Country of "angels" and "demons"
Emirates ... A country with a quiet past, very bright present and foggy future. It so happened that the "popular" Muslim countries of Turkey and Egypt were left out, and acquaintance with the culture and way of life of the East began for me from a trip to the United Arab Emirates.
Trying to describe the impression of the country, you always look for comparisons with something intelligible, "native." The first thing you understand, when you find yourself in a quiet cafe, is a "country of contrasts", a little fussed from noisy neighborhoods, hotels, shops and shops, interspersed with extensive fenced construction sites. "Angels" and "demons," luxury and poverty. And more - construction.
Against the backdrop of a multitude of tourists, attendants, people flying and coming flying out in white robes .They are majestic and somewhat lazily moving in space, all of its kind showing detachment from worldly concerns .This is a local people .(The standard of living in the Emirates is very high, the social guarantees of the state allow citizens of this country not to worry about "daily bread" and a roof over their heads: there is no need to work for making money .Work is, rather, entertainment .) But with all the external majesty, I did not notice a bit of disdain: when communicating in return, you see a good-natured and benevolent smile .The
"Demons" are represented by hired workers. As among local residents to engage in "hard" work, trade and services are not accepted, all these are engaged in "visitors". And there is a kind of division "by interests". As a rule: taxi drivers - Pakistanis, traders - Indians, builders - Vietnamese and Chinese.
| Such different Dubai |
| Emirates are and such ... |
| Night City of UAE |
Luxury begins with gilt stucco at the airport .Passes a red thread through the courtesy and courtesy of the attendants, wherever you are .Expressly reflected in the glossy side of the taxi, hovers in the streets of Dubai between luxury mansions, hotels, banks and shops .Rises high up to Burj-al-Arab, man-made islands, downhill skiing in the middle of the desert, a huge oceanarium .It rustles through the sand as you drive along the road through the desert, splashing together with you in the ocean in Fujairah and remains with you all the time while you are on this land .But, strolling along the sparkling streets, turn slightly to the side .And you will see tired builders, weary in their slums, boys playing football with an empty can of cola, debris and filth of "poor" quarters .Ancient bicycles parked near cheap cafes, and hands carrying you through the bay on an ancient wooden ship "captain" .The
Emirates surprised me with their vitality and doom. Variety and unhurried course of life. Advanced technology and dances of nomads in the desert.
Each tourist can find here for themselves something interesting. Gourmets and lovers of comfort - beautiful hotels with a preventive service and colorful local cuisine. Those who like to luxuriate on the beach and buy it - the purest sand and crystal water on the coast. Extremals will love the night rally through the desert, diving and downhill skiing. Exotics can always be felt in huge markets, where they sell gold, spices, fabrics and various utensils (I do not exclude the possibility of buying an Aladdin's lamp there).
Departing, I was happy that I would soon find myself in the world familiar to me and understandable to me. But at home I realized that there, in a distant country, there was a part of my heart. And I'll definitely be back - but not to take it back.