Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

It is hard to believe that today is my last full day in Dubai, and that I will be home in Tucson tomorrow evening, Thursday, at 5:30pm.  In fact, the whole 28-day trip seems to have floated by quickly, like a dream out of the 1001 Nights.

My plan today is to visit the highlights of the Jumeirah and Jumeirah Beach sections of the city, a large and very popular area that I have so far neglected. The primary attractions of this very upscale area are beaches, shopping, and lavish hotels and resorts.  Palm Jumeirah, a series of man-made islands spread out in the Arabian Sea like a huge palm tree, and the Burj Al Arab Hotel are two of the most iconic sights of the entire peninsula.  

But before heading to the Burj Al Arab, I use a hotel car and driver to take me to the Etihad Museum, the official home of the history and development of the UAE since its founding in December 1971.  The exhibits inside this beautifully designed building purportedly present the story of the people of the seven founding emirates.  In reality, the museum is a monument to the glorified egos of the seven founding emirs, with little room for anyone else's story.         

Inside the Museum, more-than-appropriate homage is paid to the seven Emirs:

Looking Out from the Lobby to the Garden and Union House
(Where December 1971 UAE Constitution Was Written)

Lobby Windows Look Out Over Jumeirah Hotels and Offices

A Local School Group Navigates the Ramp from the Lobby to the Lower Level Exhibits

If You Don't Like the Ramp--or the Elevators--
You Might Ask to Try the Massive Spiral Staircase

Hall of the Emirs Contains Portraits, Biographies, and Personal
Artifacts Belonging to the Seven Founding Emirs

From the museum it is a short walk to Jumeirah Mosque.  The mosque itself is open to non-Muslims only a few hours each day, so I must be content with viewing the outside of the mosque and the inside of the welcome center

From the mosque I hail a taxi for the ride to the Burj Al Arab and the nearby Madinat Jumeirah development, where I enjoy an Italian lunch.  The Burj Al Arab is located on an artificial island connected to the mainland by a private, gated bridge (open to guests only).  The hotel was designed by a team led by architect Tom Wright and is very similar to the Vasco da Gama Tower in Lisbon (my photo taken in April 2009). 

Burj al Arab Hotel, Dubai (left) and Vasco da Gama Tower, Lisbon (right)

Construction of the hotel began in 1994 and involved up to 2,000 workers during peak construction. It was built to resemble the billowing spinnaker sail of a J-class yacht.  Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast," while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium.  The building opened in December 1999 and was immediately recognized as a symbol of the developing city.  In spite of the continuous building of even more spectacular structures in Dubai, the Burj Al Arab remains its most iconic and symbolic structure.  Only registered guests or folks with reservations at one of its restaurants can enter the hotel grounds.

The nearby Madinat Jumeirah is a multi-purpose, multi-building, low-rise development, built to resemble a traditional Arab village.  There are several massive hotels, an indoor souk, beachfront access, and a large number of restaurants.  

The Mall of the Emirates, second largest after the Dubai Mall, is right across the street.  Besides its stupendous shopping, locals and tourists alike flock to this mall to enjoy indoor skiing at the "Ski Dubai" Center, and the largest supermarket I have ever seen.

By now it is mid-afternoon and I should head back the Dusit Thani to finish packing and get some rest before checking out at 11pm tonight for my ride to the airport.  But I have one more thing to see before I leave Dubai, so I take the Metro two stops beyond my hotel and enjoy a late-afternoon walk through a city park, to the Dubai Frame, another self-reflective architectural icon.  Indeed, its only purpose, besides awing its spectators, is to "frame" more views of various parts of the city.

Views from the Dubai Frame:

Since I paid for the whole night's stay at the hotel, I didn't have to check out this morning and spend the afternoon and evening waiting at the airport with my suitcases until my 2:45am flight to Zurich.  I relax in my hotel room until its time to call for help with my luggage and meet my car and driver in the lobby.  Since I will arrive at the airport at midnight, I will save my coming-home adventures for the next and last blog from Dubai and this trip, coming to wifi soon.