One of the major downsides to Dubai is the taxi drivers.  Not all of them, but a fairly large amount.  They drive terribly, are grouchy and rude, are sexist, smell bad… the list just goes on and on.  I’ve written about those journeys a number of times.

Every now and again though you get an absolute ray of sunshine.  Today was such a day.

I can’t remember his name because it wasn’t one I’d heard before, but Mr. Taxi Man was lovely.  As soon as I got in his clean and unscented taxi, there was a calm feeling.  He smiled and asked which route I would like to take, and then listened.

After a while of talking about the weather in Dubai, we moved onto the weather in England and then in Pakistan.  From there we chatted around a bit more and finally landed on the fact he was moving back at the end of Ramadan.  He had spent 6yrs in Abu Dhabi and then the last year or so in Dubai, but he was ready to go back now.

Turns out this lovely chap had been here for 8 years in order to save to open his second bakery in Islamabad.  He was so excited to be going back, and gave me his phone full of photographs of the newly opened, spotlessly clean bakery, and his brother “who has my face”.

It was such a pleasant way to start the day.  There was no creepiness, even when he offered to have me to his house to meet his family if I was ever in Pakistan.  Just the natural friendliness of someone who leads a good life and has been bought up to be hospitable.  He even offered to have his brother send some cookies over so that I could try them already.

I am writing this in the hope that someone googling “Bakery Islamabad” or “Bakery Pakistan” stumbles across this and decides to try it out.  It’s called:

Rahat Bakers
G15, Islamabad
Pakistan

He doesn’t know I am writing this.  He probably never will and that’s ok.  I just wanted to try and help out someone who without knowing, changed my entire outlook on the day.

Good Luck Mr. Taxi-Baker Man!