Dubai
Dubai was the perfect way to end our trip to the Middle East and transition back into Western society. Dubai is a wonderland of where anything IS becoming reality with a lot of money. People are buying man-made palm-shaped islands , staying in the world's only 7-star hotel, Burj Al-Arab for tens of thousands a night, and building elaborate skyscrapers. Dubai has the world record for having the most building cranes per capital in the world. It's amazing what some oil money and creativity can create.
With it's clear water beaches, first class restaurants, and entertainment of every kind, it is no wonder people are flocking to the modern Arab paradise.
Janae and I enjoyed a safari through the desert sand dunes in a 4×4 - wadi bashing they call it. The driver drove us straight up, down, and side-ways through the dunes. Wadi bashing was followed by a BBQ in the desert and a belly dancer! There was a belly dancer on the Nile cruise, but
Other entertainment included a visit to the Bangerter's private beach club where we enjoyed a nap on the beach after playing in the water only to awake for the sunset over the crystal clear blue waters.
I became ecstatic when I learned skydiving was offered off the beach! To jump over the beach and clear waters was the perfect setting. I've always and still do want to skydive, but refuse to do it over a corn field in the US. We called and made reservations for the day before we left - the only day that worked for us. A couple hours before the jump warnings of an incoming sand storm cancelled all jumps for the day. I was told a boy died earlier in the year while parasailing when a sand storm suddenly emerged. As I certainly didn't want to die, my hopes of jumping in such a beautiful paradise did.
Shopping malls much more impressive than the Forum shops at Cesar's Palace in Vegas dotted the city. We visited a mall themed (all malls had a theme) after Ibn Batutta's world travels. Different sections had their own decor and style representative of that region of the world. Quite impressive. Again, amazing what unlimited amounts of money can do!
Rich and Amy were wonderful to put us up in their "all marble house" as they call it. There's a lot of marble in the foreign service granted house - paid for by mine and your tax dollars! They tell me it's not all that great because they have to pay for their own nanny. Most ex-pats in Dubai have a live-in nanny imported from some other country such as the Phillipines. Initially this sounds great but is the source of a larger societal issue created by un-interested parents hiring un-interested help to raise their children. An article was recently written on spoiled children in Dubai and cited a child screaming on a coach class flight, "I NEVER SIT IN COACH." Parks and playgrounds are full of children playing with nannies attending from a distance.
The culture in Dubai is quite unique. They have given up the old and fully embraced modern capitalism. The actual citizens are so rich from oil and the gobs of money foreigners are investing in their country. Of all registered businesses in Dubai, controlling share has to be held by a citizen of the UAE. Essentially, citizens are entitled to 51% fo the profits of all foreign business transacted in the country!
When a society becomes so wealthy, workers are needed to perform work the rich are not willing to do. Just like the US imports workers from Mexico, Dubai imports laborers and service workers from India and the Phillipines. Imported hellp along with businessmen from the US and Europe consitute 80% of the population! Arabs are the minority. Imagine the citizens of a country making up the minority of the population! Of the foreign 80%, half are from India. We felt like we were in little India while wandering through Dubai's famous gold, spice, and other souks (market). Our best meal was had at a vegetarian restaurant full of Indians. The food was amazing!
Dubai was a great way to transition from Egypt and Jordan back into western society. It was just interesting to be immersed in such a unique society.