We arrived in Dubai late on March 21, 2010,
and took a cab to a hotel close to the airport.
(when I say close, I mean as the crow flies - Dubai has been designed to maximize cab fares
-clever use of one way streets, frontage roads, concrete dividers and short term memory loss
can turn half a mile easy ride into a 3 mile navigational odyssey)
In the morning we took another cab to Port Rashid where the cruise terminal was located.
From the terminal, we caught our first glimpse of the tallest building in the world:
Burj Khalifa - 828m (2716 ft)
(by the way, those lampposts are not the tallest lampposts in the world - it's just perspective)
After we settled in, we started our city tour at the Old Gold Market,
where we were inveigled into purchasing some souvenirs.
The streets were fairly narrow and there was no shortage of little
shops with persuasive owners along the way.
After successfully rejecting most of the solicitation,
we emerged on the Deira side of the Dubai creek.
From there we took a stroll up along the waterfront.
This part of Dubai was build before the oil boom,
so it was still mostly brick and mortar (rather than glass and steel).
Then we hopped on one of the water taxis...
...propeled by this little engine.
Considering that the ride cost only 1 dirham ($0.30), it was a pretty good value
(and even more so when compared to the land taxis).
Soon we reached the other side of the creek...
...and delved into equally shop laced streets.
Some transportation in Dubai is clearly oil independent.
Using minarets as orientation points, we emerged on a little square...
...with the Dubai fort...
...and a small city museum.
From there we took a walk roughly in the direction of Burj Khalifa
(that is to say we got completely lost again and had to use the cab service).
Being roughly half a mile tall, Burj Khalifa is not an easy object to fit in your viewing field.
Your best bet is to point the camera straight up.
The first thing everyone notices about Dubai is the intensity of
construction that goes on virtually everywhere.
(even in today's slow economy - flocks of cranes are always in plain sight no matter where you are)
The neighborhood of Burj Khalifa itself is still being actively developed,
although the tower has been finished for several months now.
On the other side of the tower, you will find a large pool with an intricate
system of synchronized water fountains.
The area also features a large shopping center - the Dubai Mall (on the left)...
...where we took a quick snack in the Food Court.
The tower itself was closed for maintenance,
so we could admire it only from the outside
(or from a little model in the lobby).