We quit the Yemen abandoning the idea of going to Bir Ali beach paradise of Yemen, scheduled to catch up for not having seen Socotra (more room air). An Austrian we had advised to go to Salalah small town in southern Oman, very nice and much nicer than Dubai. It was already dreaming of grilled fish on a ledge animated and accompanied by a glass of white wine, so we rush towards Oman.
First bus from 8 am until the small town Al Gahaydah
trapped between desert and sea, then we followed by a taxi to the border post without knowing how to reach Salalah. Our luck has smiled once more, after changing the Yemeni monaie to pay our visa has a deplorable rate by a traveler passing under the gaze just a bother to customs, we have two old Embedded in their car that Salalah we reached at nightfall. The road was unexpectedly high wooded mountains plunging into the sea, beautiful white sand beach, an air of southern France.
The city of Salalah is full and parking of cars, malls and pizzia hut. The best restaurant offers fish cubes, lemon juice have lost the taste for those of Yemen. The city turns its back to the sea, the ledge is pretty sad. Everything costs 10 times the price of Yemen and does nothing neither the charm nor the taste. And as regards the wine, there is no interest at Hilton.
A day on a beautiful beach (luckily the beaches are beautiful) then we queue to Dubai and Laura arrived from Hong Kong, 20 hours by bus and here we are in the craziest city in the Middle East! Both Salalah had no interest as Dubai is a city under construction, a real modern city. Skyscrapers are popping up everywhere, the city extends to the sea on artificial peninsulas shaped fins are constructed channels payasage decorate the flat desert of Dubai.
Everything is big, the biggest malls in the world, the tallest tower in the world. They even built a ski slope. Nothing seems to scare these promoters, anything seems possible here as long as it is excessive.
I often regret, may be wrong, the lack of imagination in planning even if the towers are generally very nice and everything awesome. It seems to me 
Money is everywhere, the car park is probably the most impressive of the world, Ferrari, lomborqguini, hummer, porsche for women, jaguar, rolls, ... The hotels are crowded, specially which the most expensive.
So, you wonder where does all that money: dabord the oil, tourism, speculation maintained by excellent communication but also the money that seems to be a source of financing the most important.
Then the whole world is attracted by his money and that folly, the Europeans, the Lebanese americians and occupy the best seats and the Iranians often just merchants, Indians, Tibetans, Nepalese, Filipino, Mauritians, the Afghan ... Then the girls, Russian, Turkmen, Chinese (Undercutting it seems) and all other more discrete. The Arabs have almost disappeared in proportion but impressively controlled this city world.
Because there is only one life, Laura, Lionel and I have plunged headlong into this game for nearly 10 days: convertible, restaurants and hip bars, nightclubs, luxury hotels, spa , cocktails ... till you drop. But I admit, it was not to displease me.
I quit the Grosvenor House, a magnificent palace, spends an evening with simple, warm and Emmanuelle Benoit in their pleasant home that felt good. The next day I made my cab and took a boat across the Strait of Hormuz with Iran and Afghans returning home to rest after several months of hard work and badly paid. No hate this place, they are not part of the festival. I am happy to be with them on this boat that goes to Iran.
I finished the second part of my trip, I leave the Persian Gulf and am going to join the Silk Road.
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