Hello Dubai!

You know you're not in Oregon anymore when the first web site to pop up after logging into the swift and free wifi at the hotel in Dubai is this Google page....(by the way, I wish USA hotels would follow suit....over 80% of the rest of the world's have way better and free wifi than we do) ...

The first of two days in Dubai and I am now 12 hours ahead of where I was in Oregon time.  After traveling for over 24 hours, the flight from San Francisco being 16 of that, it is 6 am Tuesday. In Oregon it is 6 pm Monday night. I haven't slept much, but that doesn't dim my brimming excitement about being here, witnessing a Muslim country firsthand. The days are tightly scheduled by the Dubai Tourism Board for 45 lucky travel advisors from all over the US who have been selected to experience some legendary Middle eastern hospitality.  They did not disappoint.

The Anatara Palm Jumeirah set the stage for a very welcome nibble and bubbly awaiting us when we rolled late into our rooms...

The next morning (which came much too quickly) we were whisked up to then newly opened Waldorf Astoria for Dubai Tourism's orientation. 

The tantalizing sight of the iconic Burj al Arab....which translates to Tower of Arabia....greeted me as I wandered the grounds as the sun was rising.

......

 Later that day we would be treated to more mesmerizing views of this stunning piece of engineering artwork.  As the sun set over the Gulf of Arabia, our day came to an end with "sundowners" and gourmet delicacies served on a private patio of the Jumeirah Palm Beach hotel, as the Burj stood sentinel over the white sand and glittering crystal sea. ...pure magic.

It seems to me that Dubai's mission is to blow your mind with the sheer scale, audacity and ambition of its presence in this part of the world.  Over and over the words of the Dubai Tourism Board that morning came back to me..."nothing is impossible".