First stop the Mall of Dubai.
Worlds largest single acrylic pane aquarium window..... Dubai likes world records for things...
And ATMs for gold coins and bullion. Including a Maple Leaf.
The phone below is next to nothing, cheap. Divide by 3 for approximate $.
If you don't drive a car, minimum below, you are not welcome.
Dubai Mall also has this next to it.
And you can see for 95km from the top.
The funny target thing shows you where the observation deck is. It's not the tallest observation deck - that is still the Shanghai world trade centre. A few metres higher.
But, this time of year, and they don't tell you this, this visibility is lowered by haze. As I have found in much of Asia so far. Summer is crystal clear.
Oh look, even a gold ATM up here!
So I could not see near 95km at all. No stopping customers though, there are no tickets for this show until Thursday. Unless you pay 130 dollars as a 'stand by ticket.' People were lined up to buy them...
It is 126 stories to this observation deck.
Lots of sand!
More Burj Khalifa on top of where I was up there... It goes on and on, up and up.
You can see some small islands off the beach forming part of "The World" the latest thing after the Palm Islands.
The mall here has a Bellagio style musical fountain too.
My family will know this... In fact there are lots of UK things here, Marks and Spencer, grocery stores full of British Imports, Mothercare, Debenhams etc etc. even the power socket are UK style. I bought Galaxy chocolate and Cheese and Onion crisps....
This is Second Cup the Canadian coffee chain. They try to promote it as Canadian but Canada is not so popular here right now. I tell everyone I am from Burkina Faso if they ask so I don't get spat on.
And a wing full of electronics.
Where the manufacturers have their own stores....
Dell, LG, Bose, Bang and Olufsen, Panasonic and more...
The one below is Samsung. Isn't that electronics for poor people or the clinically insane? So why here? Must be a mistake. Those poor kids are having their retinas burned out playing with Galaxy tablets, not Galaxy chocolate, two very different items.
OK, next is Mall of the Emirates, which I only went to for what is below.
People in need of help choosing to stand in an ice box. World's largest!
Somehow in the desert they think snow is cool.
I stood there with protest signs but no one listened.
But more food. the worlds largest papayas, swear to God!
Five types of mango in one shop! I love it here!
Metro stations here are nice, all above ground, maybe you cannot tunnel in sand.
Weird buildings. Some obviously compete by provoking a gag response.
Bus stops are air conditioned with doors.
Parking is in a vend o mat type thing. They call then robo-park.
The gold souk.
Emiratis consume lots of gold.
Hundreds of shops selling not simple chains...
But big wads of the stuff.
Spice souk.
Had fun here with frankincense and myrrh.
This is Dubai creek. Dubai was a small fishing port till a few years back. This is old Dubai or Bur Dubai.
Near my hotel, these must be hotels for Russian tourists. Tacky rope lights hanging.
Even from my hotel the Burj Kalifa is seen.
And I get to start of laundry. This is Tide in Arabia.
And here is my fun hotel room washing machine. It is all mine. You put stuff in, turn it on, it weighs and detects what they are and they come out dry and un creased. I want one.
Yes, on day 1 the biggest wonder is an LG washing machine.
It also started to rain a little, yet again Dave arrives in the desert and it rains.
Thank the Lord! The farmers will say.
Or, as they say in these parts "God is Great."
Night.
- BlogPressed from my iPad. Click on picture for larger image and gallery.
