Fred and El may have only been in Dubai for a few days en route to their
trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, but they sure did pack in a lot while they were
here!
After a full-day walking tour with “Nada” to check out old Dubai on
their first day, the ambitious travellers met up with us for happy hour and
dinner at the Four Seasons Dubai at Jumeirah Beach to share their learnings and take in the panoramic city views while breathing the ocean air.
The next day the four of us headed to the Etihad Museum to learn a little bit about
the history of Dubai. The magnificent building and its artifacts highlight how far the UAE has
come since Britain announced in 1968 its decision to withdraw by 1971. After multiple rounds of productive discourse between the Emirates, on December 1st, 1971, 6 of them joined together as a nation, with Ras-Al-Khaimah joining in 1973.
The Museum building is divine – with towering
pillars and extensive technology to highlight the country's advancements. Perhaps the most powerful component, however,
was the video right at the end that showed where the UAE was in the 1970s and
where it is today. It is hard to believe
just how much progress they have achieved and world leadership they have taken in such a short period.
For the remainder of the day we headed over to the Design
District for "Design Week", a celebration of UAE arts, culture and
innovation. From pop-can horses to complexes made out of old mattress springs to plastic robot displays to Swarovski crystal statues to the best “spinner”
chairs, it was awesome to see this area really come to life.
It was so busy, in fact, that one
restaurant’s kitchen “broke” and there were huge line-ups in two others.
Hungry and eager for some calm, we headed
back to City Walk for some Spanish tapas and sangria at Le Toro. What a wonderful way to decompress!
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