Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Teatime at the top of the world.........


On our second day in Dubai we were driven out from 
the city center to the coast......

....passing the famous luxury Burj Al Arab hotel, 
built on an artificial island.


A little further on, world-famous Palm Jumeirah dominates the view (only really visible in its entirety from the air).  Built in the shape of a palm tree, with a trunk and fronds, it is the world's largest man made island......... 

....with beautiful villas, condos and apartments, all brand new, elegant, and I'm sure expensive.


At the end of the Palm stands the massive 
Atlantis On The Palm resort - just like the Bahamas 
version - sandstone pink and stately....

.....with posh shops inside, everything 
perfection and gorgeous.


 We gals loved looking (JUST looking) at the bags and shoes of course.....


 ...and here's our fabulous friend Rob checking out the genuine Panama hats....they were fabulous too!



Always time for a Starbucks.

Later, heading back to the city we visited the Camel Museum.....


.....one real camel was munching on the trees......


.....while we opted for riding the quiet, docile kind...Paula and 
me above, Bob ready for a gallop below!


Back at the Dubai Mall and Dancing Fountain   
we had a very important reservation...afternoon 
tea served high above the world!


Dubai's Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, 2,716 feet, making it almost impossible to photograph the total height from ground level when closeup. The rules are strict, even when you are holding very difficult to acquire reservations for afternoon tea! There is a dress code, no shorts, jeans, bare shoulders, open sandals. Our friend Mark was at first refused entrance because he was wearing white running style footwear - Bob explained that Mark had to wear them due to a disability! That necessitated a phone call, a bit of a wait, then we were given the OK and were able to enter the elevator.


We hopped off on the 123rd floor which the elevator reaches in less than 60 seconds! There are 163 floors total. We then walked down a flight of stairs - all the while gasping at the view from the windows - to level 122 for the entrance to the At.mosphere restaurant.

Looking down on the Dubai Fountain in the Burj Lake........

...on the left is the rooftop of the huge Dubai Mall...


....as you can see, even the towering skyscrapers below 
looked very small from that height!


Mark, Rob, Kim and Paula - all amazed at the amount of food that kept coming!

Teatime.....with so many delicacies.  Sandwiches crammed with fillings such as caviar, truffled egg and cream cheese, marinated tomato, rolls filled with beef, rocket and cheese.  Moving on to the sweets, skewers of fresh fruits, an assortment of warm scones served with cream........all served with a 'mocktail' of fruit juices.........I never did see a cup of real tea!

Bob didn't know where to start..........especially as we'd had lunch just a short time before not realizing the tea would be so gigantic!

However, here we were at the top of the world so to speak.........it did make us silly and giddy.  Paula and I checked the ladies room and had to get a funny pic.

Looking out toward the Arabian desert from 
the Burj Khalifa.

 Dubai is an amazing place. Would I return I've been asked.  
I might consider a short stay if the opportunity arose.It would be nice to see the many places I missed, more so the older, historic parts, having little interest in shopping malls and entertainment venues.It was so clean 
everywhere, the people were polite, and the architecture amazing. 

The Burj Khalifa visible between the buildings.

This is the final post on our recent trip aboard the Queen Elizabeth from Singapore to Dubai, stopping in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. Five countries, each special in its own way, interesting in its different culture. Colorful, beautiful, spotless, dirty, hot and hotter!  Lovely people for the most part. Surprising in many, many ways. 

10 comments:

  1. The tea looks fantastic! I must say that the camel museum is more my kind of thing - have you ever ridden a real camel? I've done it in Jordan and it was great, once you get used to the motion it's surprisingly smooth and comfortable.

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  2. Wow, how the rich live!!! What was it like going down on the lift so fast after that wonderful afternoon tea? I certainly wouldn't get my hubby and son up that far, they wouldn't even go on the London Eye last year,( I have been on it three times already)Thank you for sharing your great experiences. Love Jackie in Surrey.

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  3. Oh Mary, Singapore to Dubai, stopping in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and India, WHAT A TRIP! Loved each one of your fantastic photographs!! Thanks for sharing~

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  4. Look at all of that wonderful food! I would be nervous in a building that tall. What an amazing view.
    Hugs,
    Penny

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  5. Amazing photos Mary. I love the one looking down on the fountain although I don't know if I could have looked at it if I was there! Murray's sister actually got to go for a camel ride so you could do that if you returned. :) Wonderful photos of the trip of a lifetime. Hugs, Pamela

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  6. I just found your blog and have enjoyed reading your posts. It was so interesting to hear about your travel on the QE.

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  7. Amazing pictures, thank you so much. And what an incredible difference between city and Arabian desert in that last aerial shot -- such huge changes in their society in such a very short time.

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  8. Fascinating blog, so glad to have discovered you here. What an incredible adventure, fabulous photographs, following along now.
    Paul

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  9. What an experience! The view from up there is certainly dizzying. I like your funny pic in the ladies' room.

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  10. What beatiful reading Mary,your trip to the mountains seems like it was wonderful.Nice to see the blog friends you have mentioned to me.
    Your flowers look more beautiful to me this year.I love looking in your front yard has I leave for work and when I come home.
    Lori

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