dubai, buy, buy

i am going to start at the end of my trip and work backward to the beginning. flying both to and fro europe i stopped through dubai. a 6 hour lay-over on the way to vienna, thanks to and early arrival in dubai. that's right, early, and an hour early at that. who's ever heard of that. and a 21 hour lay-over on the way back.

so, these are a few pictures from my time wandering around the city that seems dead set on straddling two worlds. after walking around in 120 degree (with heat index) temperatures, i sat down and wrote this: "i barely know what to write of dubai. the worst of the west melded with the worst of islam. although adroit in it's construction, it is just as dubious, or rather atrocious. i sat on a beach while rug chested arab men laid in the sun donning ill fitting speedos, bikini clad eastern european women danced around the beach without a care, and arab women strolled the beach in their cumbersome burkhas, their skin seeing no sun but surely knowing it's heat." this sums up my thoughts on the place as well as anything i could write now. except, it was hot, bloody hot.

a bicycle parked near a mosque

an iranian style wind tower in old dubai, used to cool houses

typical doorway in old dubai

two men responding to the call to prayer

a mosque in old dubai

dubai creek, full of antique work boats, and million dollar yachts

one final alleyway in old dubai

old dubai had quite a bit of character, thanks to some recent remodeling. i could certainly live in a cool little neighborhood like this, and i suppose that is why it is full of boutiques, art galleries and restaurants. except i was there on a friday, muslim holy day, so everything was closed. everything. i had to go back to the airport about 8 hours before my flight left to be able to eat. talk about an experience. i think dubai's next campaign slogan should be, 'the world meets in dubai.'

i also saw the newest world's tallest building. amazingly tall. and the burj al arab, self described as the world's only 7-star hotel. from the outside it looked iconic, yet not other worldly extravagant. everywhere in between these places i saw the rest of asia. immigrants from every nook and cranny of asia wander the streets. at times you could forget it was the middle east and would think it south asia.