.....albeit an expensive introduction. This was my view from my room when I got up this morning.
It's the tallest building in the world--at least right now.
I almost didn't make it here yesterday. My flights through Atlanta were cancelled due to the weather there but I got another connection with Emirates Airline that was direct from Houston to Dubai but was economy class which meant I had to sit 14 hours and 40 minutes upright in a 22" wide seat. I handled it pretty well but I don't want to ever do that again. I'm booked for business class coming back home.
After I got in last night, I signed up for a half-day city tour this morning. I can see very quickly that Dubai is all about money. I thought Miami Beach was high end--this place makes it look like rural Missouri. As I waited for my tour guide this morning, this is what was parked outside:
I've lost count of how many cars like this I've seen already today.
The morning started, ironically, with about the only thing old in Dubai, the city museum which used to be a fort.
And while the complex is rather small, the museum itself is built underground and was really interesting. Since the early 1800s, Dubai was relatively wealthy due to pearl diving, sea shells and fishing. Relative, that is to this area of the Middle East. Of course, in the 1950s the discovery of oil has made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world (Dubai is one of six emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates).
While the fort appears to be made of mud, it is if fact constructed of sea rocks constructed in layers and was impenetrable until modern weapons were developed.
I spent quite a bit of time at the fort then we drove down to the beach. Dubai has some beautiful and open beaches available free to the people. Despite it being winter here, a lot of people were swimming and surfing. By winter, I mean mid-80s.
As you might expect, Dubai is very modern and progressive but is also in many ways conservative. It is a staunchly Islamic country but without all the fundamental conservatism. It's dawned on me that I'm only two hundred miles from Iran right now and we flew directly across Iraq before landing here last night.
From the beach we went to the Jumeirah Mosque. It was especially beautiful on the outside but rather plain on the inside.
I got there about ten minutes before it opened so I walked around and shot some pictures. The detail was amazing on the outside.
It struck me just how many Muslim countries I've visited the last two years: Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Turkey and now Dubai. I've enjoyed visiting the mosques and think I have a pretty good basic knowledge of Islam. The inside, while nice, was nowhere as detailed as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
From there we went to the Burj Al Arab hotel along the beachfront. We didn't actually visit it--it's built on an artificial island with a private bridge. The security at the mainland end of the bridge reminded me of American embassies with barriers and gates. This hotel is the exclusive property of the VERY rich:
It's listed as the world's only seven-star hotel. If you don't want to deal with the front lobby, you can just land your helicopter on the pad at the top on the left side of the picture. My guide said rooms start at $1800/night and when I got back I Googled their website and he was right. The cheapest room is $1800 and the most expensive is over $11,000/night. That's why they have a private bridge with security,
Nearby is the Atlantis Hotel--luxurious but not like the Burj Al Arab.
This area is obviously the playground of the very rich as evidenced by the private beach between the two hotels.
Before returning to my hotel, we stopped where I could get a good shot of the Burj Khalifa--the tallest building in the world.
And if you look very carefully, there were window washers at work. I don't see an end to their job.....
The Dubai skyline is covered with architectural marvels. But what still gets me is that when you get off of the concrete and asphalt, it's just sand underneath all these buildings. Sand and oil, that is.
Tomorrow I start work.
It's the tallest building in the world--at least right now.
I almost didn't make it here yesterday. My flights through Atlanta were cancelled due to the weather there but I got another connection with Emirates Airline that was direct from Houston to Dubai but was economy class which meant I had to sit 14 hours and 40 minutes upright in a 22" wide seat. I handled it pretty well but I don't want to ever do that again. I'm booked for business class coming back home.
After I got in last night, I signed up for a half-day city tour this morning. I can see very quickly that Dubai is all about money. I thought Miami Beach was high end--this place makes it look like rural Missouri. As I waited for my tour guide this morning, this is what was parked outside:
I've lost count of how many cars like this I've seen already today.
The morning started, ironically, with about the only thing old in Dubai, the city museum which used to be a fort.
And while the complex is rather small, the museum itself is built underground and was really interesting. Since the early 1800s, Dubai was relatively wealthy due to pearl diving, sea shells and fishing. Relative, that is to this area of the Middle East. Of course, in the 1950s the discovery of oil has made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world (Dubai is one of six emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates).
While the fort appears to be made of mud, it is if fact constructed of sea rocks constructed in layers and was impenetrable until modern weapons were developed.
I spent quite a bit of time at the fort then we drove down to the beach. Dubai has some beautiful and open beaches available free to the people. Despite it being winter here, a lot of people were swimming and surfing. By winter, I mean mid-80s.
As you might expect, Dubai is very modern and progressive but is also in many ways conservative. It is a staunchly Islamic country but without all the fundamental conservatism. It's dawned on me that I'm only two hundred miles from Iran right now and we flew directly across Iraq before landing here last night.
From the beach we went to the Jumeirah Mosque. It was especially beautiful on the outside but rather plain on the inside.
I got there about ten minutes before it opened so I walked around and shot some pictures. The detail was amazing on the outside.
It struck me just how many Muslim countries I've visited the last two years: Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Turkey and now Dubai. I've enjoyed visiting the mosques and think I have a pretty good basic knowledge of Islam. The inside, while nice, was nowhere as detailed as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
From there we went to the Burj Al Arab hotel along the beachfront. We didn't actually visit it--it's built on an artificial island with a private bridge. The security at the mainland end of the bridge reminded me of American embassies with barriers and gates. This hotel is the exclusive property of the VERY rich:
It's listed as the world's only seven-star hotel. If you don't want to deal with the front lobby, you can just land your helicopter on the pad at the top on the left side of the picture. My guide said rooms start at $1800/night and when I got back I Googled their website and he was right. The cheapest room is $1800 and the most expensive is over $11,000/night. That's why they have a private bridge with security,
Nearby is the Atlantis Hotel--luxurious but not like the Burj Al Arab.
This area is obviously the playground of the very rich as evidenced by the private beach between the two hotels.
Before returning to my hotel, we stopped where I could get a good shot of the Burj Khalifa--the tallest building in the world.
And if you look very carefully, there were window washers at work. I don't see an end to their job.....
The Dubai skyline is covered with architectural marvels. But what still gets me is that when you get off of the concrete and asphalt, it's just sand underneath all these buildings. Sand and oil, that is.
Tomorrow I start work.
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