Buffet breakfast.
Unbelievably, this morning's buffet was our THIRD consecutive buffet since leaving Sydney yesterday! This means that all our meals so far have been all-you-can-eat boo-fays. This more than makes up for the kilos that we have lost through dehydration. Thank God for air-conditioning.
Speaking of religion, Ramadan has been quite an interesting experience. There is to be no eating, drinking and public affection during the holy month and as a sign of respect, tourists should equally refrain from partaking in any of the above. As you would expect, the liquid restriction was rather tough particularly when you're roaming around in a desert. Water never tasted so good I tell you.
Dubai is essentially a crazy sim-desert city prospering off the back of oil discovery in 1966. This is a city where you can get gas at about 30 AU cents per litre (compared to water at $1+ per litre). Looking at Dubai, you begin to understand the significance of oil, and why the U.S were so keen to "help" Iraq.
The oil money that has poured into Dubai has translated into some of the craziest ideas, e.g.:
* an underwater hotel.
* a building that has levels that rotate in sync with the clock. This means that you will go to sleep facing say north and wake up facing, say west.
* a indoor ski field annexed to a shopping centre. There are plans to build the world's largest ski domes.
* a residential village which sits on top of a lagoon (of course, the lagoon will be man-made).
* a self contained village called "the world" which will look like a map of the world. Rod Stewart has already acquired the U.K for $20m.
* a jurassic style park.
Then of course, there is the perverse goal to have the 'best' of everything:
* biggest airport
* tallest building (sways 5m at the very top)
* biggest Disneyland
* biggest sports city
* biggest shopping centre
* fastest metro
* fastest elevator
You have to wonder whether this all comes a price. Dubai is a city built in a desert. It was never a city blessed with natural resources so consider the intense energy and water consumption. It is not surprising that Dubai owns the dubious honour of the most water consumption per capita.
Our big bus tour guide (we had to chase down the big bus in a taxi!) mentioned that the oil will run out in 2010. Not sure if that's true but Dubai has certainly milked it for all it is worth. The gaudy show of wealth and unnecessary excesses is not for me but it is amazing that they managed to cultivate barren desert land.
In Cairo now. The apple sheesha was yum but it wasn't a great start when the toilet decided not to work and leak dirty toilet water into the bathroom. We also managed to get the time wrong - stupid Emirates told us the wrong time. BUT we do get to see the pyramids and the Egyptian museum today.
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