Tears were coming down my cheeks as I left Africa, but then I thought about the promise of 7 hours in the shopping capital of the world. That cheered me up!
I had a 7 hour lay-over in Dubai on my way to Cairo, and I shot my budget for several days when the stores weren't even open! Thank goodness I changed my plan to spend a night there or I could have been in debt!
I should have known there was trouble when I saw the splendid the airport with wall to wall bank ads. Since it was Friday, the Muslim religious holiday, the shops were closed. So naturally I headed straight for the world's only 7 star hotel, the Burj Al Arab. It is something to see! You approach the sail shaped building from a bridge from the stunning beach. It is awesome! The Burj defines the skyline of the resort area in Dubai and that is saying a lot.
The interior was Barcelona's Gaudi mixed with a little Donald Trump. The famous restaurant, Al Mahara, is underwater. They even have a little submarine to take you there! You can watch the sharks and fish swim around while you eat in style. The bathrooms are filled with orchids and the service is impecable. It was a little different than my typical backpacker day!
Dubai is truly an oasis in the desert. Palm trees suround the modern and arabic style buildings. I'd love to come back in the cooler months (Oct-Feb) to take a camel safari! But for now, it's on to Cairo...
No comments:
Post a Comment