Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The unmistakable Burj Kalifa, the tallest building in the world. In a place full of superlatives this has to be THE showcase engineering marvel of the country. In the past, the next "tallest building in the world" would usually just beat its competitor by a few feet to claim the title. In Dubai they seemed to say 'the hell with that' and built this tower to over 2,700 feet (that's over a half a mile high!) And 700 feet higher than the previous champion, in China. I think it will be a while before anyone beats this record. As they intended.

Yikes!!! The view from the top of the Burj Khalifa is not for those with a fear of heights. This is the view from floor #154. It's the world's highest lounge, and the highest you can go in this building. Incredibly, there's still a few hundred more feet of structure above floor 154, but that area is off limits. Those buildings way down there are Manhattan-sized skyscrapers but they just look like toys from up here.

Although Dubai is a middle-eastern Muslim country, it's a very progressive one. They seem to walk a fine line between modern and traditional in many aspects of life, and that goes for architecture too. Despite all the modern bling you can still find traditional mosques etc scattered about.

At the base of the Burj Khalifa is a fantastic entertainment district: The Dubai Mall (world's largest, of course), more food and drink options than you can process, a Bellagio-style fountain with shows on the half-hour, nicely landscaped open areas and promenades, and this : the Dubai Opera House. It looks modern and beautiful, just like everything else.

Dubai's Old Town area has a much different vibe than the newer areas. This is the Spice Souq (souq = market), and is one of the best-smelling places anywhere!

I'm sure Dubai could afford some state-of-the-art jet-propelled street sweeper (or invent one if it doesn't exist). But sometimes they prefer to go with the old ways. At least give the guy a broom!

It's hard to know what to expect when visiting a beach in an Islamic country. You sure don't expect to see super-skimpy bikinis and wild beach parties. There are a lot of rules for beachgoers here for sure, but nothing too far out of the ordinary. Unwritten but still heavily enforced : no toplessness (mainly for Europeans and Aussies), no walking off the beach uncovered, no PDA's.

Technically this guy's not ON the beach, so I guess he's not violating the "no cameras" rule above.

Like nearly everything else in Dubai, most mosques are brand new and state of the art. Money appears to be no object anywhere in this town. Elaborate craftsmanship is evident everywhere you look, but especially at the places of worship.

This graphic could be seen around town here and there, stenciled on the sides of certain buildings. It shows the rulers of the United Arab Emirates, and I'd say they've done a pretty good job with Dubai.