Hello Dubai

This is actually not my first time going to Dubai but, this time, I had more grasp of how to go about my days in this fantastic city.

I can't help but really appreciate a lot of things about it! It may be the design directions of its buildings, the crossing of various people and cultures, the level of tech used (such as the tech used to integrate their transport system), or me being a night owl keeping up with the night life of the city - I really can't tell which one really made me feel somehow connected to this city.

I arrived late monday evening, February 19, via my Cebu Pacific flight. We stayed at the Novotel Dubai Al Barsha Hotel which, in my opinion, offers a really good breakfast buffet selection, and a great view of the Burj Al Arab from our room.

My first dinner during this trip was a sumptuous sampling of Pakistani food. My impromptu tour guide, Annie, brought me to Nayaab Haandi in Satwa. How can I not love the dishes we ordered, they were chicken! Even the desserts were enjoyable, sweet and milky.

Above: From left to right Malai Tikka, Tandoori Naan, and Handi

Below: Kheer and Ras Malai (left to right)

I was actually sent for work so I had not much time to take photos on the other days. The rest of my leisure tour of Dubai, again with many thanks to Annie, happend on Friday. We met at Burjuman Station of the metro and went to St. Mary's Church, then rode the Abra to Al Ras and the Gold Souk area. Later on, we went to the beach near the Burj Al Arab and ended with the Global Village. Of course, lots of photos taken along the way and some of those made it in this post as you can see below.

Above: Samosa and Tea

Above Left: A miniature version of Burj Khalifa still towering high at Global Village

Above Right: Borek from Turkey has that Smokey Cheese flavor. We really liked the taste!

Cultural Presentations abound in each pavilion of the Global Village. Each are a must to see and appreciate. You'll most likely need to visit the place about maybe 2 to 4 times before you get to see all the presentations.

Mermaid Tail blankets(above), home furnishings (below). A lot is in store for you to choose from inside the pavilions.

Yes, you can buy "Walis Tambo" at the Global Village Far East Pavilion to get into that Bahay-feels while cleaning your place.

The kid above is trying to have a cute "showdown" of dancing skills with the performer on stage.

This performer below from Egypt Pavilion was spinning for about a quarter of an hour. Such an amazing performance to watch live!

On the day of my flight back to Manila, we also dropped by another location - La Mer near the shores of Dubai. It was very nice and a very instagramable of a place. Hope I can visit this again when I get the chance to return to Dubai.