It didn't come as a surprise that the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest man-made structure in the world, was the first and the only landmark that I could recognize from my airplane window as our evening flight landed in the UAE.
And by some stroke of good yet bitter-sweet fortune, it was also the last stop in the itinerary that Brinee prepared during my weeklong vacation at Dubai - the desert megalopolis, the city of superlatives and my sister's second home.
At that time, I allowed her complete rein of my schedule, which was a decision that would make me scratch my head and then smile now in retrospect. Almost everyday we visited one new supermall and logged in the process kilometers of just walking around massive airconditioned retail spaces. So you could just imagine why I was looking forward to my last day in Dubai when I could 'rest' from all those window-shopping.
But when Saturday finally came, I failed to convince my sister to accompany me At The Top, an observation deck located at the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa. She told me that "she's afraid of heights and that she could always go anytime if she wanted to do something crazy in her life."As I made my way through the queue, the incredible displays showing the architectural grandeur of the Khalifa and finally outside the lift that would take me up the observation deck, I slowly accepted the fact that I would be alone at the top.By the time I stepped on the outdoor balcony, I would be lying if I say that the soundtrack that immediately played at the back of my head was an Imagine Dragons single. Instead, it was that Carpenters song, the one with the very familiar and sappy tune. Because even for a few minutes, I really felt that I was at the top of the world.Thankfully I managed to shut myself up and just sang the lyrics in my mind as I watched Dubai's sand dunes from afar, the luxurious Burj Al Arab near the Gulf, the various interchanges along SZR and the skyscrapers in the vicinity.At this elevation, everything looked like Lego masterpieces or a scene in the Game of Thrones' opening title. It was breathtaking, beautiful and overwhelming. Everything was hard to take all in - I almost wanted to cry.It's one of those moments where you'd like to share with someone special in your life. I then silently prayed that if I could return to Dubai someday, I'll drag my sister to this same spot (or At The Top Sky located 24 floors higher) and that my parents could also see this view sooner than later.On my way back, I recalled what someone told me about the Burj Khalifa. She said that it looked like a raised middle finger in the desert. The analogy is quite true, in both the literal sense and otherwise.After all, this 830 m engineering marvel is one of Dubai's many ways of telling the whole world that "Just when you thought you have figured it out, wait for us. We'll shatter your Guinnness record and make new categories too along the way."So they were able to build a half-a-mile-high skyscraper in the middle of a desert, then anything is possible in Dubai.----------At The Top ticket prices depend on the time of the day. Morning schedules (up until 3:30 PM) costs AED125 if bought online. During sunset and onwards it would cost a bit more.For updates on schedules and ticket prices, please visit the Burj Khalifa website.
