A CITY FROM SAND TO CLOUDS: THE PICTURES
My Dubai Music Playlist
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VIDEO LOGS & JOURNAL
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I have had the opportunity to travel here four times, one of them being the marathon. It was stunning to see skyscrapers and cityscape erupt from what is a barren desert. The Emirates have so much money, but not enough to change their geography and climate I’m afraid. They do the next best thing though, creating incredible architectural feats, extraordinary mosques, and stunning urban landscapes which could by certain estimations be argued “over the top” or a "definitive masterpiece". I had the time to stop by the Dubai Mall. The presentation here was no different. They had a patio area directly outside with a massive pool under a canopy of lighted palm trees. This was also located directly in front of the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Burj Khalifa Tower. It stands approximately 828m (2,717ft). To give you an idea of how ridiculous that is; second place doesn't even come close to it at 601m. The Sears Tower in USA; the ninth tallest building in the world stands at roughly half its size, a mere 442m (1,450ft).
Pictures don't do this building justice but I tried anyway. It was quite the site as the evening started and the lights turned on. Burj Khalifa Tower is so tall that the water vapor from the fountains below form clouds against its structure. Don't believe me, see below.
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The country is perpetually building at an almost constant rate. Different than Abu Dhabi, was the feel of an even further westernized Middleast. There were less people in traditional garb than in Abu Dhabi and more westerners and other foreign nationals walking around. This should be expected. Dubai has become a renowned tourist destination for many who want to explore the region.
After sitting down for a few minutes the area turned into quite a show. Traditional music began to play and a impressive display of water propelled from what was the tranquil pool. The fountains were synchronized with the music. I didn't get a good shot of the fountain show but the setting was fascinating on its own.
Apparently this happens every 30min to an hour and there is a different song each time with a altered fountain show. Finishing our meal we began to head out of the mall but we made one last stop, one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world. This is what I’m talking about when I say “over the top”.
You can see the shark cage with scuba divers in one of the photos. And, yes they have live sharks in the mall. I won’t even get into the indoor ice rink or the ski slope. Its over 120 degrees outside and they decided to put a ski slope and an ice rink in a mall. It was a fascinating place that offers more than you would ever anticipate.
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