The day before yesterday I had the most amazing experience of my life. And when I say amazing, I really mean it. It was like nothing else.
Staying in Al-Ain means that Dubai is only 90 minutes away so we can drive there pretty easily. We (my family) have been doing exactly this for the past few years, every time we come on holiday. Dubai is probably my favourite city in the world that I've been to. Everything about it amazes me. From the skycrapers to the cars. The people to the scenery. The best thing about it all is that it all has a meaning behind it, whether it be the name of the buildings or the Arabic culture which is woven beautifully into everything you see around you. The fact that Dubai is so modern and high tech but it has been developed with their roots in mind is something to applaud them for. The city is no less than a masterpiece.
But one thing I've always wanted to do in Dubai is to go to the top of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. And I finally had the good fortune of doing this on Friday. It was kind of last minute planning actually. We booked the tickets for it in the car on our way to Dubai. We got their a little early so spent time looking around Dubai Mall. For a girl like me that place is like heaven. I'm more into window shopping when it comes to shops like Elie Saab and Chanel. Buying those brands isn't everyone's cup of tea after all, Well not for most people. I'm just happy looking at all the mannequins dressed in clothes fresh from the catwalk, imagining myself in them. I mean who doesn't want to walk around in Louis Vuitton? Although I'm satisfied with the intangible feeling of being part of that lifestyle for a few minutes whilst walking past those shops. Wouldn't have my life any other way. Wearing highly-priced clothes doesn't compare to what I was going to see for myself a little later.
We finally got to the part of Dubai Mall where we got entry into Burj Khalifa. Every part of the journey from the second we got in queue was made so special. Even the corridor leading into Burj Khalifa was lined with TV screens that told all about the the tower, it's meaning, the aim behind it and all the people who were part of it's construction. There's something greatly significant about going there and being part of history. Before we knew it we were stood in front of the elevator that took us up. The tourist attraction is at the 125th floor even though the actual building is a few more floors higher. As we got into the lift it looked nothing different to any ordinary lift but once the doors closed and it started moving up, the lights went out and a projection started playing on the walls of the lift. It seemed like we were in the glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, moving through the clouds in the night sky. The projection showed us how our height above ground was increasing and some of the major skyscrapers in the world that we would be going past as we went higher and higher. The lift ride lasted just under a minute before we finally got to the top and the doors opened. I could feel my ears popping because of the air pressure as you would feel in a plane.
What I saw next was nothing like anything else I'd seen. Walking up to the glass walls and seeing how high up I was literally brought tears to my eyes. That's a big thing since not much can make me cry. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and carried on gazing at the view in front of me with no words, The sunset reflecting against the ocean was just the cherry on the top. And then I got on to what I do best and that's take pictures and videos of everything. We'd also made it just in time so we could watch the Dubai (dancing) Fountain (another favourite attraction of mine) from above.
Perception changes things so much. I kept looking at how tiny the cars looked moving across the roads, never mind the people who were tiny dots barely visible to the eye. Looking ahead I could see miles and miles in front of me, past the city and into the desert. I was in awe. My feet were aching in heels from walking around all day but I couldn't care less. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life and I was going to make the most of it.
After spending an hour up there, we finally left but the goosebumps hadn't. This is probably not the last time I will be visiting the top.
