Dubai (U.A.E.)
Dec. 2022
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| Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at 830 m. (Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is currently planned for 1 km.) |
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| Jewelry is the UAE's 2nd export, after gas & oil. |
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| At a mall. Note the ski slope in the back. Admission includes rented winter clothes. Funny ambivalent feelings here of nostalgia and alienation. |
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| Flaneurs not welcome. Dubai's per capita carbon footprint is amongst the highest worldwide. |
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| The metro has 1st class compartments. |
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| Van loved the shisha... |
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| and night biking along the saltwater canal. |
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| The autocrats must appear in all hotel & office lobbies. Internet calling (Whatsapp, Zoom) is blocked since it can't be monitored. |
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| Traditional "wind towers" catch the wind and funnel it thru the lower floors. |
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| For years Dubai has applied to have its historic center declared a UNESCO heritage site. Unfortunately, completely rebuilding your old town from scratch (and clearing out the locals) won't meet UNESCO's demands for "integrity and authenticity." Note the faux exposed rock and the seamlessly-integrated modern amenities. |
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| In the "old town": tourists: 1 / residents: 0. |
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| A history museum with almost no text. It was mostly dioramas and multimedia visuals. |
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| Walls for beginners. |
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| The UAE population is 10% Emirati and 90% expat. When this guy told us he was native Emirati, we were happy. But beyond desert driving, his knowledge of the country seemed a bit vague. Van later overheard him speaking fluent Hindi to his Indian compatriots. |
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| This seemed authentic. |
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| Most of Dubai feels like a mall, Disneyland or the downtown of a big Midwestern US city. But in the desert, this was actually interesting: a touristy Bedouin camp. |
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| Yea. This happened. |
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| Dubai's strong point? People-watching: many creeds, classes & countries. |
Itinerary: 6 days in Dubai with Van, with a day-trip to the desert.
