Dubai (2) Designing 007 and the Dubai Fountain

Monday, 26 December 2016

When I saw that there was an exhibition taking place at the Burj Khalifa, I knew instantly that I needed to go. We thought we could go up to the Burj Khalifa, but the next available dates were after the 4th of January. To go all the way to the top, would have cost roughly R4000 for both of us.

Over 500 original objects from the world's most most spy was on display. This included the famous Aston Martin, suits, gadgets, sketches, Ian Fleming's originals.

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Although we said we wouldn't, we did some shopping! After a quick drink at Tim Hortons, we made our way outside to catch a glimpse of the Dubai Fountain. This happens to be the world's largest musical fountain and is one of the (few) tourist attractions that are actually free!

Performances last up to 5 minutes and occur daily. I have been told that there are powerful jets which shoot water sprays to heights of up to 150 meters in harmony with music. It is illuminated by over 6,000 lights and dozens of colour projectors.

Songs and music accompanying the performances range from contemporary pop to classical. "Time to say goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman was playing when we watched it.

I was a bit disappointed though, because I felt like I was watching the performance through other people's phone screens.

When the crowd started to disperse, my mum suggested we go for a lake ride. Apart from the howling baby with us, it was serene. We were surrounded by the glittering skyline of Dubai. Suddenly, we stopped. And my heart skipped a beat. As the fountains started to dance, tears welled up in my eyes.

Manmade or not, I was overwhelmed to see such beauty before me. And how precious to be able to share this moment with my mum!

Dubai (1) Dubai Mall

Sunday, 25 December 2016

After freshening up, we headed out to the Dubai Mall. I was amazed by the window displays - so exceptionally lavish! My mum was very excited to see a coffee shop - 100% Arabica, which we had with a Christmas mince pie.I was very excited to see stores like Bloomingdales and Pottery Barn. We found an awesome place to have a light dinner - India Palace. I think it was by far, the best paneer wrap I've ever had.

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Mum and I also found the Nespresso store, near the awesome Dubai Mall Waterfall. The human figures (apparently made from fiber glass) are mesmerizing, to say the least.

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We also went wandering around The Souk - a true marvel! I was also on the look out for Tim Hortons, a Canadian cafe and bake shop. I was so excited to have an "Iced Cap" and a few "Tim Bits".

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When my mum and I were ready to go home, we had to go to LG to catch a cab. The queue was unbelievable. After a long day of flying, we were back at the hotel by 19:00. We decided it be a good idea to rest so that we were properly rejuvenated for the next day.

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Day (1) Arriving in Dubai

Our flight was delayed by an hour, so our transit in Doha was short - as was our flight to Dubai.

Before we knew it, we arrived in the concrete jungle that is Dubai. We were greeted by the friendly staff of Arabian Adventures who escorted us to immigration. Getting our luggage was done with ease and we soon made contact with my dad and brother to wish them Merry Christmas!

We realized that the airport was very close to the hotel we were staying at - Ibis One Central. Check in was hassle-free, but we were a bit surprised to learn that there were no porters around. Made me wonder if we are too spoiled in South Africa!

 

Dubai (0) Getting ready to go

Friday, 23 December 2016
We were lucky to be able to leave work early, giving me a little extra time to run some errands, do my laundry and pack my suitcase. I'm usually a bit anxious the day before I travel, but I took it easy and decided to go with the flow.

Saturday, 24 December 2016
On Saturday, packed and ready to leave home, I had a really nice Uber driver take me to the airport. I still can't believe that I passed out and slept through almost the entire flight to Johannesburg. I knew that when I arrived in Johannesburg, I would head straight to Woolies Cafe for a nice hot wake-me-up drink.

At first, I sat at the counter, chatting to the barista, but soon met two sisters who just arrived back from Mauritius. My mum arrived shortly afterwards and we were just in time to meet Chancharmasi, who had just flown in from Cape Town. We didn't spend too long with her as we needed to start making our way to international departures. Mum and I had a light bite to eat before making our way to the boarding gate. The excitement was definitely starting to bubble!

Dubai (0) The idea to go

I remember calling my mum, saying to her: "Mummy, I don't know about you, but I need to travel. I need to use my passport! Let's go to Dubai."

My mum actually seemed quite keen and it was from then that I knew the ball would start rolling very soon!

Blog Challenge Day 3: One thing the world needs more of

I first heard the soundtrack of "My best friend's wedding" when I was in Canada in 2002. These songs make me feel nostalgic and I really love it. It brings back such wonderful memories.
 

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Blog Challenge Day 2: Someone I admire

Anyone who follows me on social media knows how I absolutely love my parents. My mum and dad have afforded my brother and I the best opportunities in life. For this blog post, instead of choosing only one person, I have decided to write about both my parents. I admire them equally. But, why? They have raised my brother and I with such valuable life skills that no amount of money can buy. They have given us more than what they had growing up and for that (and I can easily speak for my brother) we are forever grateful for that.