{"id":49,"date":"2012-02-02T19:01:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-02T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/catinthedunes.com\/Dubai\/2012\/02\/cloudy-and-dry.html"},"modified":"2015-08-06T18:54:46","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T14:54:46","slug":"cloudy-and-dry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catinthedunes.com\/Dubai\/2012\/02\/cloudy-and-dry.html","title":{"rendered":"cloudy and dry"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may not be something you associate with Dubai but we have had some cold weather this past month. Ok well cold for us anyway, and as you will see in the graph below the lowest lows seen here for quite a while. Is this global cooling? Not sure but I have to say I have enjoyed being able to bundle up in jerseys and socks for a change. It won’t last and by April will no doubt be a distant memory, but being able to open the windows, and have soup and stews without running the aircon, is lovely!<\/p>\n

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[cloudy]<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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\nWe had a good Christmas and New Year (again) this year. Spent with good friends and some (of their) visiting family it was exactly as a Christmas should be, lots of people around the table sharing good food and a few laughs. It doesn’t make me miss my family and distant friends any less, but it was lots of fun. So for January (well most of it anyway) Stu and I went on a mini-detox. Nothing hectic but no alcohol, and minimal sweets, bread and so on. It’s actually nice to go out for dinner and not have the schlepp of calling for a taxi, having to tell them where to go (and for the most part how to get there) and then doing it all in reverse a couple of hours later. And so that we didn’t feel sad and deprived we decided to eat at unlicensed restaurants for a change, and try something new. <\/p>\n

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[our table]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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[the tree]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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[caprese on a stick]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Unfortunately with Stu’s travel plans for work, we only tried two new places in the end. First was a spot called Zaroob on Sheikh Zayed Road. Zaroob, which translates to “small alley”, was inspired by the street vendors around the Levant region. The menu is on a tear-off pad that you fill out yourself, and although it’s more of a fast food spot than a fully fledged restaurant the food was fresh and tasty. Some of the best falafels I have had in Dubai – hot and crispy \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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[mango juice & fatoush]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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[chicken shawarma]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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[crispy falafel]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The second spot we tried was an Uzbek restaurant in the Marina called Gulnaz. Not sure what to expect I googled Uzbekistan<\/a> on the way there, and discovered that it’s a double landlocked country and was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Less than 10% of the country is cultivated, irrigated land and the rest is desert and mountains. This makes it hot in summer (40 \u00b0C) and pretty cold in winter (-23 \u00b0C). The first inhabitants in the area, waaaay back in the first millenium, were Iranian nomads and for many centuries it was ruled by the Persian Empire. Some of this influence can be seen in the crockery and the decor. The food was amazing, except for the calamari I ordered which was probably not the wisest choice considering the style of the food, and our location – but I do miss it. Anyway we ordered way to much food and stuffed our faces. I will definitely be going back, especially to try the Beef Stroganoff (one of my favs). The best dish of the night – the Tandir Samsa and the Lepeshka (bread). And of course with no wine the bill was tiny! Happy days.<\/p>\n

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[stunning lights]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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[quirky crockery]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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[lepeshka]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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[olivie salad]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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[blinchiki]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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[calamari]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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[tandir samsa]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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[gul honim]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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[kazan kebab]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Well January is now over and so is our “dry” spell. Cheers \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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[max and mins since 1998]<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nIncidentally Nasa have released a series of 12 satellite images of Dubai taken between November 2000 and April 2011. It’s fascinating!!<\/p>\n