Delighted by Dubai

Dubai has been on our bucket list ever since we started our international life.  In fact, when we first joined the Foreign Service, and anyone asked Jeremy what he hoped our first assignment would be, he answered without hesitation:  "Dubai." The city has created a larger-than-life image for itself, with its indoor ski slope, palm tree island, world's tallest building and more.  And it did not disappoint!  I found the city to be amazingly fascinating!

Dubai Marina skyscrapers

Of course, it's impossible to visit Dubai without noticing the architecture.  Love it or leave it, the buildings of Dubai were built to make a statement!  And I loved it!!  If you're gonna build an apartment, or office, or hotel, why not make it interesting?! As we went through the city by taxi or metro, my face was continually glued to the window, staring up at all the passing buildings.  And I'm a total sucker for colorful lights at night, so I loved the technicolor skyline after the sun went down.

Sand, sea, salt...and skyscrapers!

When you're in Skyscraper City, you can't miss seeing the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.  I personally found the visit to the observation deck on the 124th floor overpriced and underwhelming.  The elevator ride up was the coolest part - with anticipatory music and colorful graphics display.  Once out of the elevator, looking down on Dubai was boring to me.  However, when I looked out further towards the horizon, I was struck by how suddenly the surrounding skyscrapers and buildings gave way to barren desert, clearly demonstrating why Dubai is called an oasis in the desert.  Back down on the ground, I will admit that the Burj Khalifa is a stunning building, especially with its twinkling lights after dark.  I'd just much rather enjoy it from the ground looking up, rather than the other way around.

Jeremy at the Burj Khalifa

The glittering skyscrapers, along with the flashy sports cars revving their engines on the streets, were very visible symbols of the posh, showy aura of Dubai.  When we went to palm tree island (AKA The Palm Jumeirah), there were staff stationed at all entrances of the Atlantis Resort to be sure only registered hotel guests entered the premises.  No other tourist riff-raff allowed!  Entrance to the seven-star Burj Al Arab was similarly restrictive.  When we arrived for afternoon tea, we were stopped well before the entrance to verify our reservation before we were allowed to proceed.  I've never experienced such entrance restrictions at hotels - I guess I haven't been to enough ritzy places!!

Afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab

While Dubai was fascinating all on its own, what was equally intriguing to me was comparing it to Baku.  Since arriving in Baku, I have heard many people say that Baku is seeking to emulate Dubai.  Finally seeing Dubai for myself, I could see the resemblance.  Baku has built many new buildings in recent years, many with unique architecture and flashy light displays.  (I blogged about some of them in a post earlier this year.)  And while it's not gotten to the point of restrictive hotel entrance policies, Baku has a modified version of high-class showiness.  From gleaming new cars flashing at you to move aside on the streets, to "face control" monitors looking you up and down before allowing you into a dance club, to companies charging more for telephone numbers with desirable number combinations, Baku has its own way of letting you know if you've made it into the exclusive club.

Thankfully, neither city lets this flashiness take over all aspects of its character.  A little bit goes a long way!  I'll close out with a picture of my favorite experience from the trip - Dubai Fountain.  Each night, the fountain puts on a fabulous performance combining three of my favorite things - fountains, music, and lights.  I was in heaven!

Dubai Fountain performance