Big Fish in the Desert

The brand new Dubai Mall is the largest mall in the world. We just went to see it today. Although it may be considered open, the majority of the shops are not yet completed. But, there are some amazing things to be seen there all the same. Even the parking garages are still under construction and a bit of a crazy maze to get in and out. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Johnny Rockets (come to the desert and eat at a classic American dinner). Even the food court came with a great view of the waterfall that was about 20 feet high and 100 feet wide.

And what would a huge mall be without is own Olympic size ice skating rink with stadium seating and a 65 ft by 32 ft TV screen. When we first walked past it the zamboni was resurfacing the ice. The rink looked fit enough to have the Carolina Hurricanes come rushing out for a game, maybe they will have an exibition match. The rink slowly filled with vistors and shoppers taking to the ice.

On the other side of the mall is the new aqaurium which is an absolutely incredible sight. The aquarium has set a world record for the largest acrylic panel at 107 ft long, 26 ft tall, and 2.5 ft thick. The massive tank is home to over 33,000 fish, mostly small schooling fish. But, there are some gigantic grouper fish, black tip reef sharks, eagle rays, and leopard stingrays. The aquarium even comes with a walk through viewing tunnel that runs the length of the tank.

One thing we haven't managed to figure out is that the shops in all the malls are selling winter clothing. They didn't seem to get the memo that we live in the desert. I'm not sure woolly hats and down jackets are really necessary even for the skating rink or the ski slopes in the Mall of the Emirates.