Dubai City of Glitz and Glamor
At the Top Of Burj Khalifa
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure” – Paulo Coelho
Dubai is a product of dreams and vision. This once small fishing village has been transformed into a masterpiece of modernity, an amazing leisure and meeting destination. The city lives and breathes a sense of possibility and innovation.
Home to the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa pierces the futuristic skyline like a needle standing tall and visible across the city. The iconic glittering frames the modern Dubai on the one side and the old Dubai on the other. The innovative elliptical shaped or “donut” building housing the museum of the future is the newest addition to a host of architectural marvels.
The scale of Dubai’s ambition is astounding. From a desert state with virtually no attractions, the government has been able to turn this into a destination that attracts millions of tourists every year.
Dubai is a new destination planning for the future.
While this was not my first trip to Dubai the city felt new and innovative as I explored old favorites and found a host of new ones to add to my memory bank.
Dubbed as one of the most advanced buildings in the world, this curvaceous structure by Killa designs has taken inspiration from the construction techniques of the aviation industry using joint-free stainless steel and fiberglass panels to create a smooth elliptical shape. The eye-catching oval is inscribed with Arabic calligraphy.
I was once presented a paper weight with an inscription and a quote which sits on my desk and very much resembles this building.
In 2001, there was nothing off the coast of Dubai but warm, shallow gulf water. Then Nakheel, a local real estate conglomerate, dredged 3 billion cubic feet of sand from the seafloor and used GPS precision to shape it a 17-fronded palm tree. Seven million tons of mountain rock was piled around the island to form a crescent-shaped breakwater seven miles long, designed to protect the newborn island from waves and storms.
The Palm Islands are artificial islands that add hundreds of miles of coastline to Dubai. Each frond of the palm is home to oceanfront villas, hotels, stores and condominiums that offer varying levels of privacy at different price points to a host of investors and residents.
The aerial tramway cuts across the trunk of the palm ending at the magnificent Atlantis hotel. The hotel is not open to casual visitors at this time so we did not go inside though I do have fond memories of the Chihuly sculpture in the entryway.
The Dubai Frame glitters in the sunlight as though made from gold. Dubbed the largest picture frame in the world at 492-feet-high and 344-feet-wide, the gold structure opened in January 2018, offering visitors 360-degree views from the glass-bottomed bridge that spans the top of the frame.
In the north of the city, Old Dubai is a maze of alleyways, lively souks and centuries-old fortresses. To the south, the Downtown Dubai skyline looks to have been plucked straight from the script for “Blade Runner.” Perfectly positioned between the two, the Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park captures that juxtaposition, presenting scenes of the “old” from one side, and the “new” from the other.
The journey to old Dubai or Dubai Deira began for me in an Abra or water taxi that our group used to cross the creek.
As though crossing the creek was a rite of passage we moved from the new and modern into a maze of alleys and traditional souqs.
Starting at the spice market, we got an education on the various spices and their use, plus some tasting of camel milk chocolates and saffron spiced tea. We also got to see frankincense, one of the gifts the magi brought when they came to see the Christ child in the manger.
The gold souq with it’s dazzling array of jewelry where our group spent several happy hours looking for unique pieces. Gold ornaments originated in India and most of the shops in the souq are run by Indian shop keepers.
Camel milk gelato? actually it tastes pretty good. I love doing gelato for lunch when I’m on a trip and I was happy to keep my tradition today.
Transformation. In their attempt to sell their wares in the fabric souq the shop keepers urge you to try their wares and do a great job of demonstrating.
How can you resist the purchase when you are transformed in a matter of moments into something beautiful and alluring not to say there wasn’t beauty to start with.
Dinner at The Time Out Market at the Dubai Mall with it’s balcony overlooking the phenomenal Dubai Fountain show.
The outstanding laser and light show that we were treated to was apparently a lingering effect of the New Year’s show but no complaints from us as we sat and enjoyed multiple performances while enjoying our dinner.
The Dubai Miracle Garden opens every season at the onset of cool weather. With more than 150 million flowers in bloom this destination is a whimsical, fragrant treat.
Shop and taste your way around the world at the Global Village where the statue of liberty sits cheek by jowl with a double decker London bus, the Eiffel tower and the Colosseum.
A traditional Emirati meal that I was surprised to learn is heavily influenced by Indian food since the main course was a biryani that uses Basmati rice from India.
We enjoyed lunch and conversation with an Emirati lady who was our host for the afternoon.
Of course, we were reminded that 65% of the population of Dubai is composed of Indians and Pakistanis, Urdu is one of the top 3 languages spoken here and 99% of all food and vegetables are imported here.
Around the world at the World Expo 2020 at Dubai. Each country who has hosted a world expo can be found on the big top. Travel around all the world expos at the speed of a spin.
A birds eye view from the garden in the sky which is a revolving observation platform. My favorite at the expo was this oasis of water fountains in the center where children frolicked in the water.