Dubai Tourist Side

Wealthy, Diverse, and Vast are the three words I would use to describe our experience in Dubai.  In many ways it's very Vegas, minus the gambling and booze.

First, cue the slideshow.

This is a very relaxed part of our trip.  We're only trying to do one major thing a day, and it's easy to be relaxed when your host has an entire staff to serve you--cooks, laundry and cleaning.  So we feel like we're in the lap of luxury, but is is actually fairly typical of ex-pat life in many of these countries.

Staying with my good friend Justin is not only fun, but also unbelievably educational, since as the U.S. Consul General, he is the ideal person to teach us about the ins and outs of Dubai.  It also gives us great insight into the complications of U.S. policy in the non Israel part of the Middle East in these tumultuous time.

So here is what we've done so far.

We've seen Ski Dubai, an all indoor artificial snow resort.  Didn't do it, as I couldn't consciously pay more for this than the price of a lift ticket.

Went to a great museum on ancient Mesopotamia in Abu Dhabi.

We weren't allowed to take photos in
the museum, and the Blooms and Siberells
outside the museum were awfully cute.

The kids are really enjoying hanging out together, and they put on plays for us every evening after dinner.

Visited the old part of Dubai and took a 25 cent riverboat to the spice and gold souk (market).
        

Went as high as they allow you to go at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

              

                       Trust me, it's taller than it looks.

The view from above.  I was scared.

Went to Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world.  Over 1200 stores, each of them gigantic.  Amazing sweets and gelato everywhere you turn.

This is a sculpture of divers at a waterfall
in the mall.  It is also much bigger than it looks.

The kids participated in this all kids world called "Kidzania," where you get jobs and spend money in this all kids world.  Hard to explain, but it was amazing.

Micah and Jonah chose to be painters and race car drivers.
Funny, they didn't have Rabbi on the list here in Dubai.
    www.kidzania.com

Went to one of the fanciest and tallest hotels in the world, Burj al Arab.  We had to show them our reservation confirmation at three different places just to walk onto the property.

We ate in the round part sticking out.

Went to one of the biggest waterparks in the world, Aquaventure at one of the most over-the-top hotels in the world, the Atlantis.

Resorts and Condos on the man-made "Palm Tree" Island

The "Leap of Faith"

Atlantis, Dubai

Dubai is an open society, so you see a great diversity of people at the malls.  Many of the Arabs wear traditional dress, and the standard uniform here seems to be men in white and women in black.  It is custom, but given the heat, it's one I find uncomfortable.  Even more uncomfortable to me is that some of the women wear what is called a Nikab, which means they are entirely covered up until the eyes.  It is ethnocentric to judge a culture that is not your own, but on a gut level, it is really uncomfortable to see.

Overall, another amazing experience for us all, but glad to be going "home" to Israel.