Day 58: The 5 Musketeers

Last week, 5 friends(The explorerzzzz)- Abdullah, Narmada, Gagan, Ila and I (Medha)- went exploring all around Dubai. We had learned so much about each other and different places from our travels. We were never tired of exploring- there was this fire within us that ignited a sense of zeal in everything we did.

6 days of fun and enjoyment were more than enough to lift our spirits. We all had a blast. We visited the Expo on alternate days. For a couple of members, it was their first time using the metro and staying away from home for long so we had to make them as comfortable as possible, as doing anything for the first time can sound a bit frightening.

On the previous night of each day, we discussed, planned and shared (sometimes fought about) the activities, venues and timings for the next day, but there were still many unexpected changes and hurdles that needed to be overcome. The day before, we downloaded our tickets and booked the pavillions using the Expo 2020 app

Day 1: First Expo Visit

We arranged nol cards for all 5 members. We started from home at around 9 in the morning and reached back at around 10 pm. We covered nearly 40 pavillions that day. We visited the small African pavilions such as Ghana and Niger, and many other countries which were small yet beautiful. That night, we split into two groups, stayed in two different houses and decided to meet at the nearest metro station for the next day's venture.

Day 2: Local areas, Mall of the Emirates & Gift Exchange

The girls' squad got up early in the morning and visited the Creek area by walk, which was just a few kilometres away from where we live; we got to enjoy the natural world and breathe some fresh air. We walked so much that we felt hungry and tired, so we dropped by the nearest restaurant and gulped some momos- it was very refreshing!

We met the others at the Burjuman metro station(interchange station) and went to the Mall of the Emirates to buy snacks for the next day and to purchase gifts to exchange. We exchanged our gifts the following night- it was fun to see everyone's reactions.

Since it was inconvenient to stay in two different houses, we five decided to stay in one house, which is the nearest to the metro (which indeed saved our time).

Day 3: 2nd Expo visit

The second visit was a little challenging as one among us forgot their nol card and was left at the other side of the scanning gate. We were giving instructions from the other side to buy a new card. The problem was solved.

We visited the most interesting pavilions that day (Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Russia, China, Belarus, etc). We covered nearly 30 pavilions that day.

We met Mr Arun Parat, a news reporter(24 news, a Malayalam news channel), who asked us a few questions about our exploration. We felt good that people were interested in our ventures.

That was a day well spent.

Day 4: Dubai Solar Innovation Centre

The Dubai Innovation Centre is about 70 kilometres from the main city and it is a part of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the world's largest single-site solar park.

It was a very fascinating and educational experience indeed. We got to learn more about UAE's goals on generating electricity using solar power. It revolved around the concept of making the United Arab Emirates a more sustainable country.

The Innovation Centre also exhibits other renewable energy resources(geothermal, hydroelectricity, biomass, wind power, etc). Since it was a planned visit, there was a guide to take us around to explain the science behind each structure

Day 5: Last Expo visit, Club FM & Anjana Sankar (Khaleej Times)

RJ Thanveer from Club FM (99.6) invited us to the studio to have a chat in his show. It was a wonderful experience. We were all amazed at how easily he got acquainted with us and how effortlessly he handled the show in a way we too felt at ease.

From there, we took the nearest metro and went to the Expo to continue our exploration.

We visited the Czech Republic, Spain, New Zealand(we had a yummy lunch from Tiaki Restaurant). After that, we spent some time at the Festival Garden.

Then, we proceeded to the Italian pavilion. There, finally, we met Anjana Sankar, a bold and beautiful journalist whom we have been chasing for a couple of days (she was very busy with many important events). We were all thrilled.

Day 6: Chilling at home, movie, exploring local areas, dispersal

This was the final day of our exploration so we decided to stay at home, watch a movie (Just Go With It) and explore the nearby areas. We went to the bouncing castle in a nearby park. We even jumped on the trampolines. It was a chance to relive our childhood all over again.

At the end of the day, we divided our expenses using an app called Splitwise. It was then the time for dispersal and packing with the hopes that we'll meet again very soon in the mountains or deserts as we always do.

Conclusion

We had visited around 100 pavilions, big and small, in total in three days.

I was the eldest among the lot so the safety of the members was in my hands. It was a little challenging, but I managed just fine.

It was a great experience since the whole event was planned and managed by the Explorerzzz.

We're planning to continue our exploration. We might explore other countries in the not so distant future.

Warm Regards,

Medha