Dubaï – Day 02

This morning, we’re off to the highest building in the world: Burj Khalifa. Côme is excited because he always asks us questions about the biggest things in the world. This time we have our tickets and should be there for 11:30 but, at the metro station, we take the wrong exit. We should have taken an indoor footbridge leading to a mall but instead, we went outside. It’s like 40°C (104°F) and the tower is far away. We rush towards it, Côme on Doo’s shoulders but as we at the foot of the tower, a security agent tells us we have to go through the mall because every other entrance is private… It’s 11:20 and we rush back…

We finally get to the tower, Doo has lost 3L of water and we take the elevator up. The show has started already. There is a lightshow inside the elevator, it’s going up really fast, 50th, 60th, 70th floor… It’s the fastest elevator in the world but the ride is really smooth. Apart from our clogging ears, we don’t even feel it’s moving. Once on the 124th floor, it’s difficult to stay in the canopy. It must be 50°C (122°F) but we stay there for the view. Skyscrapers are growing like mushrooms, there is a swimming pool between two buildings, roads intertwined everywhere and of course, the desert. We’re so high up, it feels like we’re in the plane. After cooking in the canopy for about ten minutes, we’re back inside. It’s much nicer and we can really take our time going around the building for a 360° view. Côme buys his first souvenir at the shop (a miniature tower).

Then we’re off to the mall. We take a pic-nic at the food court (egg sandwiches) and go to the aquarium that’s inside the mall. Like everything here, it’s huge! There’s the world biggest screen on top of the aquarium and an underwater tunnel. Côme is delighted to walk underneath sharks, we discover many species we didn’t know existed (sea dragons, frogs that look like Harry Potter’s chocolate frogs), we take a look at one of the biggest alligator in the world…

We end the day with a sound and light show at the fountain in front of Burj Khalifa. Today, was a day out of scale…

Today, Côme:
Did not understand: why the big sharks didn’t eat the fishes swimming with them.
Learnt: that sea dragons existed.
Loved: to look at the sharks and crocodiles.

Julia:
Did not understand: the folly of the Emiratis who have built a 1 million m² mall whereas they only wear djelabahs.
Learnt: that it took 5 years to build Burj Khalifa.
Enjoyed: looking at the Ray Mantas swim.

Doo:
Did not understand: why the light and sound fountain show was so short (only one song).
Learnt: that there are 2600 windows to clean at Burj Khalifa and that it takes 3 months to do it.
Enjoyed: finally visiting Burj Khalifa.