<\/figure>\n\n\nThe observation deck is called At The Top, and you have free reign (using the spiral staircase with the glass walls to the outside world which are kind of terrifying) to go between two floors, 124 and 125. This is the basic ticket that most people get, about $40-50 depending on when you book and everything. But there’s also At the Top SKY, which is the elite ticket, giving you access to Floor 148 and a separate observation deck (the actual highest in the world, whereas the one on 125 is actually lower than the observation deck at the Shanghai Tower, we learned after!) and a private guided tour. There’s also a private lounge super high up for fancy pants people that’s even more expensive. But the SKY ticket starts at $100, and there were two of us, so paying the regular ticket price seemed to be more than enough. Warning, when you book on the website, they make it VERY hard to find the regular ticket, always showing you more info and buttons for buying SKY tickets. RUDE. <\/p>\n
On 124, there is an outdoor terrace – there’s a glass barrier of course but you are open to the elements above head level. I could have easily thrown something (I DIDN’T). It is SCARY but kind of cool. It was also kind of hilarious because right when we got out on that terrace, it starting POURING. We were in the desert, remember, so this was a surprise. And I mean like, it was a monsoon. Everything outside flooded, all the streets and paths, it was unbelievable. And here we were thousands of feet in the air, standing out in the torrential downpour on the highest terrace ever. <\/p>\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis is Z sticking his hand out into the open air hence my shaking camera (I mean also it was a monsoon so it’s blurry)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIt’s a little cheesy to go to the top of the Burj, I guess, but it’s the big f-ing thing and you gotta see the big f-ing thing! <\/p>\n
So that’s what we did with our few days in Dubai, besides eat and swim which you read about in the previous post. But we still have one more thing to talk about.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
THE WORLD’S QUICKEST TOUR THROUGH ALL THE ARAB EMIRATES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFor our last day in the UAE, we hired a driver to drive us around the entire country to see the six other Emirates: Sharjah, Ajman, Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm al-Quwain, and Abu Dhabi. Why did we rush through seeing all of these places that most tourists never see (besides, of course, the last one)? Because it’s important to see as much of a country as possible! To learn about the people and culture more! To pay respect! No it’s because each emirate counts separately for the Traveller’s Century Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The driver we hired has never actually done all 7 in a day, and tried to tell us that it was impossible. But nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it! And pay him more! Unfortunately for our abilities to prove him wrong, the enormous storm the night before flooded a ton of main roads leading out of Dubai and into Abu Dhabi, so instead of starting with that most important one (and making sure we had plenty of time in the Grand Mosque), we would have to save that one for last and make a mad rush back to Dubai for our flight that night. I know! Stress! <\/p>\n\n\n\ndriving through 2-3 feet of floodwaters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSo we started with Sharjah. The drive into Sharjah is usually 40 minutes? I think? It took three hours. All the roads were flooded, and to top it off it was rush hour on a Monday. It was A MESS. Driving through the main square of Sharjah city center, we were stuck on the same 4 block expanse for 90 minutes, before we were able to exit onto the highway and onto the next city. Luckily, that standstill meant I could run into this bazaar, see an actual thing in Sharjah, and USE THE BATHROOM. It was the best bazaar I ever ran into across multiple lanes of traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nSharjah is a mainly small business and residential city, and it’s very conservative. Most people who live here work in Dubai but it’s cheaper to live out here so they commute. That’s what I learned about Sharjah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nFinally we made our way to Ajman, which is the nice coastal beach area, with more\/any Westerners, we spotted. There are some cute beach hotels we passed here. Then we made our way through Ras al Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain, which are both sparse yet have INSANELY large luxury hotels on their beaches, like WHO are all the people going out here for these immense hotels that won’t let me in to pee?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n We drove for a while through the, well, not much, to make our way to Fujairah, where we stopped to eat. I was super nervous because this is where we stopped, and English out here is much harder to come by. But luckily, the guys working made me a big bowl of pretty good veggie stew and brought lots of bread and it was great! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\ntold you in the last post there was another meal coming!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFinally we were on our way to Abu Dhabi, a drive of a few hours from this point, and we made it to the Grand Mosque with enough time to properly visit it. You have to be dressed in longs and longs with your head covered for the mosque, and there are many guards policing the many tourists from removing head coverings or trying to get into roped off sections. You also have to leave your shoes in cubbies before entering so make sure you know which one your shoes are in – this place is ENORMOUS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s also gorgeous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nDON’T SUNBATHE ON THIS CARPET! AND NO JUMPING JACKS?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\nI could honestly share hundreds of photos but I won’t. It was so beautiful. <\/p>\n
Because of our delayed and reconfigured day, we only had time to quickly drive through Abu Dhabi. Next time! If the extravagance of the mosque didn\u2019t have me shaking my head at all the money pointed in not-ideal directions, Abu Dhabi\u2019s obvious wealth did. Our driver told us that people with luxury cars often want to distinguish themselves and their status even more, so they\u2019ll spend up to $50 million (I assume that\u2019s in dirham, but damn) to get two digit license plates, instead of the normal four digit ones. That is such a disgusting waste of money, I mean, wow. And Abu Dhabi in general, even on a drive through, made me upset with its disgusting wastes of money on display. It took most of the drive just to pass the enormous palaces. There are 42 for the one royal family. They have hundreds of cars. And the country spent billions, billions of dollars, to get the rights to use the name \u201cLouvre\u201d on their new art museum, paid to the French government. I wonder what France is doing with that money? I bet it\u2019s not helping refugees!<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOur driver pointed out the towers shown in the 7th<\/sup> Fast and the Furious movie as well as the crazy hotel from \u201cSex and the City 2\u201d, the latter of which used to be a palace and is now this incredible, exclusive, outrageously expensive hotel. There\u2019s a big entrance that only the royal family and VIP guests are allowed to use (it goes on FOREVER behind the gates (but not as long as the royal palace section of the city!)).<\/p>\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSo, I left Abu Dhabi and the Emirates in general with a bad feeling and a renewed appreciation for socialism. It sucks that there is so much money used for such b.s. while so many people are starving. It makes me made that most\/every country in the world doesn’t really care about anyone. <\/p>\n
Anyway. That’s a rant for another day, because this is already too long.<\/p>\n
We made our way to the Dubai airport, and here’s a hot tip for Terminal 1: The Yo Sushi\/Camden Food Shop on the first level sells water for 24 dirham (about $6-7), which is LUDICROUS considering I needed 4 (they were small bottles). Luckily, upstairs there’s like a regular bodega selling water and snacks at normal prices!!! What kind of amazing airport gem is this? There’s also a McDonald’s upstairs (I know) but they have a plain garden salad, luckily, which is the only vegan option I could find in the airport. It was fine. I’m fine.<\/p>\n
We spent most of our waiting time talking to an Emirati man who complained about his Iranian wife for a while and then gave us life advice and it was all pretty amazing. He said you could have a palace or a tent, but if you’re unhappy in a palace and the man in the tent is happy, then that’s all that matters. He may be the only man in this country to get it. (Then he told us he’s the man who designed the roads in Abu Dhabi so, wow.)<\/p>\n
All in all, it was a successful, interesting, thought-provoking trip to Dubai. I leave you with the most thought-provoking picture I took, and I ask, I beg of you to answer, WHO is disposing of their large suitcases at the departure gates????<\/p>\n\n\n <\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hello mes babies! Have you read the Dubai food post? I wasted my funny (to Philadelphians) title and my intro about Dubai in that one, so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[162],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-d1"],"yoast_head":"\n
A Quick Jaunt through Dubai...& Even Quicker through the Other United Arab Emirates - Laughfrodisiac<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n