Decadence in the Desert - Dubai

I am off to another adventure.  Despite the excitement, anticipation, and a bit of apprehension, I pushed into the chaos of the giant queue for United Airline’s international flight check-in at Dulles International Airport, just outside of our nation’s capital.  After weeks of preparation, training, and mounds of paperwork, I finally cleared security and eventually made it to my flight.

As I settled into my seat – one of United’s "Economy Plus" seats offering an extra 4-inches of leg room for about 150 bucks – I thought of only two things: 1. How much I would miss my girlfriend, family, and friends back home, and 2. How glad I was that I coughed up 150 bucks for the extra space during the 13-hour flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The food (some sort of beef curry for dinner and a poor excuse for a turkey sandwich at lunch) was barely edible, but the one Bloody Mary (yes, just one) I had was sufficient to help a couple of melatonin caplets put me into a somewhat restful snooze.  Upon finally fully waking a few hours later and after passing the time with United’s personal in-flight entertainment, we touched down in Dubai – a shimmering city in the desert (airport terminal pictured below left).

 

Unlike its slightly less commercial sister city and seat of government Abu Dhabi, Dubai is the Middle East’s answer to New York, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas rolled into one.  Home to massive shopping malls (one of which hosts an indoor ski resort), the world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa (pictured above - not an original pic - copyright unknown), and the world’s only 7-star hotel, Dubai’s luxuriousness and opulence is only amplified by the countless royal palaces, the super-exclusive Palm Island, and plans for the world’s first underwater hotel.

Although I wasn’t able to explore much of the city before queuing up for my flight to Kabul, the little taste I experienced has put this man-made oasis at the top of my Desired Destinations list; however, I think I'll pass on an evening at the 7-star hotel...I don't think I'll be coughing up $1,000/night for a room.  I'll just stay at the Hilton.