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FOCUS - FEBRUARY 2016 39 The architecture of Dubai is amazing. ...................... Please turn to page 40 I have never had a desire to visit Dubai as a destination but on a recent trip to Asia it happened to be a stopover which I extended to 4 days and I am so glad I did. I stopped on my way back which was per- fect because Dubai is an extremely modern city with all the amenities one could want. As soon as I landed and stepped off the plane I knew I was in a very modern city. Dubai is actually a city state within the country of the United Arab Emirates. Another somewhat familiar state within the country is Abu Dhabi final resting place of Sir Edmund Hillary conqueror of Mount Everest. The country was protected by the British however they had little use for it in the sixties as it was a vast desert wasteland with no potential. Now that oil has been discovered in the region I wonder how they feel The airport is extremely large and very modern. Most of Dubai is new with only a small old town remaining dating back about 50 years. All of the 300 skyscrapers of the city have been built in the past 10 years. I checked into my hotel a beautiful five star property located on the beach along a 2 km pedestrian walkway filled with shops and eateries. The city is extremely safe and one can walk anywhere any time of day. Severe penalties are issued for people breaking the law. If you are caught jaywalking and you probably will be you are fined 80 on the spot. If you run a red light the fine is a hefty 10000 and your drivers license is impounded. To make this a bit easier for the government traffic light cameras are installed at each intersection. It did not take long for me to realize that this was an ex- pensive city. The breakfast add-on to my room was 50 per person per morning. I passed as a full breakfast is wasted on me. Instead I wandered along the walkway and found a place that served a decent morning meal for only 30. It is difficult to find alcohol anywhere in Dubai. The rules are strict and hotel dining rooms are the only ones allowed to serve proving that you are not a resident. A non-alcohol beer is available in many restaurants and does the trick but there is no room for an Old Flame Brewery franchise in this city. I booked a visit to the top of the Burj Khalifa Tower and was suitably impressed. An astounding 830 metres 2700 feet high makes this the tallest tower in the world. It is a staggering 275 metres 900 feet or 13 higher than our very own CN Tower. The ride to the top is swift and the view of the gulf desert and skyscrapers is unbelievable. Keep in mind the cost to