Dubai Debut

Yesterday was a day of travel from Ethiopia to Dubai, so nothing to report except that I was the only blonde in the Addis Ababa Airport! And I’m not kidding. 

By 9pm I reached my final destination in Dubai, and the driver, Osama, from the kind woman who is hosting me, Shahrazad, found me no problem. Guess why? One of only a few blondes in Dubai at the airport at that time (there are lots of expats and Europeans here I noticed) as well. 

By 10:00pm we were at Ms. Shahrazad’s home and I hit the hay shortly after I got settled in. 

But today was a different story. The driver, Osama, took me on a whirlwind tour of Dubai, hitting many of the highlights of this frenetic city. And did I mention how hot it is? It’s hot! Though I’d say a different kind of hot than an Arizona "hot" or Texas "hot". 

I dipped my toes in the Persian Gulf (hot water there too), walked around the largest mall in the world (Dubai Mall), and had a burger at Wendy’s for lunch ther. We also checked out the Birgh Khalifa (tallest building in the world but did not go up), the Atlantis Hotel, the Palm Marina and the drive along the water with opulent mansions that leaves one "shaking their heads."

I must admit that what you read and hear about Dubai with all its lavishness is really true. With all the churches I visited in Ethiopia, I would like to visit a mosque or two while in the Middle East. Unfortunately, I did not go to a mosque today, but hope to get to Abu Dhabi tomorrow and tour the big famous one there. 

Off to dinner soon with Dr. Shad’s niece! Now that is something to be grateful for, along with the connections made in Dubai by my friend, Karen Riegert who now lives in Colorado. 

BSoleille!

Terri