The Emirates

I had been enjoying my time in the Emirates.

It was a very tourist's view I had received, but it was still impressive.  Up close, the development of the city was amazing, particularly given how quickly it had all occurred.

I really liked the fact that even though these were all "modern" constructs, there had been a determined effort made for the Arabic styles to be pushed through as well.  It may have all been a facade, but it still made the building feel like they actually belonged to the region instead of merely having been airlifted in from some Western country.

I sat within the food courts or the cafes inside these buildings, and I drank the coffees and I ate the dates.  There was a feint hint of the experiences I had once had as backpacker, even if only passing.

It wasn't Syria, but it was still nice to be back in the Middle East.