This was a last minute, long layover turned into quick stop, on our way to Africa sort of thing. Truthfully, it was much more of a holiday than a traveling destination. Yes, we have learned that there is a difference between the two. For example, when we think “traveling”, India and China come to mind. When we think of holiday (or vacation as we Americans refer to it), places like Dubai, Bali and Hawaii seem much more appropriate. In other words, we were deliberately in Dubai to enjoy the hype and not necessarily focus on the daily lifestyle, people, culture, and everything else that comes with traveling and additional time. Dubai was simply fun! After booking our flights, we immediately came up with a budget, booked our stay and agreed on things to see and do. One thing was absolutely certain. I would have to make room in my backpack for two new long skirts, as I knew we would visit Mosques and other religious surroundings.

This Middle Eastern country (located in Asia for those who were wondering) is a federation of seven emirates each with a separate ruler. We visited two of the seven: Abu Dhabi (largest) and Dubai. The weather was hot and humid! We were there in late May and could not even imagine visiting during the summer months of June through August. Still, we were able to visit the beaches and take a nice cruise in the Dubai Marina. The maximum time we spent outdoors before needing a cool down was no more than one hour before sunset. After sunset, it was quite nice. We spent most evenings out and found this time of year bearable. We hear this is not possible during the hot summer months. Luckily, getting around in Dubai does not require much walking outside. In fact, all means of transportation have air conditioning including the waiting areas at bus and train stations.

Like most people, we were concerned about the dress code and came to realize that tourists end up wearing what they want anyway. It’s a bit ignorant in our opinion. Visitors should show respect to the country they are visiting and dress accordingly. Be that as it may, unless you are visiting during Ramadan (holy month), there is no strict dress code and you are free to wear what you want in most public places. However, mosques and religious surroundings require women’s heads, arms and ankles to be covered. Thankfully, most offer an over garment known as an abaya. I was asked to wear an abaya on one occasion and was also turned away at a Mosque for not having my arms covered. Maybe if it wasn’t so hot I would have remembered to take some sort of covering, but that was the last thing on my mind. Hence, my admiration for Arab women and their sense of commitment should be noted. Even though most Arab women only show their face (some only eyes), we noticed they use heavy eyeliner and a colorful make up look, which is absolutely beautiful in my opinion. It was difficult not to stare.

Some of our favorite experiences while in Dubai consisted of the following: visiting the world’s largest mall (Dubai Mall), the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa), the world’s tallest hotel (JW Marriott), sand dune bashing and sunset in the Arabian desert, listening to the call to prayer multiple times per day, the fountain spectacle, the souks (markets), the Arabian gulf, and speaking with taxi drivers. We met drivers from India, Pakistan, Ukraine and Syria. None of them were from the UAE. They each had an interesting story to share about what led them to Dubai. In a nutshell, they left their home countries for employment, to send money to their families, or for safety reasons. Did you know Dubai has a crime rate of less than one percent? In fact, some of the drivers and people we met that were not from the UAE argue that the laws are too strict. Although it may be safe, they mentioned you could be severely punished for simple actions such as taking non-prescription medication or chewing gum on the streets during holy month.

Finally, one cannot mention Dubai without touching on the obsession for skyscrapers and reflective buildings that cause the city to shine both during day and night. Several times, we caught each other gazing off at these impressive structures that surround the city. We found it incredible to see how much had been built in such a short amount of time and how many massive projects are still in the works to be completed within the next year or so. This raised some questions and encouraged us to do some research on the people building these world wonders. Unfortunately, the truth was not as captivating. According to numerous sources, migrant workers are working endless days and kept isolated all for Dubai luxury. This is an interesting topic that may spark more buzz in the future and possibly impact the overall tourist perception.

True Story: Enoc was spoken to in Arabic more than a dozen times. The locals assumed he understood each time and seemed confused when he responded in English.

Feel free to visit the photo gallery (click here) to see more pictures of Dubai.