It seemed as if someone had applied the blur feature in Photoshop as we descended towards Dubai International Airport. The sea and sky merged beautifully as the haze seamlessly married the two harmoniously. The closer we got to the coastline, it reminded me of the time I left New York . Back then, it was sunset as the Manhattan silhouette shrunk while we rose above the Atlantic. This time, it was sunrise during our descent over the Persian Gulf, and despite the resemblance of their Western ally in more than one way, one thing amongst many that diffrentiates Dubai is the Burj al Arab, which stood with a hint of pride. It also stood menacingly amidst the other towering blocks of concrete and glass. Perhaps even gleeful.
It was precisely why I chose to sit on the right side of the aircraft - a landing with a sight that never fails. And with that, we touched down. With an average of 714 aircraft movements a day, Dubai Airport has grown tremendously from what it was 20 years ago. I shudder to think my memory is able to go back almost a quarter of a century. Knowing what Dubai was back then, you can easily see why you would miss the charm - wooden dhows strewn along the banks of old markets boasting with spices and silk materials, gold ornaments and metal coffee pots. They may still be there but your focus now shifts from the charm of a previous century to the awe of the future.
As for the flight itself, once again, we weren't let down this time either. Although the flight was full, it was another experience for the books, and another journey that was as pleasant as all the previous ones.
Dubai though, is a different story - it seems to change every time you visit. What seperates this city from many others, is the abundance of desert land that can be altered to the specifications to both magnify and beautify the emerging metropolis. As if thats not enough, the western coastline is taunted with raised sea beds to accomodate what the imagination of man can only dream of. In Dubai, dreams can come true. Unlike New York however, the tall buildings are adorned with beautiful landscapes on all sides, while a thread of the new monorail network unravels its welcoming sight for the traffic commuters stuck in their cars. The southern areas of Dubai have really emerged from the desert sands, with one area now being called the 'New Dubai'. Highways and major arteries are as quick to rise as a cake batter in an oven - after all, Dubai is just as hot as an oven itself.
Speaking of hot, as the day intensified in volume, it also gave in to the mercury as it climbed a little above 45C (113F), while the RealFeel dangerously flirted with the 50C (120F) mark. For this city, intense is the right word in almost all aspects - not only for the temperature, but the structures, the beauty, the airport, the airline. All of them seem to crank up the heat just as the new roads sit baking under the hot desert sun. Desert? I'm just not sure anymore.
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