Dubai, UAE. On our first full day, we visited the Burj Khalifa, the mother of all skyscrapers. The Burj Khalifa is located within The Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world, measuring over 12 million Square Feet (God Save Us). On entering the Burj Khalifa, we were treated to some fun facts about the tower’s unique construction techniques and somewhat random information regarding the amount of waste a building with 35,000 people produces. Indeed, we learned the Burj Khalifa creates seven tons of poop and fifteen tons of wastewater per day. And since it is not connected to Dubai’s municipal wastewater treatment system, all this waste is trucked out of the city daily, but I digress. The views from the top of the building would have been marvelous if the windows had been washed, but there was so much grime and sand residue that the photos were a disaster. The views from the grounds outside, however, were spectacular. At night, the Burj Khalifa’s façade is lit up in synchronicity with its Vegas-style fountain and light show.

The next day we headed to the desert for an all-day tour. This, by far, was our favorite experience in Dubai. More to come on this. During our third and final day in Dubai, we explored Dubai’s Old City. And like my impression of Shanghai’s old city, Dubai’s Old City didn’t feel very old; it just wasn’t crammed with skyscrapers. We walked through the Al Bastakiya Quarter, established by merchants in the 19th century, representing Dubai’s original architecture. The Quarter is now used for art galleries and traditional retailers; however, it was virtually deserted when we visited. We also visited Old Souk, Dubai’s version of the Turkish Spice Market. 

Later in the afternoon, we returned to modern-day Dubai and visited the Dubai Marina, strolled along the beach and watched the sunset, snapped photos of Ain Dubai, the world’s largest Ferris Wheel, and patronized local shops. Eventually, we found a nice restaurant with outdoor seating near our hotel and enjoyed a lovely dinner in Dubai on our final night. Though we’re happy that we came to Dubai, it wasn’t our favorite part of our trip. It reminded me of our trips to Las Vegas, where the excitement of the glitz and the lights typically run thin in about twenty-four hours, after which we’re excited to get the hell out of Dodge and explore the beauty of the desert. And that’s precisely what we did next.

Dubai Desert Reserve. Wow. Just wow. That’s how we felt about our visit to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. The Reserve’s mission is to provide a desert haven for nature and a living heritage for people. And though we only visited a small portion of the Reserve, it is quite vast. It covers over 87 square miles and represents about five percent of Dubai’s total land area. We first got fitted for the Gutra, the traditional male Emirati head-covering. We then motored off in a classic Land Rover with a cadre of eight guests and our South African tour guide and driver. Within ten minutes into our excursion, we spied a family of Arabian Oryx munching on dune grass - not at all interested in us gawking tourists. 

We drove about twenty-five minutes to our first stop, where we learned about Peregrine falcons and how the original Emiratis had traditionally domesticated them. We learned Peregrine falcons could exceed speeds over 240 miles per hour while diving for prey, making them the fastest animal in the world. We also learned that they mate for life, though they prefer to live most of their life hunting in solitude – sounds like some friends I know. The falconer gave us a demonstration of how the Peregrine Falcon hunts. And finally, we took photos with the fine feathered hunter-killer perched on our gloved hands. To our great fortune, it waited patiently as we snapped the pictures without pecking out our eyeballs. 

After a couple of photos of the beautiful desert sunset, we traveled to our final stop, where we rode a camel and ate a traditional camel-free Bedouin dinner. Though the short camel ride was exciting, I couldn’t imagine riding a camel through the desert over long distances as it felt like you were stuck in the middle seat of a car with square wheels and a whiny engine. We learned that camel racing is a big deal in UAE – it’s as big or bigger than horse racing in the West. We were also surprised to learn that The Emiratis host an annual “Most beautiful Camel” contest during the Al Dhafra Festival. The camel beauty pageant competition had become so fiercely contested that until it was recently banned, breeders resorted to giving their star Camel BOTOX injections to inflate the camel’s lips and silicone wax implants to expand the hump. I prefer my camels natural, but that’s just how I roll. 

Lastly, we settled in for a traditional Bedouin dinner and local dancing. The food was tasty and included Tanoor, spiced lamb, and Thareed, chicken with stewed vegetables. We enjoyed meeting our fellow tourists who hailed from all parts of the globe. We had an opportunity to sing and dance and enjoy local customs. Finally, we climbed back into the Range Rover and headed back to the glitz and glamour of Dubai.