Localized Adventure Awaits

As you may have guessed, I've got me a little thing for the bi-cycles. Believe it or not, cycling isn't my favourite pastime. Indeed, running is the ne-plus-ultra travelling activity in my opinion. Sure, you can't get where you are going quite as fast (unless you are travelling on mountain trails), but one is much more mobile when on foot, able to hop over obstacles, cross loose soil, or traverse busy back alleys.

If I had a shower at work and my legs could take the pounding, I would more than happily run to work almost every day. In fact, I would love to run everywhere, I try to incorporate it into my travel plans as much as possible. This was a bit easier in say New York, where I could hop on the subway for the return journey, but I guess I'll have to wait until September to see how the Metro changes my running habits. Incidentally, running home from the bar is freaking awesome! You really must try it sometime; I sometimes feel like I am floating along. Plus, there is absolutely no way of getting pulled over for being intoxicated!

Unfortunately, my legs have a habit of failing me just when things are getting good, and it has been no different here in Dubai. I was just getting up to a nice 13 to 15 mile long run distance when the ole calf decided it had enough yet again. Luckily, the condition isn't permanent, and I have recently been back pounding the pavement.

While Dubai lacks interesting varied terrain and trails (my favourite territory), it does have an inordinate number of construction sites. Recently I have become decidedly more bold in my route choices and ventured off into the the great unmapped regions of Dubai (well, of Burj Dubai and Business Bay at least), and found them if not on par with great mountain trails, at least much more interesting than running on completed streets and byways.

My run this weekend took me over a completed yet unopened 4 lane overpass, then a decidedly incomplete overpass, over a big berm and smack dab onto the 'shore' of the new creek extension, AKA Business Bay. It was a rather lovely Friday Morning, and the construction traffic was light, so there wasn't much danger involved beyond turning an ankle (which is nearly impossible for me, mine are made of rubber from years of trail running). The workers who were unfortunate enough to have to work on Friday didn't seem to mind me running through, in fact they were rather amused, or perhaps bemused.

The route along the new creek offers quite lovely views, it was interesting to see all of the buildings from different angles as I ran along, and the waterside setting will be pretty sweet when complete in roughly 30 years (there are quite a few empty sites).

My route would have been completely impossible on a bicycle, but I think running brought a little something extra to it. Running gives you time to take in the scenery a bit more (though this was slightly impeded by the rough footing), and perhaps humanizes you a bit more to the people you pass.

A few weeks back I was running home from work and decided to take an unplanned detour around Zabeel Palace. I had seen it quite a few times on my rides home, but lacking a mountain bike, hadn't taken the sharp left turn at the Zabeel Club. I am naturally a curious person, and I didn't have much on my plate, so off to the east I went. I was instantly amazed by what I saw.

Suddenly I was plunged into a grove of trees, with little wild flowers scattered about. They were seemingly natural, as I am quite certain I didn't see any irrigation around. Chugging along I rounded a bend and what did I behold, but a peacock, just hanging out in the woods. I was agog; one normally doesn't run into peacocks, definitely not in the desert. As I ran on I saw another, then another, then a gaggle, or whatever a group of peacocks is called – there had to be well over a hundred of them. Obviously, they belonged to the palace, but they were free to roam at will, which I very much enjoyed.

After coming to what appeared to be the palace entrance road (and being swarmed by peacocks), I hit a fence (not literally), and had to swing another left. This took me back out to Zabeel 2 Road, where I hugged the fence around to the right. It was then that I figured out what the enclosure was for, the rare desert gazelle, go figure – guess Sheik Mo is a wildlife buff. Unfortunately the rest of the journey was devoid of trees (lots of construction), but I did happen upon another massive unused highway (perhaps its just a spare), and finally a policeman, who despite not speaking English, made it abundantly clear that running around the palace walls wasn't Kosher.

So I high tailed it to the south towards my homestead, only to run into another set of woods, but it was hiding a work camp rather than a palace. They had a very tiny plywood mosque, not much bigger than a childrens playhouse. I am not sure if it is culturally sensitive to say it was cute, but it was. It even had a miniature minaret.

Just beyond the Lilliputian Mosque, what did I find but yet another spare highway! This one seemed slightly incomplete as it met a giant soldier pile wall halfway through a tunnel under Doha Road, but lucky for me there was a scaffold to climb up and exit. From there it was a bit of deft overlanding straight back to the homestead, just before dark. It was up to that point my single favourite day in Dubai.

I recount these stories to make the point that adventure is where you seek it, and for the most part, people don't seem to be doing much seeking around here. Just think of what you have at your fingertips! A giant incomplete city, manned by workers who don't really seem to know or care about trespass laws! It's like a bizarro Roman ruin out there, in a state of pre-decay. All you need is a pair of shoes and a sense of adventure; have at it!