My visit to Dubai - Part II

I take off from where I left in my last posting.

To start with the airport has more than doubled in size with the added new terminal. Its quite different in architecture in comparison with the older one. The modern elements are made visible with the designing and colors. The security remain the same though :)

There are no more free rooms. In fact, one needs to be in the category of "who's who" or at least be sent by one to afford a good hotel room in today's Dubai. There are no more close hotels. Everything seems far thanks to the tremendous surge in traffic. I could hardly see the open sky anymore. All I saw were towering sky scrappers of the finest and most unusual architecture. It was quite a sight. During my stay I did have the opportunity to visit the same mall I had visited years back and although the layout remained the same the brands have changed. In smaller local brand has made room for a larger international brand. Global brands embrace each and every inch of shopping space in the mall and on the large hoardings outside and on the roads as well.

Every street has some on-going construction. The roads are packed with the best of vehicles. I can't think of any other city with a Lexus taxi ! The city buzzes with activity. People value time and are on the move always.

The city has created one icon after the other and continues to do so. The most famous of them the Burj Al Arab which stands majestically in the Arabian Sea just off the coast. The more recent

landmarks are the palms and the world which are man made islands which have literally made impossible, possible. Then there is the world's largest tower - the Burj Dubai, the world's largest shopping mall (supposedly) - the Dubai Mall, the list goes on.