Dubai

We arrived in Dubai at 5:15am. Went to the spectacular Meydan Hotel. Our rooms have a balcony overlooking the Meydan Racetrack. Everything in the hotel is absolutely state of the art - touch screens command everything, including the keyless entry, toilet functions, drapes, lights. The glass elevators have crystal LED color lights changing around the handrail, and you look like you float to the floors. The elevators are noiseless and fast! The visibility was very poor today with sand. We couldn't see any of the architectural skyscrapers Dubai is so well known for, but we were lucky to have a quick drive thru Dubai last week en route to Cape Town.
This afternoon we went on a desert safari. We thought 4-wheeling meant on dune buggies, but we were strapped in air conditioned 4-wheel drive vehicles and driven in caravan style thru the desert to a camp where we rode a camel, took picture in the sand, watched a belly-dancer, and had an Arabian dinner. It was fun, but I am suffering from an allergy headache due to all the sand in the air. Hopefully will feel better tomorrow.