Dubai, United Arab Emirates

My Middle East / Mediterranean sojourn ended where it began; in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.  Dubai is an international city; it would be difficult to tell from the crowds in the shopping malls just what country you’re in.  But one thing seems clear; while Oman promotes the traditional, Dubai has energetically thrown its lot in with the future. 

‘Singapore meets Las Vegas’ is how Dubai felt to me.  There’s no shortage of cranes on the horizon presiding over huge construction projects intended to surpass the ego maniacal developments already here, like the world’s tallest building ‘Burj Khalifa’ and ‘Palm Jumeirah’, a massive palm-shaped residential/resort development built on the sea, at the end of which the Atlantis Hotel rises mirage-like on the horizon.    

My daughter Jane works as a flight attendant with Emirates Airlines and the trip was an opportunity to catch up with her for a bit when she had a few days off.  Her local knowledge was invaluable; Dubai is full of interesting, self-contained worlds off the main highway that runs the length of the city.

I stocked up on spices at the spice souq near Dubai Creek and found a tagine (Moroccan clay cooking pot) that Lee Tuan has been wanting.  But mainly our time was spent in the modern parts of the city, along the beach, people watching and window shopping in the glitzy labyrinthine malls, and eating at some very good restaurants where Jane’s staff discount card was a saviour.