Oh, and THEY HAVE AN IKEA!!!!
And no, I'm not a frothing-at-the-mouth fan of Ikea. They just have good product and they're a Swedish company (and I have to support my people). And then there's the civilization factor - you see an Ikea, you know the town's got running water, 5-star hotels, dance clubs, and restaurants that don't get shut down by the health department (and by virtue of this, a health department).
Now don't get me wrong...Doha is not this backasswards kind of place. It's got some gorgeous buildings and museums, cultural events aplenty (including Fedde Le Grande, which I am missing because I'll be out of the country...I'm so pissed), and great shopping thanks to the new high-end wing at the Villagio Mall.
But, sister, lemme tell ya. Dubai is freakin' AMAZING!!!
I was absolutely blown away on so many levels. There's grass (yes, the green stuff that is a tad bit sparse in Doha) and trees and it's so damn clean and modern. At times you honestly feel like you're in the states. And the buildings. They're everywhere. EVERYWHERE! And just when you think you've seen all of them you drive a little further and THERE'S MORE! Holy hell it's crazy!
So yeah, totally sold on Dubai. It may not have the old-timey charm that Doha has but it's absolutely lovely and I could totally live there.
So here's some pics. Totally random and not the best quality as I didn't take my good camera with me. The really tall building is the new Dubai Tower and is the tallest building in the world (160 floors). There's also some of the Burj al Arab hotel which is the 7-star hotel that you always see on the Discovery Channel or TLC. And the ones from the nightclub, Sanctuary (the shot of George mid-dance move) were at the Atlantis Hotel out on the famed Palm (the man-made island in the shape of a palm tree that you see on tv as well). It was kinda surreal to think that you were actually physically on or near these structures.
