The Traveling Idiots-Where The Tuck Are They Now?: The Top of the World!

It's kind of hard to believe but in just a little over 36 hours the overseas part of this adventure will be over. From the zaniness of practically all things India, the serenity of Chitwan National Park in Nepal to the "over the top" of Dubai, it's been a blast. When we leave Dubai we'll be heading to New York (14 hour flight) where we'll spend a week before heading to Texas to visit Ben for Thanksgiving. I'm anxious to see how New York stacks up. It's always seemed so hectic, busy and tall but it may seem like a more relaxed place and not quite so tall now.
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a population of close to three million. Historically speaking the region where Dubai is located dates back to the seventh century but in reality it's pretty much a city that has sprung up in the last 20-30 years. Oil was discovered in the area in the 60's which got the ball rolling, but the real growth started in the 90's. It would be easy to compare Dubai to Las Vegas. They both were built in the desert and they both are very over the top, but that's probably where the comparisons end. Vegas is built around the gaming industry while Dubai is much more diverse. There is a focus on tourism, trade and oil and with the money they have here everything they do is done in a big way.
http://www.condohotelsdubai.com/articles/dubai-incredible.html
We're staying at the world's tallest hotel. This morning we were pretty much on top of the world when we went to the observation deck of the Burj Khaliaf, the worlds tallest building. The tallest building is attached to the world's largest mall. You can get there by taking the world's first driverless metro...........I think you get the picture. Over here it's go big or go home.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_hotels
http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/index.aspx
In addition to checking out Dubai we also did a tour of Abu Dhabi yesterday. Adu Dhabi is the second largest city in the UAE and also serves as the capital. Unlike Dubai, there is construction taking place but it's actually at a much more normal pace. Adu Dhabi was modern, clean and calm. The palaces and government buildings were immaculate. The Corniche (beachfront promenade) was spectacular but the most impressive site was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The mosque will accommodate over 40,000 worshippers under it's 82 domes, over 1000 columns and massive chandeliers. It was an amazing site to see both from the outside and inside.
https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/see.and.do/attractions.and.landmarks/family.attractions/abu.dhabi.corniche.aspx
https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/see.and.do/attractions.and.landmarks/family.attractions/sheikh.zayed.grand.mosque.aspx
We've got a few more adventures before heading out. Tonight is a desert safari which includes a dune bashing jeep ride, camel ride, sand dune surfing, dinner and belly dancing (trained professionals, not me) and more. Tomorrow we do a little bit more of a tour of the city and a dinner cruise before heading to the airport for our 2:45 AM flight. 36+ hours is plenty of time for some more fun!