to the bottom and you could have a drink without having to ask the waiter for a towel; so after a warm wave from some of the guest, either being friendly, or politely noticing my surprise, as to where I ended up this time, not turning around, I headed down to the bar, ordered a cold bottle of mineral water, where I sat for a few moments watching the windsurfers, sunbathers and children walking around having fun, while, like myself, everyone else sat around with cold drink and just enough on the mind to make it a nice and pleasant setting. Therefore, still not ready to leave, I walked over, got a towel from the attendant at the towel both, and set on side of the rest of the sunbathers, and enjoyed the fact that, the taxi driver knew that I would only have seconds to make the transition from taking a long walk, to stretching out under a nice summer's sun at the edge of the beautiful blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Now the Irish Pub and Jumeirah Beach were both places that I couldn't have enjoyed better than most things that I will have ever done, or even in future days attempt, but then decided to join along with the taxi driver in planning out my agenda for the days upcoming events, but not until after, once asking what building was this, when we ended up at the foot of the mountain or should I say, it precipice; The Burj Al Arab, a seven star hotel, where you could, no doubt, literally, run into a President, King or Queen. And I got out of the taxi where I handed the camera back and forth to the taxi driver as we took pictures.

Though I did take the next taxi to sightsee, while heading from one destination to the other, I did get out and walk for at least an hour, where I ended up walking through a Spice Souk and finally into the famous Gold Souk of Dubai; where I eventually got the number of rings that I wear down to about seven, at one time I had one on each finger, and if I could have had one on the thumbs, I would have had one there also. Then walked further, hearing words of caution, sense it being my first time, but once again, the taxi driver doing more than his fair share, enlightened me as to the city being incredibly safe, and thus the next hour's walk took me to The Creek. The water literally being the bloodline of the city, highlighted with skyscrapers where you can see the heart of the financial district meticulously lined on either side of Sheik Zayed Rd.; the latest in architectural design that I have never seen before, and probably never will for some time, and where at the foot of them, laying upon the calm Arabian waters, are the cargo dhows surrounded by some of the yachts that are probably as expensive as the skyscrapers overshadowing them. And thus being told by a nice European couple, after asking which ones would taxi you across the waters, and being told that they were the abras, which sat in the midst of archaic dhows and fishing boats, which I boarded, after paying a small fare, and headed or should I say, sailed out, where I spent part of the day cruising down one of Dubai's many crown jewels called The Creek. I did more and could tell more that I had done, like watching Cat Woman at the City Center Cinema Complex, where I then, only paces away, bowled almost a perfect game, where I got a Turkey for Three, (believe or not, if you haven't bowled before, three strikes in a row and a turkey trots across the screen as the prize for almost an incredible feet, even for an avid bowler) , had lunch, shopped and bought a few gifts; everything that one could possibly desire; movie, sporting events, games, shopping lunch and more; at a place called the City Center, but back to the point, and the point is, that the taxi driver ironically brought me to these places and ironically is the one who brought me to the door of the Ambassador Hotel.