Dubai: Day #9 .. the Commuters ..

DUBAI METRO

Dubai Metro Rail Network

The Dubai Metro is the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula.  Since September 9, 2009, it has opened two lines, Red and Green.

Guinness World Records has declared The Dubai Metro, comprising Red and Green Lines, as the longest driverless, fully automated metro network in the world spanning 75km.

Ibn Battuta is on The Red Line.  The line itself has 52.1 km length and 29 stations. 

At Ibn Battutal Mall parking lot

The metro station is just across the street

The adjacent bus station

We were so mini against the station

In front of the futuristic design

Didn't it look like a spaceship or something Trekkie?

I really liked the shape of the metro station. It was so futuristic and grand, standing out on a very huge, spacious area. While inside the station, it's like a common station, only much brighter and not as confusing as the MRT stations in Singapore. We had no problem in purchasing our train cards. No charge for Owen, by the way.

(We did have a problem afterwards, because new cards and used cards were identical, and we mixed them in our pockets. I'll get into that later.)

Owen inside the metro station

While waiting for train ..

.. we took pics

On the train

Joining the commuters

Mat and I took our seats, but Andri chose to stand so that he could roam freely, taking pictures. Just like some hillbillies.  But I guessed that was our privileges as tourists.  We could take pictures anywhere, anytime.  (how could you not act hillbilli-sh amidst Dubai -est thingies?").

We swore we were quiet though, as the situation on the train was also very quiet.

What's outside the window?

The view

Checking on our little VVIP in his VVIP seat

Mall of the Emirates metro link

Exit to the mall is on the left

Owen gave two thumbs up.  Guess he enjoyed the ride!

7 stations later, we arrived at Mall of the Emirates.


MALL OF THE EMIRATES

This was the 2nd time we visited this mall. We found something new: Christmas had landed!

The Toy Soldiers Marching Band at the Main Atrium was by far the best mall center decoration among Dubai malls that I had ever seen. Though it was still inferior compared to what I usually found in Indonesia's mall during this festive season, or even compared to that classy Christmas tree in Belgian Cafe at Souk Madinat Jumeirah.

But I was grateful for every Christmas decorations set in this city.  This was in a Muslim country, where they set Friday as a holiday instead of Sunday.

Some more shops we saw in the mall.

The Fountain

On the luxury wing where fashion brand stores are located, surrounded by prestigious food outlets on the ground floor, lies a beautiful water fountain. This fountain was designed by Rusty Hatfield, at House of Stone, Inc. for F&A architects.

The fountain is decorated with Hippocamp, a mythological horse of Poseidon whose form is hindquarters of a fish and the forequarters of a horse.

The obligatory pictures ..

.. of the men of my life.

We met my sister in front of Ski Dubai. Before we went home, we made a quick stop at Louis Vuitton to check some bag prices. It was my very first experience entering a luxury brand store. (Usually I would stay the hell away from it).  And I could say I was more impressed by the attitude of the male attendant who handled us. Heard that staffs of such stores were mostly snobs who often judged customers only by the look and appearance. But not this young man. He was polite and attentive to our questions, even though we were not buying anything. The female attendant in the ladies section? Not so friendly.

At home, my brother-in-law commented, "You took the metro?  You know, I've been living here for years, never once taken the metro."  Er .. why would you take the metro if you could drive your Hunky Hummer to everywhere? *grin*

Since the evening was still young, we made one more plan to spend it.  So, after dinner .. we're ready to go out again to .. 

.. to be continued in Day #9 .. and the Villagers.