My brief visit to the United Arab Emirates was one of the high points of last year for me (UAE). I travelled there for two reasons: one, to see one of my closest friends who had relocated to Dubai, and second, to take advantage of a layover. I had just returned from a lengthy vacation that took me through Morocco and Turkey, and because my flight back to Manila (Philippines) was connecting there, I made the decision to just take advantage of the situation and stay there for more than a week.