Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai was a last minute stop over addition. It's a strange mix of opulence and desert grit. Visiting in the summer months was unwise, the heat was 40-45 °C, the humidity was high and the constant haze allowed you to look directly at the sun. The ubiquitous air-conditioning provided some relief, but it was almost worth staying outside to avoid having to re-adjust to the heat.
Visiting the shopping mall, as much to get out of the heat, was also a tourist experience. There is no limit to what can be put in a mall in Dubai such as an aquarium with sharks and a T-rex skeleton. If that didn't shock me, the price tags in the shops did.
Of course, I had to visit the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and watch the tallest fountain in the Burj Khalifa Lake. The actual visit to the obervation deck is tedious and it's only two thirds up the building and very small, but now I can say I've been up the tallest building in the world.
Going on a desert safari rounded out the tourist experience. Sand duning, falconry, camel rides, henna tattoos, Bedouin camp, dinner and belly dancer. I didn't expect it to be authentic, but having a convoy of 53 4WDs was a little unpleasant. Luckily, our 4WD purposely got stuck on top of a sand dune, so we could watch the sun set with quiet, isolated from the 52 other 4WDs.
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustave Flaubert
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