Today I went up to the top of the world's tallest building. Can't say that every day! Burj Khalifa (The Khalifa Tower) is truly a feat of epic proportions. Not only is it the world's tallest building, it also lays claim to being the tallest freestanding structure in the world, having the most stories of any building in the world, having the highest outdoor observation deck in the world and the longest single elevator in the world. Oh, and if you laid all of the steel in the building end to end, it would stretch around more than a quarter of the globe. Impressive indeed.
And yet, one of the most impressive parts were the disp
lays on the way up and down to the top, showing how it was constructed, the thousands of minds from all around the globe that came together to make it a reality and the pictures of the laborers as they were building it (at it's peak, 12,000 workers were on site each day).
lays on the way up and down to the top, showing how it was constructed, the thousands of minds from all around the globe that came together to make it a reality and the pictures of the laborers as they were building it (at it's peak, 12,000 workers were on site each day). Still being new to the city, it was a cool way to get an overview of it and be a
ble to visualize it for future reference in getting around. The architecture in the downtown is so modern and very unique and it was great to be able to see it all from so high up. There were viewers where you could look out at any given spot and get a current, day, night and 'historical' view. It was remarkable to look through it and see a section of the city as it is now, then to push a button and see the 'before' version which was almost pretty solidly a flat, barren desert. Amazing how quickly, and how impressively it has transormed itself so quickly into a world hub. It is literally rising out of the desert.
ble to visualize it for future reference in getting around. The architecture in the downtown is so modern and very unique and it was great to be able to see it all from so high up. There were viewers where you could look out at any given spot and get a current, day, night and 'historical' view. It was remarkable to look through it and see a section of the city as it is now, then to push a button and see the 'before' version which was almost pretty solidly a flat, barren desert. Amazing how quickly, and how impressively it has transormed itself so quickly into a world hub. It is literally rising out of the desert. After coming down, I spent some time in the air conditioning to have lunch and wait out the worst of the afternoon heat. I wanted to go to the outdoor souks (markets) and since it's so ho
t here during the day, they're closed during the afternoon hours anyhow. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around in blistering, sweltering heat weaving through the gold, spice, textile and covered souks. Unfortunately, as the vendors are so agressive and every one you walk by is trying to pull you into his stand to look at things, it kind of kills the moment and makes you not even want to glance in the direction of anything just to avoid having someone breathing down your neck. So, needless to 
say, I didn't buy anything. I didn't even really look at anything. But I did at least get to see them. At one point, to cross the creek that runs through the middle of the city, I had to take an 'abra', an old-fashioned boat that they still use as taxis here. Cool and quaint, all at the same time.
t here during the day, they're closed during the afternoon hours anyhow. I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around in blistering, sweltering heat weaving through the gold, spice, textile and covered souks. Unfortunately, as the vendors are so agressive and every one you walk by is trying to pull you into his stand to look at things, it kind of kills the moment and makes you not even want to glance in the direction of anything just to avoid having someone breathing down your neck. So, needless to 
say, I didn't buy anything. I didn't even really look at anything. But I did at least get to see them. At one point, to cross the creek that runs through the middle of the city, I had to take an 'abra', an old-fashioned boat that they still use as taxis here. Cool and quaint, all at the same time.Tonight Dolores, Andres and I had dinner with a German girl Dolores knows. We ate at a fabulous outdoor Chinese restaurant on the marina near their house. The combination of the ambience, the interesting conversation, being next to the water, a perfect breeze and the great com
pany made for one lovely evening indeed.
pany made for one lovely evening indeed.
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