This is a very late post following my first trip to Dubai last April 2013.

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My first weekend in Dubai was a blast minus the nightmare I had at the airport courtesy of FlyDubai. It was short, but sweet.

After breezing through Dubai Immigration, I almost cried in disbelief that the nightmare was finally over. At the arrival gate of Terminal 3, I saw my sister and Leah Rose (my sister’s friend and now, my friend too) waving at me. Feeling tired from the whole airport saga, I just smiled.

My sister is the closest family I have away from home. Somehow, knowing that gives me comfort and seeing her made me feel so close to home. She is adorable and entertaining in more ways than one. Andre got a taste of that entertainment, we couldn’t stop him from laughing countless times.

I remember an era in the Philippines when almost everyone I know has developed an increased fascination about Dubai. Star Cinema, a local movie production outfit in the Philippines even produced a movie entitled ‘Dubai’. One could not escape to thinking, what was so special about Dubai?

As we drove around the city, there was no denying that Dubai is a cosmopolitan hub. Everywhere I turn my head, all I see were clusters of skyscrapers lurching out of the desert accompanied by tall machine cranes, propped up with scaffolding.

Yes, Dubai is simply dazzling and extraordinary. Most people speak English and virtually all the signs are bilingual (Arabic and English), so getting around is not a problem. The traffic, however, is a different story.

Miracle Garden

The following day, our first destination was at the Miracle Garden in Dubailand. As the name suggests, it is a garden adorned with thousands, if not millions of beautiful flowers of various kind.

As we were entering the garden, I could not marvel the kaleidoscope of color laid before my very eyes — with traditional flowerbeds and topiary-style displays designed into hearts, pyramids, arches, maypoles, birds and stars.

I was blown away. It probably took years of planning to put up a desert oasis like this. We strolled around and took lots of photos for at least 20 minutes or so before the piercing heat of the sun started hurting our skin — for a moment I have forgotten that it was April.

At The Top: Burj Khalifa Experience

Next on our adventure list was to experience at the top of Burj Khalifa. Days before my arrival in Dubai, my sister already made an advanced booking.

For someone with fear of heights, standing on high grounds would spell challenge, if not, torture. People who have come to know me long enough would know that I am afraid of heights. But not even that can stop me to let the experience pass me by (with my fingers crossed).

The walk leading up to the Burj Khalifa elevator entrance was a breeze. The episodic storytelling of how Dubai transformed from past to present and how the Burj Khalifa was built through moving images and videos shown along the dark hallway will make one appreciate the history of Dubai.

In just a matter of 30 seconds, the high speed elevators took us to the observation deck at the 124th floor — the actual tower is 160 stories tall. Believe me, the moment I got out of the elevator, my knees started shaking. Not to mention, my heart pounding non-stop. Vivid recollection of my past experience when I first visited the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 86th level came to life once again.

At the observation deck, visitors can walk around for a 360 degree view of Dubai. With all my might, I was able to conquer my fear (for a moment) to gaze down and to take a photo of the Dubai skyline. What can I say? The view was amazing overlooking most of Dubai.

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Aside from the mall and Souq hopping adventures we did, it was a bit unfortunate that I didn’t get to see as much of Dubai as I would have liked. I will definitely return with a much longer planned itinerary, soon.