Chilling Out

Today I did part two of "The Big Bus Tour." I only did half of it yesterday because the heat was getting to me. The whole tour takes about 5 hours, and that doesn't count the time you spend at any of the stops when you hop off.

Everywhere you look here, you see amazing architecture and a lot of construction.





Here's Jumeirah Beach, a public beach that's very popular:


It's right next to the Burj Al Arab, which is THE landmark of Dubai. It calls itself the world's only 7-star hotel, and it's ridiculously expensive. I'll post more about it later, but here are a few pics:


Note the heliport at the top. You may have seen the pictures of Andre Agassi and Roger Federer playing tennis up there...

Or Tiger Woods teeing off from the same spot. Crazy.

I stopped at another mall, the Deira City Centre, which is the busiest mall in Dubai. It was packed.


It's more down-to-earth than the Mall of the Emirates. I noticed a lot more women here wearing Burqas, with only a slit for their eyes.

When you take a closer look at them, you realize the burqas are not all black... most of them have subtle designs, or patterns of beads.. little bits of individuality...

One store had key chains with a horoscope for each birthday. I laughed when I saw mine:


I got back on the bus and stopped at one of the places I really wanted to see - the recently-opened "Chill Out" bar.

I cannot explain how amazing this place is. After you pay about 17 bucks, they give you a parka, gloves, and insulated shoes. Then, basically, you walk into a freezer. The entire bar is made out of ice. Everything is ice - the tables, the chairs, the 7-foot high chandelier... everything. I took a lot of pictures, but they don't do it justice. (Click on any picture on this site for a larger version.)









The ice is made by a special process that makes it crystal-clear.


Look closely... that last one's a camel sculpture.

I'm going to try to post a couple of videos. Hit "play."




Anyway, your 17 bucks also includes one drink.

Picking up my glass made of ice...

Cheers!

Unfortunately, this being the UAE, that drink is non-alcoholic. Still, it was tasty.
The temperature in the bar is 21 degrees Fahrenheit, so you don't want to stay long. They do serve food, though. After I left, I went to a coffee shop and ordered a hot chocolate. And yesterday I thought I was going to pass out from the heat!

One last note- on the way back to the hotel, I passed a movie theater. I went inside to see what was playing, but the only thing about to start was Daddy Day Camp! Before leaving, I took a look at the concession area- and guess what they had? More corn in a cup! It was delicious.