Surprise Visitor!

 

Our nephew James came to visit for a long weekend and we packed a lot into a short time!  The photo above came from our desert safari.  Below, a group photo of us with our new NFL friend Dan who plays for the Steelers.






Oryx - an elk-like creature indigenous to the region

Falcon demonstration.  They are a big deal here and have been used for hunting for thousands of years. Today, falconry is more of a royal sport and a symbol of national heritage. 



What UAE safari would be complete without a camel ride?!

Professional camel jockey

Sunset after the falconry demonstration 

Earlier in the day, en route to the desert, we caught a glimpse of the camel racetrack. Apparently, there are 3 types of camels - racing camels, riding camels, and camels that are eaten.  They also have pedigrees like dogs. Some prized camels can sell for over $1M equivalent. 


Below— The Museum of the Future. One of the coolest buildings in Dubai.  Kind of a museum of science type of vibe. The exterior is aluminum, covered in Arabic poetry written by the sheik.  It also lights up at night.

Burj Khalifa - tallest building in the world at 880 meters. The giant chrome heart is a fave photo spot.   


Inside the Dubai Mall there is the pearl diving sculpture, traversing a 3-story waterfall. Prior to the advent of cultured pearls earlier in the 20th century, pearl diving was the major economic driver in Dubai. 


The fountain lagoon in front of the Burj Khalifa


Dubai Opera


View of the Palm Jumeirah from the top of the Burj Khalifa (154th floor). Even at this height, it’s still hard to make out the shape. 

Another wider view, including the Dubai Marina of to the left (where we live)


Dubai Fountain, considered the largest dancing fountain in the world. We took an abra boat and saw the fountain show from inside the fountain

The Burj Khalifa lit up at night.  Incredible light show on this iconic building

Sunday morning, we got up very early to see the sunrise at Aura Skypool (6am to 9am).  It’s the highest infinity pool in the world, occupying the 50th floor and boasting 360 degree views.  Below is a pre-dawn view of the Dubai Marina




Burj Al Arab hotel with the Burj Khalifa in the background. “Burj” is the Arabic word for tower. 

View of the Palm Jumeirah from the Palm Jumeirah. You can see the trunk with the fronds branching out. Some of the most expensive real estate in Dubai can be found here. One villa sold for over $160M a couple of years ago. Amazing, considering this landmass didn’t exist 25yrs ago. 

Final big activity of the weekend was a ride on the Ain Dubai (Arabic for Dubai Eye).  It is the largest observation wheel in the world at 250 meters high, almost twice the height of the London Eye (135M).  Each cabin is bigger than a bus. It opened in October 2021 but closed after only 6 weeks of operation due to safety concerns. Apparently, it was leaning ever so slightly to one side. The issue has been rectified and it started operation again at the turn of the year. Each revolution takes 38 minutes. A very cool experience! 





Aerial view of Marina Beach near our apartment. Claw BBQ, one of our favorite restaurant/bars can be seen top center with the red roof. 


View of “The Palm” from atop the Ain Dubai


Earlier view of the Ain Dubai and Marina Beach, as seen from Aura Skypool. 


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