I did a lot of google searches for “what countries can Americans travel to?” The European Union countries took a while to open up and most of the places to which I could travel to and fro were just not places that were either affordable or desirable. One place that really intrigued me was the United Arab Emirates. Six of the seven Emirates were allowing free travel. Abu Dhabi was still on lockdown at all of its border crossings, but was set to open back up on June 1st. Perfect.
Dubai is known for its over the top opulence, so I splurged on the flight. If you saw any of the Jennifer Aniston commercials from a couple of years ago for Emirates Air you get the picture. I didn’t fly first class, so I couldn’t take a mid flight shower or have my own fully enclosed room. I did fly business class, and that was an experience. From the slippers and socks they provide, to the fantastic toiletry kits they gave all of us, there were a lot of perks. In between, the service was phenomenal. Most importantly were the lay flat seats that reclined into a 6 foot bed. After dinner, they came around with mattresses to lay on. It made for the easiest 13 hour flight I’ve ever been on.
Going in, I knew it was going to be hot. I was not prepared for the humidity. I thought deserts were dry. With the combination of the moisture coming off of the sea and the river that runs through the city from the mountains, I learned what real sweat feels like. My flight arrived around 9:30 PM, and the moment I stepped out of the airport I felt it.
Given the reputation, I was prepared for Dubai to be very expensive and I was prepared for that. The condo I rented a few blocks from the beach and within eyesight of Palm Jumeirah, was far less expensive than what I would expect to pay for a similar place anywhere in the States. And the couple of excursions I signed up for were quite reasonable. My first other expense was the private car that picked me up from the airport. It was a nice Mercedes and the driver was waiting for me with the “Michael Komblevicz” sign held aloft. The drive was about 25 minutes and cost me less than $40. I could have requested a Bentley for about $60. I regret not doing so.
That ride made me feel like a turn of the century immigrant to America. I kept looking up, amazed at the size of the buildings. My condo was on the 30th level and I thought that was pretty high, but most of the buildings just put mine to shame. And then I saw my first Dubai Police car. It was a Bentley. They also have McLaren, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati and Mustangs in the fleet. I assumed it was an extravagant expense, but later found out the high end ones are repo cars.
My totally rational fear of heights would be tested every day on my trip. The apartment balcony really tested me, but I did get used to it. I moved the porch chairs right up against the wall to avoid the edge. I knew I had to get used to it as all the windows were floor to ceiling. There was no escaping it.
I decided to compound my fear of heights by visiting the top of Burj Khalifa. If you are not familiar, it is tallest building in the world by a rather large margin. I did the VIP tour which gives you access to levels 152-154. They allow 6 VIP’s up there for a 2 hour shift. It was pretty amazing. Along with the with the staff, the 6 of us were the only ones allowed on those floors. Unlimited drinks, amazing hors d'oeuvres, and traditional Emerati tea service. The food started out with very pretty pastries and crab puffs, and ended with Wagyu beef sliders. I took a lot of fun pictures on the 154th floor, but did not do so well on the outdoor observation deck on level 152. I took one step and worried that I was about to pass out. I don’t mind embarrassing myself here and there, but I surely did not want to end up in a Dubai hospital.
Getting to the Burj Khalifa was a bigger task than I had anticipated. The entrance to the Burj Khalifa is inside The Dubai Mall, not to be confused with the Dubai Mall. The mall has 1200 stores, the national aquarium, a skating rink, a whole bunch of adventure parks, and to top it off, Ski Dubai. Yes, there is a ski hill in there that includes live penguins. I didn’t get to see any of the ski hill as you can’t get in without a ticket, and that was a little pricey. The challenge was that my cab driver dropped me off and said keep going straight until you hit the fountain, then turn a right. I walked and walked, then walked some more convinced I misunderstood the directions somehow. After about 15 minutes of walking straight, I did hit that fountain and found it. If I were to visit again, a day at The Dubai Mall would be something to consider.
I mentioned earlier that I signed up for a couple of excursions. I like to book these through AirBNB. I have had great luck with these, particularly the cooking classes. I didn’t find any cooking classes that caught my eye, but I did sign up for a five hour yacht excursion and an 8 hour tour of 6 of the 7 Emirates. Both of these had a maximum capacity of 5 or 6 passengers and cost under $100. Well, in the time of COVID, the tourism business has not recovered as well as hoped. For both excursions, it was just me and my guide. I was really surprised that they did not cancel on me.
The boat trip was pretty cool. My captain just asked what I really wanted to do since I was the only one on the tour. I said I wanted to swim more than anything. We did do a full tour around Palm Jumeirah, the man made islands in the pattern of a palm tree. My captain could not stop laughing and texted his boss when I said the truth out loud: “I need to swim soon. I’ve really got to pee.” My captain, said “I know everyone does it. You’re the first person to say it out loud.” There was a head on the boat, but it was below deck. It was really hot down there, so I wanted nothing to do with it.
The road trip was even better. I got to see the parts of the UAE that tourists never see. Smaller towns, the plant market, the animal market, the farming region, some run down villages and wild animals. The wild animals were my favorite part of the trip. I’ve seen deer, elk, and pronghorns from the highway in the states. The UAE had wild camels and wild donkeys. The driver had a keen eye and slammed on the brakes and pulled over when they were along the road. He said Americans love that stuff, so he was watching out for them. He was correct in that assertion. This American loved that stuff. I did get the terse response to a question I had: “No. Don’t get out. They bite.” Dammit! We drove over 200 miles and it was well worth it to me.
Taxis were cheap and plentiful. Food and grocery delivery was a lot less expensive than in the States. And the number of activities never end. They shoot for the world’s largest or longest or fastest with everything they build. I did miss out on the purchase of a traditional Emerati outfit. Turns out they are all custom tailored and start at around $400. Maybe next time.
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