Late last year (August of 2009) my family and I made a brief stopover in Dubai on our way from Sri Lanka, en route to the US. We spent one night and two days only and planned to make the most of our short visit. Dubai doesn't disappoint! From the perspective of an architect and someone fascinated by the built environment, Dubai is a bit of a paradise. I had my camera clicking almost non-stop.. taking brief breaks, only to shoot short video clips on a camcorder!
After going through the high-tech, ultra modern Dubai International Airport, I was initially stunned by the heat that greets you as you make your way from the cool air-conditioned airport to your vehicle outside! Temps were well over 100 deg F (or 40 deg C). I hadn't experienced such heat ever! But that was the one of the few times we spent outside an air-conditioned environment! (Everything in Dubai is done indoors - even the bus-stops on the side of the streets are air-conditioned!).
We were based at the impressive Emirate (Twin) Towers, a short distance from the famous Burj Dubai, which at the time was not yet officially opened but exciting nonetheless. Places of interest we visited include the Dubai Mall (largest in the world) with it's impressive aquarium and ice rink, the Wild Wadi Water Park, Burj Al Arab Hotel and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
The city is extremely clean and the streets downtown are lined with impressive glass and steel towers of all shapes and forms. Though we didn't see much of the out-lying suburbs, the parts we did visit were also impressive and well laid out. A modern light rail system was nearing completion at the time of our visit (it has subsequently been commissioned and opened to the public).
Scenes from this impressive city are incorporated in this blog!
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