We took a Big Bus tour in the morning. Dubai has big buildings (many look empty) …

… and extraordinary roads. But off these freeways, terrible traffic …

… many suburban mosques. The Sultan has decreed no-one should have to walk more than 500 metres to pray!

We passed the 7 star Burj al Arab Hotel …

… on the nearly deserted beach …

… fun parks, and air conditioned bus stops …

… and on to the enormous artificial Palm Island, where sits the Disney-like Atlantis Hotel.

We drove past the Dubai Marina with apartment buildings 350+ metres tall (in the background) … favourite for ex-pats. And endless construction sites.

After the tour we walked this seemingly endless air-conditioned elevated walkway …

… to the Sofitel where we stayed the night (tallest building here).

Jan checked her email looking over this construction site (note the completed mosque in the middle).

We then checked out the old part of town, near Dubai creek …

… here is the Old Souk, where Jan clearly had fun.

In the evening we went to the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa.

… and had a (very expensive) drink with the Joneses.

The views before and after sunset are pretty special (even through the desert dust).

The city lights up after dark.

Next day we went to the other side of Dubai Creek …

… and visited the Gold Souk …

… and the Spice Souk …

This is frankincense and myrrh (to go with the gold of course)

Where, by accident we found a little Museum. This is where the Sultan sat to plan the first expansion of Dubai in the 1950’s.

Then back to the stupendous Dubai Mall … 1200 shops, and they are buliding an extension! It’s like many Singapore Malls all under one roof … I’ve never seen anything like it …

… nor have the fish in the internal aquarium!