Dubai is not what you think

Dubai, UAE
August 18,2010

First of All Dubai is hot! Not arid-no-sweating hot, not bearable hot; but melting hot--tied-to-the-stake hot. At 10pm it was 91 degrees and hot, at midnight is was still really, really hot, at 3am it is still kill-me-now hot.

Once you resolve yourself to melting, Dubai is amazing! It is glittery and mega-sized. White string lights festoon everything; tree trunks, car dealerships, McDonalds. There are also an over-abundance of palm trees and multi-storied new construction projects.

But the most amazing thing about Dubai is the people. Dubai is more tolerant and multicultural than I thought. The Mall of Dubai was one of the most diverse places I've ever seen--Women in Burkas, headscarves, or bare-headed; Men in white head scarves and long ankle-length tunics, men in Polo shirts and dress pants; men in Jeans with dyed hair. They all co-exist and no one gets a second look. Yet, Dubai is definitely a muslim country--Prayer rooms in every building, a modest dress code enforced at the mall, call to prayers at set hours, but it is not uninviting or judgmental. In some ways Dubai reminded me a lot of America--moral and brightly-lit, gauche really, and maybe a little bit gaudy, but surprisingly fun.  We dipped our toes in the Persian gulf, went to the underwater hotel, and saw the world's tallest building. And, oh yes, we went to the Mall of Dubai--but didn't get to see the indoor ski slope.

Stay tuned for our next adventures in Kenya. Internet is spotty and not good for much more than text, so you will have to wait to see all our amazing pictures when we get back!


Love,

Kim