Dubai rocks. I was there earlier in the year, and right now, it's an intriguing blend of old and new, Western and Arabian. On the one hand, you have the old-fashioned cultural heritage-type places, and then you have the presence of every Western brand/chain known to man. Many buildings have two towers to them, just so they can have a name (like Rolex, or Marriot) posted first in English letters, then in Arabic script.

And yeah, the newer buildings are out of this world. Cutting-edge, dynamic, creative, and -different-. From the ultra-fabulous hotels to the manmade island resorts, Dubai's reinventing itself for tourism... after all, they want to be prepared should the oil money ever run dry.

I love Dubai, and want to go back eventually when the Palm Islands and the World are closer to done.