Dubai - first impressions

I was lucky enough to get an aisle row to myself on the flight out so was able to lay down completely, which helped a lot when it came to having a nap. I probably got around 6-7hrs sleep and more importantly it was comfortable sleep. That meant that I didn't need to use the 'nap time' I'd put aside this morning to catch up and instead went for a 'short walk' to get my bearings.

As always my short walks make long promenades. I started off just checking out some street scenes

But then in the distance I saw the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Doesn't look too far away...

 OK actually it does, but I've put my mind to it now

I was walking down Sheikh Zayed Rd  and because it was only 9am there was a bit of shade from the surrounding buildings, but you could feel how hot it was going to be in full sunshine

I had to hunt around the areas a few streets back in order to find ways to cross some major arterial roads, and it was interesting how quickly the gleaming facades gave way to broken, crumbling pavements

The Dubai Mall sits at the base of the Burj Khalifa and is apparently the biggest shopping mall in the world, holding around 1200 stores. Despite its size it's largely just another overpriced shopping precinct, very similar to what you'd find in KL or on Orchard Rd in Singapore, but there is some impressive sculpture including this huge waterfall 

 and an indoor two-story aquarium

 

I have to admit that my first impressions aren't great. The place seems very soul-less in a way that similar developments in SE Asia don't. I think that's because this whole area has been created from scratch in the last 30 years - before that is was desert - and so the smaller businesses and stalls haven't had a chance to get a toe-hold between the fast food joints and high-end shops. To fight that sterility they resort to novelty, where everything has to be the biggest, largest, tallest or more stand-out in some other way. It's early days though - some of the guys in the office love it here and want to stay, so maybe it will grow on me.