Dubai City of the Future

Courtesy of Airmiles we managed to get 4 days in Dubai in February. If Hong Kong makes New York look 50 years out of date, then Dubai does the same for Hong Kong. The sail shaped Burj al Arab Hotel (top right of the four illustrations) sets the scene. Now no hotel can be can be built without some extravagant design feature. The downtown skyline (bottom right) shows the effect.

The Palm development (top left) on reclaimed land can be seen from space - another similar evelopment is in the form of a map of the world. The old Dubai Creek shows a little bit of old Arabia

The rate of development is breathtaking albeit disconcerting if you are looking for a few quiet days golf in the sun. The two faces of Dubai are shown in the next two shots taken from the same position on Jumeirah Beach. One way shows a palm fringed beach on the Arabian Gulf. The other - five miles of skyline development - forty hotel and apartment blocks going up at the same time - one of which will be the latest 'worlds highest building.'

Even golf picks up the variations in a fascinating city

- a high tech 'bedouin tent' doubles as a club house;

..the construction skyline backdrops the fairways.

and Jacky looking out over the first could be
looking at an oasis.

...

Playing in the desert - dune bashing

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A few miles out into the desert there was a bit of a dune bashing, sand boarding and
dune buggying playground.
















Some get it wrong as illistrated below. Others put it right by standing on the up hill side of the 4wd to give it traction.















Others just watch.......

Playing in the desert Sand Boarding

SAND BOARDING There is an indoor snow ski centre in Dubai!!! But why bother when you can sand ski - or at least sand board!

Here Jacky is launched down the dune then progresses nicely but these things don't turn very well and there's only one way to stop.....





















Below Garth makes reasonable progress ...........then falls ...................the distance between him and the board in the third shot shows the distance he rolled after crashing out!!!


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Jacky roars into the picture - above right - then past the camera with broad smile on dune buggie. Garth is taken stationary on a bit of a beast!! This was a sign off for a 'toys in the desert' evening.

Oyster shots!!

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Jacky is partial to oysters !! and on the last night
took on a new and novel preparation each oyster served in a different alcoholic shot!!

Nothing particularly Dubai about this - would look just as good anywhere!

It - or rather they - topped off a great long weekend!!