... in the Dubai Mall. This past weekend we took a quick trip to Dubai which is like flying from Chicago to St. Louis except that Qatar Airways actually gives you food on a 45-minute flight. Honestly, we weren't expecting much and were just looking forward to a relaxing break if nothing else. After one year we've adjusted more or less to the heat, dust, crazy driving and roundabouts that make up life in Doha. But Dubai surprised us with a metro, real roads and even sidewalks! We stayed near the Dubai Mall and walked along wide sidewalks lined with palm trees wrapped in tiny lights. It reminded me of California during the holidays except for the humidity. (And like California the highlight of our trip to the mall was the giant Kinokuniya bookstore.)
The mall itself is huge and feels like a modern-day Tower of Babel—if the Tower of Babel had a giant aquarium, ice rink and 1,200+ stores. Everything is big and new including the Burj Khalifa next door, the tallest building in the world. The view from the top and even seeing the building itself from a distance make you think that you are in a movie with very good CGI. Everything is luxe and has the price tag to prove it. As Doha speeds ahead towards its own future, I wonder what it will look like. And how much it will cost.
[photos by Anna Aridome]
