Dubai

When I arrived in Dubai I was interested to understand what all the hype was about. The reason for my trip was to visit one of my best friends who moved there last summer for work. I have read and heard many things about Dubai, everything from its grand luxury hotels and palm shaped island to its swift economic decline.

There was really two sides of my trip, the amazing time I spent with my friends & being lucky enough to be taken to all of the nice places, and then seeing/hearing the realities of the land.

Everywhere you go the sweet smell of shisha will lure you in and the mint lemonade is perfect on a warm day sitting outside under an umbrella. We spent much of our time at nice outdoor seating areas soaking up the sun, eating at cool restaurants and of course checking out the local souks and shopping malls. My friend's pad is super chic with an infinity pool over looking the river which is next to the beach. It was like staying at a 5 star hotel! One of the nights we went to feast in the middle of the desert, literally...I think we drove 45 minutes. It was like in the movies where you make a right turn and all you can see is sand for miles and dust behind you. We were greeted with a walkway of carpets on the sand and a little souk. As we walked in, there was a huge area filled with tables with over-sized pillows and grills filled with all the food you could possibly think about eating.

But dont get on your magic carpet just yet. Despite the luxury of Dubai, if you take a closer look, the corrupt mentality (speaking about the government but individuals are playing a part too) may just overwhelm you.
Freedom of speech, a right us Americans have come to know and love... In Dubai, there is no free speech, none, its illegal. There are no worker's rights, no standards of healthcare or acceptance for all people. Labor workers who come to Dubai have their passports taken from them so they are unable to leave for 2 years. The people who have built the city risk their lives and go with little pay and no benefits. The list goes on.

I began to think of all the horrible things people have done to other people through out history and the atrocities which happen every day.
In many countries the reality of harsh work conditions, unequal rights and lands over taken by poverty is an epidemic. Have people learned nothing?

On the surface, Dubai is a place you can enjoy, however the unauthentic feel wont really fill you up. I prefer the real thing.

Thanks again to my wonderful friends who are so generous and lovely!

My Next Trip...

Thank you for voting in the travel poll. The winner is Brazil. I will likely be going to Brazil in January next summer as part of a samba dance group...stay tuned! My next stop is Dubai.

Munich

The best thing about having great friends in Europe, is going to visit them when they dont live a tube stop away anymore. My friend Emma and I easyjetted our way to Munich to visit Nuria, an accomplished PhD, and who just so happened to learn German in, hum, about a minute. (Emma also just finished her PhD so it was a perfect time to celebrate!) I think they say one should hang out with people smarter and wiser than you, and you will become smarter and wiser. Wonder if any of it rubbed off on me...no PhD in my future though :)

Munich is a very nice city with restored historic Bavarian buildings, beer gardens that serve sausage with fries and pretzels...? but somehow the combo works, open street markets and of course night life with some interesting dance expression. If you see someone jumping up and down, twirling and shaking their body as if they are having an out of body experience, don't be alarmed, they are just dancing. Sorry to my German friends, but I just call it like I see it.

Fun times and good laughs, thats what its all about! Gracias Nuria y Emma!