johnsunter.com >> adventures - world >> middle east >> dubai 2
Visiting the city of dreams - Dubai (2/2).
We head off exploring again, and pass the Burj Al Arab, the only 7 star hotel in the world.
Located on a man made Island and at 300m high, the tallest hotel in the world.
It features entire floor size suites, each with its own reception and full compliment of servants.
Taking security to extremes, they actually have a tactical force (like a swat team) which you can hire.
They also sell the famous Coffee from CSI, made in Japan, it sells for £90 per lb.
Further on, we pass the Knowledge Village, and Internet City, entire building complexes housing some of the largest technology companies in the world.
Larry takes us for lunch in the Mariner.
Tens of thousands of new properties are being built in the area, as it is estimated that 10 million Europeans will live in Dubai by 2010.
This doesn't surprise me, its spotlessly clean, and secure - a lone woman can walk around safely, at nearly any time of the day or night.
A bit hard see from this picture, but this is the palm Island resort, taken from the Mariner.
It's man made, and from the sky looks like a palm tree view here. The idea, is that the Palm Tree shape, provides a much larger waterfront area, than a normal "round" island.
To illustrate the lengths the designers are going to, planes are actually being sunk around here, so people who enjoy diving as a hobby have something to explore.
The next idea is the world island project, which involves hundreds of man made islands, in the shape of each country.
Once you own the island, you can build whatever you want on it.
While we were there, the famous ski slope in the desert project , had been completed.
It's located above The Mall of the Emirates shopping center, so the cooling equipment for the snow, also air conditioned the building bellow.
Like so many other places in the world, someone had put lamp post's everywhere around the building.
Once inside, it was spectacular to see.
It has 5 different slopes for different levels of skiing proficiency and snow boarding.
The longest run, is 400m, with a 60m fall.
Dubai's next project is a restaurant, completely underwater, that can only be reached by submarine !.
We visit the site of the Burj Dubai tower.
When completed in 2008, it will be the tallest building in the world at 800 meters (just 5 meters shy of half a mile)
Nearly 300 meters taller than the present tallest floored building in the world, the Taipei Tower in Taiwan.
But in Dubai, how long will it be the tallest in the world ?
Its design is a bit like several towers, fastened together, in order to make it wind tolerant.
On our first evening, we go out on Safari across the Arabian Desert.
Our driver was impeccably mannered and very professional.
We were joined by an Australian couple and their son.
We go Dune bashing in our 4 x 4 Toyota land cruiser.
Our driver was expertly trained, and could stop the vehicle, on a dune with a heavy gradient , then just as it started to slide, engage the transmission and move off at breathtaking speed.
Embarrassingly, I was the only person in our Vehicle to be "separated from his lunch", when we parked up to watch the sunset.
The sunset was a bit of a disappointment, as there was little sun to see !.
I thought the desert looked beautiful anyway.
We visit a traditional Bedouin camp.
Camel traders try to (politely) part us from our money.
The bargaining skills of Arabs, are well known, but we decline the offer of a camel ride.
We sit down to enjoy our evening barbeque in the desert, on Majalis (low cushions).
Later, we are entertained by Mariana, a belly dancer, with significant skill.
We were asked to join her, but my dancing isn't good enough for wedding celebrations in the UK, and certainly no match for a professional dancer.
Our last evening in Dubai, and Larry and Adriana take us for dinner, to Trader Vicks.
Its located in the Madinat Jumeirah hotel, which is modeled on an Arabian town, complete with market.
This hotel, has a man made lake, and many of the suites on their own small island, which can be reached only by boat.
Larry bought dinner (as his guests, he wouldn't let us pay for anything during our stay in Dubai).
We would like to thank Larry and Adriana, for sharing their home, and the time they spent away from there business, to show us Dubai.
