On the topic of “over the top” like Dubai, Las Vegas definitely does things big! A friend sent me these pictures from a recent visit, taken at the Bellagio and the Venetian hotels. The glass work is done by Chihuly and it is on the ceiling of the Bellagio.
There is a section of Dubai that is considered “Old Dubai”. You can take a water taxi on old wooden boats, walk around an area where there are samples of houses from the past and most fun of all, you can go to the Souks for spices, textiles and gold. Remember -“Old Dubai” is only 60 years ago!
The Bastakiya area is home to Dubai Museum, itself located inside the city’s oldest building: Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787. It was very nice walking around that area and taking a look at spices for sale.
At the heart of Old Dubai lies the source from which the entire city has developed outwards. Dubai Creek is very, very important. If you look back to when Dubai was first mentioned in 1587, the creek had the same purpose at that time.That’s what’s unique in Dubai. You still find goods being imported and exported to and from different areas – the creek is still the heart of Dubai.
It was fantastic to see the spice souk , the textile souk (grab a pashmina!) and the gold souk. Gold is cheaper in Dubai than anywhere else in the world, and the price is set twice a day.
Instead of telling you about this incredible place that is part of a shopping mall (Mall of Emirates) in Dubai, I think you should read what is on their website for Ski Dubai. I HAD to go see it!
“Ski Dubai has 5 runs that vary in difficulty, height and gradient, the longest run being 400 meters with a fall of over 60 meters. Test your skills on the world’s first indoor black run or practice your turns on the gentle beginner slopes. Skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels will enjoy these various slopes and snowboarders can also practice their stunts in the Freestyle Zone. Kids and parents alike will have fun in the huge interactive Snow Park, which at 3000 square meters is the largest indoor snow park in the world.
You don’t have to worry about ski clothing or equipment either. Ski Dubai has thought of it all and offers guests the use of winter clothing, ski and snowboard equipment. Your skis will carry you down the slope, and our quad-chairlift and tow lift will promptly carry you back to the top for another run.
You will enjoy our themed restaurants; St Moritz Cafe at the entrance to Ski Dubai, and Avalanche Cafe at mid-station, with views of the slope. Our exclusive retail shop, Snow Pro, has expert staff to advise you on your equipment needs and our team of professional Ski School instructors will guide you through the simple, fun process of learning to ski or snowboard.”
Quick Facts
Three forms of recreation that I found in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are falcon training, riding camels and dune dragging.
The Bedouin lived for millennia in the desert, a harsh, unforgiving place that required developing every available tool for harvesting its scarce resources. The ultimate hunting weapon in such an austere environment: falcons. Today, even as Abu Dhabi and Dubai have become rich, the old ways persist, and behind almost every camel stable and desert retreat is an aviary of saker falcons. Though hunting is severely restricted in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, (falconers travel to hunt with their birds in places like Syria or Iraq), the birds must be flown and trained daily.
I also learned a lot about camels. A camel’s hump does not store water. It stores fat, lessening heat-trapping insulation around the rest of the body. One reason camels can go long periods without water is the shape of their red blood cells. These are oval and so will flow when they are dehydrated rather than clumping, as ours do. The camel is the only mammal to have oval red blood cells. We were told by our guide that the hump stores the food and the legs store the water-enough for one month!
In terms of the dune dragging, this is something that people love to do and for good reason! You have to let a lot of air out of your tires to do it so the car is more stable in the sand. The danger, of course, is that occasionally you can get stuck (pictured!). After you are finished, you pump your tires back up-everyone keeps the equipment in their car. I also learned that you should always go with at least two cars- so if you get stuck, you can pull each other out! Of course as these two areas grow, there is less and less desert that is wild and free.
We took sea planes and flew over Dubai which was great to really give you the scope of the city and the incredible architecture. It is hard to imagine that just 50 years ago it was a very small port city and most of what is developed now was all desert. There are some fascinating man-made land formations such as “the world” which is many small islands created and for sale for 10 milion dollars each! The fronds were also interesting-the land created literally looks like a large palm tree-each frond has about 130 houses on it-brilliant idea as everyone gets a water view.
Here are some other interesting facts:
1. Dubai is one of seven states that comprise the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country formed in 1971 from individual sheikdoms.
2. Foreigners make up most of Dubai’s population. The local people, called Emiratis, are just 15% of the total.
4. Dubai is apparently the fastest growing city in the world.In 1991, Dubai had just one tall building and it was at the edge of the desert. Now they have over 400 very tall buildings.
5. The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, is in Dubai. It has 164 floors (pictured)
6.. Dubai asked Disneyland to consider building a resort here and Disney turned them down, saying Dubai was too small. So Dubai decided to construct its own theme park called Dubailand.When it opens, Dubailand will be twice the size of Disney World in Florida and is expected to be the largest tourist draw in the world, with 200,000 people daily.
7. Arabic is the official language, but most of the locals speak English (as their first choice). Our tour guide said that when he speaks to the Emiratis in Arabic, they answer in English.
8. There are actually outdoor air conditioners! (last picture)
Lauren Huyett Interiors 