I've neglected posting lately, mostly due to a week spent wandering the desert. My fiancee's best friend has been working over in the UAE for some time, and we finally found some vacation time to venture over to Dubai. It was my first time to the Middle East, and proved to be just as fascinating as I expected. What surprised me most was how contemporary the city is - a seemingly progressive city built on a very conservative culture. And it literally felt like an oasis surrounded by desert, with fascinating architecture juxtaposed to camels roaming the beach underneath. Not to mention the obscene amount of malls. Then again, whats a girl to do you when its 100+ degrees for most of the year? (sidenote: the desert sun is brutal, so my irish skin learned. To quote an awful song from the 90s, wear. sunscreen.)
The entire city is only a few decades old but makes up for it with slices of Arabic tradition infused in the culture - from shisha at upscale lounges to the traditional prints and patterns abound. Here are a few of my favorite snaps from the trip.
{spices at a locale Souk}
{along with fresh rose tea}
{an architect's dream}
{vibrant prints]
{left: the burj khalifa - tallest building in the world
right: the burj al arab - the only seven star hotel in the world}
{beach at sunset}
{stuffed dates, a local (delicious) delicacy}
{view from the Atlantis aquarium}
{desert safari}
