Quick-stop in Dubai

9-10 July 2008- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, THE MIDDLE EAST

Holy crap I am in freakin DUBAI! In the Middle East! My life is so fantastic I cant even express how overjoyed I am right now. After almost 2 days in transit originating in SLC, I am almost to Uganda!!!!

Tuesday I flew from SLC to Houston, then a longggg flight to Dubai. Luckily Emirates Airlines is amazing, so it was the first plane ride ever I actually didn’t mind if it never ended. On my flight to Houston, I met an older man from Texas who was fascinated with my trip, chatted with me the whole time, and even gave me a book he had just finished about non-profits and NGOs throughout the world. Worried I would get lost in the HUGE Houston airport, he walked me across the whole airport, completely out of his way, to make sure I found it. I LOVE the people you meet while traveling. It is what gives me hope for the world.

I met up with James and Brent in Dubai and we spent the night there in James’ hotel room. We met a Bangladeshi man named Anwar downstairs and he took us on a full tour of Dubai. It was dark and late, which made photography hard… but the scenes just as magnificent!

Even just ten years ago, the area was all a giant desert wasteland known for smuggling. Now it is a booming metropolis with the biggest buildings in the world! We saw a 7-star partially underwater hotel (ranging $2-20,000 per night!), the world’s tallest building, downtown, the marina, the BEACH, palm island, and the indoor ski resort.

It would definitely be a city worth checking out again in the future when I have more time to explore. The weather is insanely HOT and also humid. Standing outside at the airport, even at 7 in the morning, took a lot of concentration to not pass out right there. I have decided that I truly love airports. I’ve spent the majority of the past 2 days at them, and I never seem to get enough. Each one boasts its own cultural hub, bringing people from all over the world with all their various cultures, together as one. It is interesting to wonder where each person is going, where they are from. Who are they anxious to see, and who did they just sadly depart? How did they choose what to wear today, and what do they have packed away in their piles of luggage? Who are they traveling with, or why are they alone?

I can’t help but be overwhelmed by such questions every time I walk terminal halls. Travel, and everything about it, is truly a culture of its own. For me- a fascination. Ok, kind of an obsession. Despite the stresses, jetlag, and time it consumes, I love every single bit of it. And on we go...