Let's Talk About Dubai

Dubai is like Kuwait’s cousin. Same family but completely different. Dubai reminds me of your average big city with a futuristic vibe. They have a legit (and CLEAN) subway system, 5 and 6 lane highways, and tons of crosswalks everywhere to accommodate the foot traffic.

This adventure was special because my mom was able to come with us. I’m not sure if she knew what she was getting herself into though. We vacation hard! When you’re done with a trip that I plan, you will be exhausted. I think the trip went well ;)

 

Desert Safari. One word: thrilling.

We were picked up from our hotel by a driver. We piled into a land cruiser and headed out of the city about 40 miles to the desert. We stopped at a little tourist trap where tons of people were selling tons of things. Our driver led us through the crowds to the four wheelers. The whole thing was kind of a blur, and when I blinked, I was on the back of a four-wheeler with my mom. I remember asking her if she had ever driven one before, and she calmly informed me that she had not as we sped down sand dunes. I wasn’t really a fan of this part…and I do love four wheelers. It was a little too chaotic and unstructured for me, so I got off and watched from the sidelines.

 

Soon after, we left the first stop and drove farther out. We pulled off the road, the driver told us to put on our seatbelts, and we were off. I should probably mention that AJ booked this excursion and I really had no idea what all it entailed. I remember looking at the bars along the roof of the car when we first got in it, but I guess I wasn’t really understanding what they were. Roll bars…AJ informed me after the driver announced it was go time. We sped off through the sand, flying over sand dunes and spinning in loops. It was the most exciting rush of wanting to vomit and wanting to go faster at the same time. My mom also had no idea what was planned and she freaked out the whole time. I think I remember her chanting scriptures at one point…haha! We were able to stop in the middle for a photoshoot and to try sand boarding. AJ was first in line, of course. (Do y’all remember the knee surgery a few months ago??) He boarded down the sand dune a few times and then I gave him my best side eye, as if to say “that will do, Arthur Lee.”

 

 

 

Then we headed out even farther into the desert and stumbled upon our “camp.” The camp looked like an old abandoned fort until you walked inside. Here we were able to ride camels, get a henna tattoo, smoke shisha, dress in traditional Arab garments (don't flip out scary people), and hold hawks all before our dinner was served. AJ was so excited about the smoking shisha part that I had to force him to do everything else. After dinner, we were able to witness traditional belly dancing and Tanoura dancing.

 

 

 

 

Burj Khalifa. One word: wow.

The Burj Khalifa was next on the itinerary. It was an incredible sight to see! As we waited in line to get to the elevators, we had a history lesson of how the building came to be. The thought of people coming together from 190+ different nationalities with 80+ different languages spoken to build the tallest building in the world is nothing short of amazing. The only thing I could think about when I read that was the Tower of Babel. After reaching the elevators, we were whisked up to the 125^th floor in 77 seconds to reach what seemed like the top of the world. The view was absolutely incredible.

 

 

 

 

Shopping. One word: sale.

The rest of Dubai went by at lightning speed. We went to 4 different malls over the 3 day trip. The best part was walking into stores and seeing sale signs everywhere. After Thanksgiving shopping is called “White Friday” in the Middle East. Fridays are the day of worship here, so the name White Friday was coined a few years ago to reflect a time of gathering and celebration. Both my mom and I left Dubai with 2 pairs of shoes and AJ found one pair. Side note: Their feet are rather small here, so stores don’t typically carry larger than a 12. My poor husband forgets this as he excitedly enters every Nike and Foot Locker store, only to leave very disappointed.

 

 

Food. One word: yummy.
I, Amber Brook, am the pickiest eater in the whole world. Living in the Middle East has been great because they have ALMOST all of the same food that we have in America. I think Kuwait has better food and service, but Dubai definitely didn't disappoint.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I really enjoyed the trip. We went back to our hotel exhausted every night. We left Dubai with sore feet. This means complete success in my book. Who's next to come adventure with us?!

P.S. We’ll be back in Dubai this weekend!  :)