I was in hibernation.
I was too lazy to update my blog. Then I realized that it would be better to consistently update my activities, than to regret not remembering all the things I did. I know my memory will fail me later.
While I was away, I went visit the majestic Burj Al-Arab.
At 321 m (1,053 ft), it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure whose shape mimics the sail of a ship (Wikipedia).
Nope, we didn’t get to see the inside of the hotel. We heard that it is very expensive to book a hotel tour for non-guests. Rates would not come cheap for this seven-star hotel. The room rates start from AED 6000- AED 14000 (USD1600- USD 3800).
We were content to take our photos outside the Burj, along the Jumeirah shoreline. We went to the Burj on two separate times- one in the evening and one in the early morning. The Teflon- coated hotel is brilliant white during a sunny day, but takes on an entirely different look at night. Computer programmed spotlights create a changing tableau of colors on the white façade. We could not miss these two sides of the Burj.
I was amazed at this architectural marvel towering Dubai. But did you know that there is a Cross story about this hotel. It seems that if you see the hotel from the seaward side, you would see the world’s largest Christian cross. Urban legend says that the designer Mr. Tom Wright, intentionally designed the cross after he had a dream about Christianity influencing a Muslim country. On 2001, Dubai introduced a vehicle plate with the Burj Al-arab symbol. But later on, the symbol was removed from the plates without any explanations. Conspiracy theory huh? This remained to be unanswered. However, notice that 99% of the images of the Burj are from the mainland looking toward the sea. I'm so much fascinated with these schemes.
The Burj Al-Arab is certainly one of the symbols of Dubai. This masterpiece monument is just one of the things why Dubai is often referred to as the land of superlatives.
For more info of the Burj Al-Arab:
https://www.jumeirah.com/en/Hotels-and-Resorts/Destinations/Dubai/Burj-Al-Arab/
