Posted by: Jonathan
To get from Hong Kong to Dubai, the good folks at China Southern routed me through Beijing since it's only 2,500 miles out of the way. Unfortunately, my layover in Beijing before flying to Dubai is not an "international connection" (if that isn't then I don't know what is), so I had to clear immigration. I received a stern warning in Chinese customs for taking the below photo, they tend to be serious about their no photos of government areas in commi land.
To get from Hong Kong to Dubai, the good folks at China Southern routed me through Beijing since it's only 2,500 miles out of the way. Unfortunately, my layover in Beijing before flying to Dubai is not an "international connection" (if that isn't then I don't know what is), so I had to clear immigration. I received a stern warning in Chinese customs for taking the below photo, they tend to be serious about their no photos of government areas in commi land.
But seriously, on the sign for itens not allowed through customs was "used clothes". I will need to declare 6 stinky shirts, 5 dirty shorts, 3 well worn boxers, and five socks (one has been MIA for some time) otherwise I would be guilty of trafficking some serious contraband.
Let me begin by giving a little background on Dubai. It is the second wealthiest (behind Abu Dhabi) of the seven states that form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Fun Fact: Dubai is 75% male, felt just like NC State...
Let me begin by giving a little background on Dubai. It is the second wealthiest (behind Abu Dhabi) of the seven states that form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Fun Fact: Dubai is 75% male, felt just like NC State...
With the discovery of oil in 1966 Dubai has been growing at an incredible (some might say unhealthy) rate. Its population has surged over the past 30 years from 183,000 to 2.1 million. Ninety percent of Dubai's population are not native (Emirates) of which, India is the largest contribution to the expat community. What drove the point home was that my flight into Dubai was completely filled with Indians and Filipinos. I sat next to a group of six 20 something year old Filipinos who had secured two year work visas and were anxious about starting their new jobs/lives as building cleaners. They will be paid roughly five times what they were previosly earning, which is why they left their family and friends behind to head to the "promise land." The opportunity comes with a price, the migrant workers can't afford housing which forces them to live in labor camps/slums. They also live in constant fear of losing their sponsored visa so they refuse to speak up if they are victim of any injustice (read sexual assault remember the 75% male statistic). There are two sides to Dubai, what it tries so hard to be, and what it tries even harder to hide.
Starting with what Dubai tries to be: an awe inspiring, anything is possible, luxurious vacation destination. Once the plane landed I made my way to my hostel to drop my bags off and immediately began abusing my one day unlimited travel metro card. My first stop was the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world standing at 2,717 feet.
Starting with what Dubai tries to be: an awe inspiring, anything is possible, luxurious vacation destination. Once the plane landed I made my way to my hostel to drop my bags off and immediately began abusing my one day unlimited travel metro card. My first stop was the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world standing at 2,717 feet.
If you look closely at the top you can actually see the mark the building left in the sky when it was erected, literally a sky scraper.
They say one third of all the cranes in the world are in Dubai, I don't know about that... I think it is closer to half.
Everywhere you looked there was construction, with countless high rises going up.
I left the safety of the aircon subway and braved the scorching midday heat to walk severl hours along the beach. My second stop was the Palms Jumeirah. Man made islands in the shape of a giant palm tree, overrun with luxury accommodation. It isn't as impressive exploring on foot since you don't get the perspective, luckily I saw it as I flew in.
They are currently dredging up the sand to create two other man made palms, the Palm Jebel Ali (will be home to 400,000 people) and the Palm Deira (will be home to 1,000,000 people).
Another cluster of man made islands have been created in the shape of the world and each island has characteristics that are unique to the part of the country it forms.
What is the world missing, well duh, the universe it is apart of. Don't worry they are also currently building the Sun, Moons, stars, planets and galaxies (with man made islands of course) to keep the world company.
Below is a picture of the map I picked up from the information center in the airport, it helps to get the perspective.
They are creating enough ocean front property to house the entire country's population three times over. You can read that sentence again if you want. You think that is crazy, it is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are a few other projects that are under construction.
• The world's largest airport complete with the world's largest parking deck.
• The Great Dubai Wheel - will be like the London Eye but it will be the biggest in the world.
• Falcon City of Wonders - will house scaled replicas of the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower of Pisa among others
• Lyon, Dubai City - a life size replica of the entire French city of Lyon in the middle of the desert
• 55 Degrees Time Dubai - the worlds first solar powered rotating skyscraper (the entire building will rotate, not just the top...please this is Dubai)
• Hydropolis - a hotel completely underwater and guess what...it will be the world's first, go figure
This is just a sample of a published list in an "Invest in Dubai's Future" packet that I found.
My next stop was to one of Dubai's very few free public beaches.
• The world's largest airport complete with the world's largest parking deck.
• The Great Dubai Wheel - will be like the London Eye but it will be the biggest in the world.
• Falcon City of Wonders - will house scaled replicas of the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower of Pisa among others
• Lyon, Dubai City - a life size replica of the entire French city of Lyon in the middle of the desert
• 55 Degrees Time Dubai - the worlds first solar powered rotating skyscraper (the entire building will rotate, not just the top...please this is Dubai)
• Hydropolis - a hotel completely underwater and guess what...it will be the world's first, go figure
This is just a sample of a published list in an "Invest in Dubai's Future" packet that I found.
My next stop was to one of Dubai's very few free public beaches.
Dubai's malls are large and in charge. If shopping isn't your thing then snap the bindings in and snowboard for a bit while the lady gets another pair of black shoes.
Since I landed in Dubai I had been catching fleeting glimpses of its most iconic structure, the Burj Al Arab.
Getting up close and personal with the Burj requires either a lottttttttttttt of money (rooms are $3,000 and a drink in the bar, by reservation only, runs $85) or the ability to sneak through several layers of security. I will let you decide how I made it to one of the most expensive stretches of sand I have ever had between my toes.
I won't lie, I was a little disappointed in Dubai up until this point. I was sitting in a cushioned beach chair watching the sun set and the Burj's multicolored light show when I "got" Dubai, at least the way they intended.
It was late when I left the serenity of my beach chair and began my metro journey back to my "side" of town across the creek. Along the way I stopped back by the Burj Khalifa to see it lit up at night and to watch the worlds largest choreographed fountain show.
So now that I have discussed what Dubai tries so hard to be, lets talk about what they try even harder to hide. Dubai is FAKE. There, I said it. Everthing about it is fake. What it reminds me of is when you are watching a magic trick on T.V. and the magician and his lovely assistant dazzle you by making an elephant disappear. Then they show how the trick is done and by zooming out you can see the big picture. You see the elephant simply walk off stage behind the curtain which is out of site when the camera was zoomed in. You are then upset that you were mislead that easily and most likely change the channel. If you stay in the dazzling hotels, eat at the restaraunts overflowing with atmosphere, and visit the top attactions by organized tour, you will surely be dazzled by everything. The buildings they intend for you to visit are indescribable, the sidewalks they plan that you will walk on are futuristic, and anything they expect you to come in contact with is completely over the top by a factor of ten. Zoom out a bit by walking a few streets off of the main drag, use public transport, or by staying in the low rent district and you will be surprised by watching the elephant walk right off the stage. A futuristic escalator glides you up a flight of stairs where two blocks away you have to stand on a bucket and then a 55 gallon drum to gain access to a building. Confidently walk on intricate tile sidewalks on one street where two blocks away the gap between curb and buildings was never filled with cement and is completely full of litter and waste. Zoom out further and you will find Dubai is actually built in a desert, anything green in Dubai is watered constantly and replaced often.
I spoke with a metro security guard at length one day who was from Sri Lanka and lived in Dubai for four years. He said and I quote "Dubai is fake enough to make Vegas feel authentic."
I spoke with a metro security guard at length one day who was from Sri Lanka and lived in Dubai for four years. He said and I quote "Dubai is fake enough to make Vegas feel authentic."
And as I mentioned before Dubai has a darker side with the exploitation of migrant workers who brake their backs making some of the most unique building concepts a reality. With that said I was inspired by Dubai. It is a shining example of an Islamic Nation with western influences not only co-existing or surviving but thriving. A funny example of this was a man who washed his feet and gathered his mat to pray and whipped out an iphone and used an app to get the direction of Mecca so he could properly orient his mat.
I believe I saw and experienced more of the "what they try even harder to hide" by walking much of the city, eating with migrant workers, and sleeping on the "other" side of the creek. I would like to come back in five to ten years to see the completed version of several of the current ambitious projects as well as experience more of "what they try so hard to be" (read come back when I am at baller status).
From Dubai I fly to Nairobi Kenya with a short stop in the Kingdom of Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia.
I believe I saw and experienced more of the "what they try even harder to hide" by walking much of the city, eating with migrant workers, and sleeping on the "other" side of the creek. I would like to come back in five to ten years to see the completed version of several of the current ambitious projects as well as experience more of "what they try so hard to be" (read come back when I am at baller status).
From Dubai I fly to Nairobi Kenya with a short stop in the Kingdom of Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia.