I’ve been back in New York for about 3 days now and Dubai has been on my mind ever since. This trip was by far the best I have ever been on, it was both educational and adventurous. Learning about Expo 2020 and all the plans they have was one of the most informative presentations. We learned about all the planning involved, from before they submitted the bid to after being awarded the Expo. I admire how the whole city came together to make this possible, and I truly believe they deserve it.
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Expo 2020 modelThe most adventurous part of my trip was the Desert Safari. We separated into groups of four and drove on the sand dunes in an SUV. My group asked for the crazy route and it felt like we were on a roller coaster. Our driver, Siraj, was also a great tour guide. He showed us the cricket arena, horse racing field, Arabian sand fish, and we saw a gazelle. We stopped to see camels up close. We sat in a small area to watch a falcon show. After that, we returned to Siraj’s SUV and continued to the dinner camp. I enjoyed the camel ride, even though my camel seemed to be tired and not in the mood, the henna tattoos and trying the shisha. That night, the government announced that because of the Birth of the Prophet, no alcohol, music or belly dancing was allowed. I think the whole group had a good time as we returned back to the DoubleTree hotel.
During our free time, I went to the Global Village where they have a lot of different countries and sold goods and food that represented each. The best part of the trip, which I think my classmates and I can agree on was Mozhgan, our tour guide throughout the trip. She was always so nice and energetic, even those mornings we had to meet up at 7 am, she went above and beyond her job and made us all feel welcomed.
Overall, this trip has been a one of kind, words cannot describe, I highly recommend visiting Dubai! I feel very fortunate to have experienced it with FIU. Thank you, Prof. Kitterlin and Dawn!!! 🙂
Nija in the Dubai desert