Sunday, January 17, 2010

Dubai Water Taxi

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Wafi Shopping Center, Dubai

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Big Bus - Best Way to See Dubai

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Dubai Water View

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One of the Dubai Metro Stations

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Dubai

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Dubai

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Palm Condos, Dubai

These are some of the buildings on the man made palm islands.
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Dubai Mosque and Burj Al Arab Hotel

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Dubai Mosque

The spires of the mosques can be seen throughout the city. Non-Islaamics can enter only one mosque - where presentations are held to teach visitors the basic tennents of Islaam, in order to promote understanding. The city also contains Christian churches.
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Dubai Hyatt Hotel

When it was built several years ago, the Hyatt Hotel was the largest in the world. From the air, the shape of the hotel spells "Dubai" in Arabic.
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Dubai

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The Ruler of Dubai

Pictures of Dubai's ruler can be found throughout the city. He is credited with making the decision to build the strong infrastructure in Dubai that is allowing for the hyper growth the city is experiencing and the increasing tourism.
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A Reminder of Home

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Wafi Shopping Center in Dubai

Yes, it's a shopping center - just one of about 10 different mega shopping centers that carry every designer I've seen from various countries, and then some. A free shuttle bus from the hotels gives easy access to spending your money in many creative ways.
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Dubai Creek

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Travelling Down Dubai Creek

This is my favorite skyscraper in Dubai. It looks like an electric razor. Its' surface panels reflect our boat travelling past. Also, the bronze panels reflect onto the water.
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Dubai Creek

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Dubai Creek

Once you get to Dubai Creek you realize that in the middle of all the tourist luxuries there are still working people. Boats are loaded with items that Dubai exports and the boats follow the Creek out to the Arabian Gulf for foreign ports.
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Jumeirah Beach, Dubai

The beach has the most beautiful blue water, almost the same blue as the sky, and the sand is a powdery white. The Muslim women provide a contrast to the tourists sunning on the beach in their bikinis and speedos.
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Atlantis on the Palm Hotel

At the tip of the largest man made island you will find the Atlantis on the Palm Hotel complete with an Aquaventure Waterpark (with the largest waterslide in the world - of course), the Lost Chambers of Atlantis (with over 65,000 fish), and the Dolphin Experience (where you can swim with the dolphins).
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Dubai's Man Made Islands

This borrowed picture depicts the 3 man made islands that house some very beautiful and pricey real estate. They are the only man made things that can be seen from outer space. The round one in the right of the photo is a map of the world made of artificially created islands. You can buy your own island there for $2-10 million dollars.
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Keeping Warm at Ski Dubai

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Ski Dubai - Really!

Ski Dubai actually has 5 different runs for different ability levels (including expert skiiers) as well as a ski school that teaches skiing and snowboarding. It has a quadruple chairlift and a ski hut restaurant halfway up the slopes (just like a real ski resort). Realizing that not too many people bring their ski gear to Dubai, Ski Dubai provides everything except for gloves and hats, which you can buy next door. My prized possession is now a "Ski Dubai" T shirt.
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Ski Dubai

When I first heard about a ski slope inside a shopping center in Dubai, I thought it was a novelty item with a small hill of snow for little kids in the desert to see snow for the first time.
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