So we finally took the drive over to Dubai from Abu Dhabi and it was like falling in love all over again. I am definitely a big fan of Dubai. It feels like a mini New York city due to the sky scrapper buildings and some of the traffic. But I am an avid New York fan so I didn't mind.
The feel is extremely western. Not that cowboy western feel but from the States western feel. It is not as conservative and you truly forget that you are in the Middle East. The malls are amazing. Just amazing. From the Ski slopes at Ski Dubai to the dancing fountains outside of the Burj Khalifa it was such a nice taste of home. Did I mention they have an iHop in the malls? We didn't eat there but we did enjoy California Pizza Kitchen which did not disappoint.
*SkiDubai in the Mall of the Emirates
I was so excited to the Burj. It is truly overwhelming in person. We didn't buy tickets to go to the observation deck but hopefully in the near future we will. I would rather check out the restaurant Atmosphere on the 122 floor but that will definteley require some dirhams. So we will save up and do that. I think that would be the best of both worlds - a great meal and an amazing view.
Now it is not everyday that you get to see a huge aquarium in the middle of the mall but as usual, nothing disappoints here. There were some brave souls that did the swimming in the aquarium while we were there. I will save Kudos to them and I will stay on dry land. Hopefully they got some cool pictures though.
We got outside just in time to see the fountain show on the water. What a sight that is. I have never been to Vegas but I assume it is similar to the fountain show there. It was really pretty and the Burg gives a nice backdrop. I highly suggest getting there early or scoring a balcony table at one of the several restaurants that have terraces overlooking the water. Again.. next time we will plan better!
The lights, the water and all choreographed to music. It was spectacular!
The Dubai mall was so extremely busy that we didn't get to see a whole lot of the stores because we were there on a Friday (mistake one) and it is very touristy anyways. We did find these waterfalls in the mall that provide a great background for a photo op.
Fast forward to this past Friday, we went to Dubai again to check out Global Village. I have read a lot about the Global Village but I wasn't quite sure what it was. I did know that I needed was good shoes and cash since everything is bartering. I am definitely okay with that. It took us about an hour to get there and it was much bigger than I anticipated. It is made up of several pavilions that are based on each country represented. You can buy authentic goods from each from clothing, food, spices, and other items. I will say that I was a bit disappointed that the vast majority of the product were knock off purses in each country. However, if you want a cheap bag that is definitely where you need to head. Lots of traditional clothes (that I wouldn't wear), spices (with very pushy salesmen) and oddities were in each country. I was most disappointed with The Americas because the products in there were not at all what I define as America. Maybe my expectations were too high. Yet, we did have a good time and we would go back from time to time. There is plenty of food to go around and lots of rides in the carnival section.
Probably my favorite part was the little outside booth we found with an artist who was spray painting pictures. I have always found this intriguing. I cannot draw a proper stick figure but these folks can make amazing pictures with straightedges and spray paint. We couldn't resist this one for our camel wall in our apartment. I am in love with the fact it has both camels and the Dubai skyline.
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