Follow The Flamingos...

... Even If They Lead You To The Urban Jungle Of Dubai

- Chaitali Patel

A winter trip to Sewri—a suburb in eastern Mumbai—to spot lesser flamingos, was an eagerly awaited family event, until we had to move to Dubai last September. At the Sewri mudflats, arriving early is the key to snagging a vantage point, or else you have to stand on tiptoes and crane your neck to get a glimpse of the magnificent birds over a multitude of heads. As I left my city behind, I rued not having watched my daughter squeal in delight as she peered at these pink beauties through binoculars. Little did I know that Dubai, a glistening metropolis, had a secret within its folds. If Mumbai's flamingos are flanked by the smoke spewing chimneys of factories in the distance, the birds in Dubai can be seen against the