Umbrellas Galore

Virtual Traveller 86
May 3, 2020
2 min read

Day Two: Country No. 9

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Arrival Time: 6:58pm

Dubai

I decided to split my flight over to Chad by making a quick visit to Dubai. The flight from Kathmandu is just short of five hours. According to one website, “innovative ambition has launched the Emirate into global stardom, with the world’s largest artificial island, tallest building and biggest mall to its name;” (flydubai.com)

I think you can add amazing flower displays to this list too! I paid a visit to the ‘Dubai Miracle Garden Walkabout 2017-2018‘ (yep, I can travel back in time as well as travel the world within 2.6 days!). I have to say that the gardens were spectacular. Sunflowers were EVERYWHERE (a certain friend of mine would have loved it🌻). From airplanes to giant ducks, flowers were being used in all kinds of ingenious ways. And as for umbrellas, well all I can say is...fab! Loved it!

As throughout this trip I really wasn’t expecting to see this in Dubai. Just shows how without realising it we form preconceived ideas of places - and people. It’s so important that we check out fact.

The brollies are great aren’t they! I still can’t work out if there really was a married couple posing for a photo or whether it was a model!

Back in central Dubai I paid a visit to Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House where there was a stamp exhibition. Stamps of the 1966 World Cup, Scout Jamborees and the Human Rights Act featured alongside those of Sheikhs, Arab history and Islamic culture. At the end of the exhibition you could even create your own stamp...I was quite upset not to be able to do this!

As on previous tours I took advantage of the opportunity to see Dubai from the sky. I also visited the pinnacle of The Burj Khalifa. Opened on January 4th, 2010, this skyscraper towers 2,722 feet above the city. It has 160 floors and as well as being the world’s tallest building it also has the highest outdoor observation deck, providing 360° views of the city and beyond. Have to say that I found the views made my head spin and I wasn’t actually experiencing them for real!