Dubai- A Land Of Whopping Records

DAY 2

Having a peaceful time at Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai

We got up at 6 am(yes you read it just fine) the next morning, thanks to my friend Shubhankar who did not want to waste any time while on vacation(how stupid I was to think that vacations are meant to while away your time). hahaha! Sometimes I wondered whether he actually caught any sleep over the entire trip or not because he was always up and ready whenever I saw him(I literally never found him in his night wear or while brushing his teeth). Well that was a boon for me as I always got the bathroom to myself every morning throughout the entire trip.

Jumeirah Grand Mosque

So let's talk about Day 2. I didn't take much time that morning, got up, had a bath and was all set to begin another day's adventure with my buddy. It was still time for check out and other people in the house were still asleep, so we decided to take a walk in the neighborhood.

We headed towards the Jumeirah Mosque, one of the most adored landmarks in the U.A.E, which was barely a mile from the house. On our way, we went past Dubai Zoo and also saw a fleeting glimpse of a Lion resting in his enclosure(we were feeling lucky!).

A few steps later, we spotted a super market and that was a relief I tell you. We bought milk, chocolates, breads and chips, ate most of it and kept the remaining in the bag for later. With our batteries fully recharged, we marched forward. Google Maps told us we were almost there so we looked for signs here and there and very soon we could see minarets and a large glowing dome in the distance. We were so excited that we started running towards the monument. The DSLR came out of its pouch, camera app was immediately pressed on the phone and we were all ready with giggles and smiles to create awesome memories for posterity.

The Mosque was huge, complete with four little domes on the sides, one big shining dome at the centre and two long minarets close to it. It is said to be the most photographed mosque in Dubai and we obviously wanted to keep up with the record, so no time was wasted in admiring the beauty of the place and we clicked away pictures from all angles and with all poses we could think of.

After spending some good time at the historic cum religious monument, we ran back to Tamo's place(our AirBnB) as we had to check out from our room on time lest she would give us bad traveler ratings on AirBnB. haha!

Our excitement knew no bounds, enroute to the Mosque

We managed to check out on time and decided to go to our next host whose place was right on Jumeirah Beach(the hottest address in Dubai) but we figured that we were short on time as we also had to reach downtown by 11 am for the Burj Khalifa spectacle. We made a very difficult decision to take all our luggage with us to Dubai Mall(the largest mall in the world from where one can enter Burj Khalifa which is of course the tallest building on earth), hoping there would be some kind of storage room over there.

It turned out to be a wise decision as there was luggage space for travelers visiting At The Top Observatory at Burj Khalifa where we left all our heavy burden and took a step towards the clouds(It's literally like taking an elevator to a mountain peak). My ears blocked due to air pressure difference in the elevator(also the fastest in the world) as we leapfrogged multiple floors in a jiffy and reached the top in just a few seconds.

The view from the top was exhilarating and quite surreal actually. I could see the Persian Gulf to my left, lots and lots of high rises everywhere and the vast expanse of U.A.E desert in the distance. The clouds seemed to be at the same level and the weather also felt much cooler at the 125th floor of the building(At The Top includes access to floors 124 and 125). After loads of photo shoots and some mandatory souvenir shopping for our people back home, we were ready to say a final good bye to the enchanting place.

We left our bags at the security so that we could roam about the Dubai Mall with ease. The mall was ridiculously huge- trees lined up along some of the pathways and cars plied on the walkways for tourists and daily visitors alike. My friend is smitten by exotic cars and gets mad whenever he sees a Lambo or a Tesla. I remember how excited he was when he sat in one of the Tesla cars which were on display near the Aquarium. Yes there is a big sea world in the middle of the mall and you can see all kinds of big and small fish flying around behind the gigantic glass wall. In a nutshell, Dubai Mall is a fully integrated and entertainment packed resort city which has something for everyone.

Although we couldn't cover the whole mall, we had to leave as it was getting very late and we had to check in at Thierry's place(our next host). We took our bags, went out, boarded a cab and saw the downtown lights fading in the distance as our car whizzed towards Jumeirah Beach.

This is the enchanting view I am talking about
 At The Top, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall

My pal going gaga over Tesla (;
Dubai Mall

Oh what a feeling it was when we saw the huge Villa(also realizing that this Bungalow was going to be our home for next 2 days). It was right on the beach overlooking the mesmerizing Gulf Of Persia and we could already spot Burj Al Arab(the first 7 star property in the world) not far from us. We were greeted pleasantly by Thierry and were guided into our room.

We just couldn't wait in the room as we had to explore so much nearby. We went out and kept walking along the beach which never seemed to end. On the way we saw many cafes playing lively music and people enjoying themselves on the beach and children playing volleyball and football on the velvety sand. It was a like a late night party on the beach. We came very close to Burj Al Arab(also the most expensive hotel in the world) but decided to just stop mid-way and relax on the beach. We would see the landmark from up-close the next morning. Lying on the sand under a canopy of stars with recurrent sea waves producing a soul stirring music, we reflected upon all the things we did, sights we beheld, food we ate and people we met that eventful day.

Selfies are always in!
Jumeirah Beach