From Dust to Grandeur in the United Arab Emerites

Architecture, scimitars, falcon wings, 46 degrees, and fast cars we're in Dubai and AbuDhabi. Make no mistake there is something big going on here and we still haven't figured it out. Where else do you see the black ribbons of a 6 line highway bordered by light poles cutting into the desert for hundreds of miles. This is carbon foot heaven. Along the way we keep a watch for the camel, camouflaged by the color of the desert. Our friends Ron and Cheryl have taken us on a 2 hour safari in the comfort of their air conditioned 4 wheel drive. Apart from a few very quick stops, winding down the windows or a 30 second photo shoot outside, we remained within. The huge malls were another place to escape the heat. Consumers playground. No problem to spend a day out at the mall! Grandeur is an expectation here. From the emirates palace and Sheik Zayed's grand Mosque to the Burj Dubai and the palm island, in less than 40 years, what was an arid desert is a designers paradise seducing us into the sense of wealth and possibilities. Ps. Having trouble loading photo to blog from my iPad. Any ideas anyone?