(Not) Backpacking in Dubai

It has been really difficult to get wi-fi here in Dubai. It’s not because of costs or anything else – it’s because many of them require a local phone number (including the free internet at the Mall of Dubai) in order to login or pay. Argh! Luckily, we found that the Borders here at the Mall of the Emirates has free wi-fi. Not bad!

Borders you say? Yes. In fact, I have never seen so many different brands in once place than I have seen here in Dubai. It’s incredibly multi-national. They have basically every major retail store brands that I’ve seen on my travels around the world. From Europe, they have Pull and Bear, Bershka, Vero Moda. From Hong Kong they have Giordano, G2000, and Bossini. From the US they have Banana Republic, Aeropostale, and Guess. And of course, all of the major brands like Zara, H&M, Gap, Esprit, and virtually all of the luxury brands. It’s the same for restaurants – they’ve got the usual suspects like Burger King, McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut. But they’ve also got Pinkberry, Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jollibee, Taco Bell, Fatburger, and Baja Fresh.

I guess one of the reasons that all of these chains are here is that Dubai – contrary to what one pictures – is likely the fact that this is the most diverse place I have ever been. It’s diverse because the local population is tiny, and the amount of growth that they have here is ridiculous. Not only do they need migrant workers for stuff like construction, they also need them for the hospitality industry, the retail industry, the food services industry – the list goes on and on. Essentially every job I have encountered is staffed by a migrant worker, and they come from near and far. Filipinos are well represented, as are Kenyans, Nigerians, and Pakistanis. The ex-pat community is likewise diverse I think, and they (along with the rich emirates) are the people who power all of this retail I guess. The biggest clue to this is that everything costs a fortune here. Food, coffee, clothes… they are all priced for people who are not jobless.

Now, who this place is built for… that is another question entirely. This may very likely be the most unreal place I have been outside of Las Vegas (and it may actually rival Las Vegas in that sense.) I have been to a ginormous mall with an aquarium built into one corner and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in another corner, shooting up almost half a mile into the sky. I just got back from looking at an indoor ski slope that runs for half a kilometer or so, and I’m going to see an artificial palm frond land-filled in the ocean before going to the world’s only 7-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab. They’ve gone so nuts here that they’ve started painting the coastline with drops of artificial land-fill islands. There are two palm trees, some crazy tattoo design, and “the world,” which looks like a globe flattened by a giant’s foot. It’s like some kid took a map of Dubai and started doodling on the coast. The only thing that’s missing is a set of islands that spells out “United Arab Emirates” or “Sheik wuz here.” It is one of the few places in the world where the hype is outsized and unbelievable, only to prove to be almost understated when you see the reality of the place.

I think my greatest regret will be not getting to go to floor 124 of the Burj Khalifa. It’s forty bucks that I would love to spend, but won’t get to spend because it’s closed for repairs still – less than two months after it opened. What I will not regret though is getting a room at the Fairmont Dubai. We booked on a super-cheap (for this hotel and for Dubai, not for normal people standards) friends and family rate, and then got upgraded to a 1-bedroom suite when we got here. SCORE. The place is amazing, and one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in anywhere. Plus, the staff is great. I also hope I won’t be disappointed with the Skyview Bar in the Burj Al Arab. We’ll be spending 80 dollars each, minimum on drinks there, so it better be stunning.

That’s it for now. We’re off to Nairobi tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll have some more time then to process pictures and post stuff up. I’ve met a number of people in the past few days that I’d love to talk about, but I just haven’t had time to sit down and put it all on paper. Wish me luck!