Search for the Phoenix

Last weekend Beth and I went on a search for the perfect bicycle. It had to be just like the one that we see the dock and construction workers riding around on. They have got these sweet old-fashioned one-speeds with bells and baskets. The bike is for our convenient use of course, but it also will have a second purpose to be announced at a later date.
Our search took us to all the little back neighborhoods of Bur Dubai, Karama, and Satwa. It’s easy to find a $1000 Cannondale at Wolfi’s bike shop that caters to the Westerner, but we wanted something more real (and affordable) and a one-speed sounded perfect for this flat city. Here are the photos chronologically from our adventures that day.


The Iranian Hospital is a beautiful building on Al Wasl road on the edge of Satwa. The tile work is incredible.


This one is for my brother Mike. We went in looking for some morals in exchange for some headstrong determination but sadly their stock was down to tactful recapitulations, indifferent acquiescences, and conscientious variations.


Saloons, Saloons everywhere, yet not a drop to drink.
This is the UAE version of what we in the US call a “Barbershop”. Almost every hair cutting operation has “Saloon” written on the sign.




After finding our first tiny bike store in a small neighborhood in Bur Dubai we celebrated by having lunch on the creek. The food was excellent though neither of us was brave enough to taste the pigeon.












Beth’s dream: a large stack of huge sugar packets.




While waiting for the small shop to re-open to see if the cute light-blue bike inside was for sale or just in for repairs, we took a little walk towards the Bastakia but never actually got there. Instead we got a little lost in the tiny streets around this beautiful mosque. The scene at the doorstep of the mosque was an amazing conglomeration of weird things: a beautifully ramshackle shanty apartment, the remnants of a watermelon picnic, a pack of roosters, a sleeping kitty in a planter, and some beautiful flowering bushes.




























The light-blue bike was just in for repairs. We left our number and asked to be called if any old bikes turned up for sale. The search continues on to Satwa…




AND SUCCESS!


For about $75 US, we got the perfect green, made-in-china, one-speed, old-fashioned, bell and basket type bicycle. It’s brand new but it looks authentic.






Isn’t she beautiful!?

One thought on “Search for the Phoenix”

  1. Aw, come carino! she reminds me of la mia bicicletta piccolina da Firenze! A little one speeder new-old fashioned bike. I miss that girl.
    Beautiful photos! and I can’t believe they were out of headstrong determination. Sells out fast, I suppose. It must be the elections.

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