The City of Gold

               Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to travel to many foreign destinations around the world where I have experienced a range of different cultures and styles of architecture. In 2004 my close friend emmigrated to Dubai, in the UAE, with her family. The following summer I was invited to stay with them and experience their new way of life.

The city is perhaps the most widely recognisable of the seven emirates. The climate is hot and dry with deserts spread accross most of the land. During the day, temperatures are generally too hot to spend a great deal of time outside so we tended to venture out and explore the city in the evening.

Possibly my most memorable experience in the UAE was an off road trip through the dessert in a 4x4 Land Rover. As we drove into the dessert the road slowly became less and less apparent until we were completely surrounded by towering sand dunes. Despite the late afternoon hour, the sand was still very warm to the touch and the panoramic views were incredible.

Dubai is a truely breathtaking city with many abstract and modern pieces of architecture despite the cultures traditional and ethical beliefs. The Burj Al Arab is perhaps the most recognisable building on the cities coastal skyline. Designed to look like the sail of a ship, the Burj is the only seven star hotel in the world. Built on its own ‘private island’ (reclaimed land from the sea) it attracts many of the worlds rich and famous all year round. Sadly a fourteen night stay in this hotel would have set me back thousands (which as a thirteen year old, I couldn’t quite afford).