With such mind boggling figures in my head, I couldn't wait to visit this strange, brand new, and other- worldly city that has literally sprung up out of the desert in less than half of my own lifetime. And with the economic downturn, a trip to Dubai is far more affordable than it was a couple of years ago.

Dubai is one of the seven Emirates, or Sheikdoms, that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf on the edge of the Arabian Desert bordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman, with Iran just across the straits. A location to give most Americans the shudders, my mom was convinced we were entering enemy territory. Nothing could be further from the truth as Dubai has virtually no crime, and is statistically one of the world’s safest cities. Although Dubai courts all types of tourists (and Europeans flock here in droves) it is an Arab nation, and the laws of Islam apply. It is illegal to drink alcohol, eat pork or be gay. I know, I know.... insert your own joke here. Luckily for us, and the thousands of other western tourists, the Islamic laws do not apply within the boundaries of hotel grounds. And pretty much everything in Dubai is on hotel premises of some sort. The beaches, the malls, the restaurants and night clubs all fall under this handy exclusion. 

It was early morning when we first arrived. The overnight flight from London was about seven hours. I was bleary-eyed on the cab ride to our hotel, but my first impressions were strong enough to penetrate the fog in my head. The city is still a massive building site. Much of what you hear about Dubai is still under construction, and will be for many years to come. Twenty five per cent of all the worlds’ cranes are in this one city, laboring eighteen hours a day, six days a week. (Friday is a holy day). Driving along the fourteen lane highway in Downtown Dubai, I felt like we had arrived somewhere in the future. My love of science fiction kept me thinking we had beamed into a Star Trek episode. The buildings lining the sides of the freeway are so far out, so futuristic, huge and mind blowing! An architectural landscape that Ray Bradbury would have dreamed up.

Our hotel, the fabulous Grosvenor House was at the entrance to the Marina, a short walk from the white sands of Jamiera Beach, and the warm turquoise waters of the Persian Gulf. Most of this area is already built up, but they are still building a monorail and re-configuring the roads to cope with the massive flow of traffic. It is a common sight to see hordes of laborers in dusty blue coveralls marching from the construction site to the lines of white vans waiting to take them back to their camps outside the glamorous city limits.

While hundreds of nationalities can be found in Dubai, there are only three classes of people here: Rich Arabs, Poor Laborers, and Rich Tourists. As we arrived at our gorgeous high rise hotel, an un-air conditioned van full of bewildered Indian workers was pulling out, while a huge black Rolls Royce was pulling in. Welcome to Dubai.

True to its reputation, the service, friendliness and over-all supreme luxury of the Grosvenor House was flawless. Everything is new and polished, and every face has a welcoming smile. Our plush room was on the 39th floor and faced the Gulf, and the new amazing mega-structure that is 'Palm Jamiera'. This is the largest man-made island in the world, and is built in the shape of a palm tree inside a circle. The 'trunk' is three miles long, with each frond stretching a mile and a half into the water. Hugely expensive villas line the Palm with their own stretch of white man made beach in front of them. The list of residents include Michael Jackson, David Beckham and Kylie Mignogue, and just about every sheik in the Emirates. At the top of the circle is the newly opened hotel Atlantis. A gaudy, pink Arab confection featuring the world’s most expensive hotel suite (at $25,000 a night). Our suite was a much more palatable $400 a night. Not cheap, but it did include pick up from the airport in a BMW limo, the most fabulous breakfast I have ever seen, and free cocktails every evening at sunset. I considered it excellent value for money.

Our friend Trish, whom I worked with in London and who is a part time resident of Dubai, was our host for the Easter weekend's sight seeing. Her glamorous friend Lorna, a New Zealand native and full time Dubai resident took us to all of her favorite places, including the old harbor where poor immigrants pack and unload ramshackle boats that keep the city supplied with everything. Dubai is a desert and produces little more than dates and petroleum products. Every item on all of those five star menus has come from somewhere else. The four of us stopped for a delicious lunch of fresh salads and juices, and I could not help but wonder where the crab, avocados, mangoes and pomegranate seeds had all come from.

The next day we signed up for a desert safari and a luxury 4x4 picked us up in front of the hotel for the hour and a half ride out to the dunes. It was my first time in the real desert (Palm Springs and Vegas not included), and I absolutely loved it. My sci-fi fantasies continued as we left the futuristic city and arrived in the endless red sands of the Arabian Desert, where I kept expecting to see the giant sand worms from my favorite work of science fiction: DUNE by Frank Herbert. 

Our 4x4 joined a group of eleven others, and after half of the air in the tires had been let out, we cruised out onto the hot sands and began an exhilarating and scary rollercoaster ride up, down, over and through the dunes. We made a stop at a camel farm for an up close and personal meeting with these strange, sweet natured beasts, and then continued onto a high plateau to watch the red sun disappear into the desert.  Next we made our way to a Bedoiuin camp for an evening of sheesha pipes, belly dancing and a feast served on carpets and low tables. Of course this was all for the benefit of the paying tourists, but it still felt real to me. A celebration of the traditional ways of the desert. I was swept up in the moment and even joined the belly dancer on stage to the amusement of Freddie and Trish, and possibly a few others in the crowd.

I loved every minute of our five star hotel experience: the decadent food, the delightful service, the amazing pools and beaches, but my overall favorite part of the trip was that warm, breezy evening in the desert.

On the last day, Lorna took us for a drive around the city to experience the world’s largest mall, featuring the world’s largest fish tank and the worlds largest indoor ski resort. We had a drink in the world’s highest bar, and stopped in several more fantasy hotels in the world’s fastest growing city. The mad scientists behind all this are now building "The World", another series of man-made islands in the shape of the counties of Earth. For a few hundred million, you can buy yourself an island in the shape of England or Japan or Florida. Business has slowed up recently, so you may be able to scoop yourself a bargain.