August 06, 2006

Dubai does it again! And again! Most of us have probably read about their housing developments, but this is the first I'd heard of ski resorts in the desert.
posted by path 18 years ago
  • crazy, they are making snow. in Canada, we only do snow sports because we have no choice. really, we are all wishing it were summer.
  • I feel this is definitely a case of just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.
  • Future archaeologists will find the remains of these developments inscrutable.
  • "A Unique Experience: The project consists of a dome - a steel structure - that will include a huge revolving ski slope, going through and around an artificial mountain range - created to emphasize the "Arctic Experience" effect. Two huge real-ice columns will mark the entrance to the dome. Within the dome, there will be all kind of Arctic experiences, ranging from Penguinarium..." I want my own Penguinarium. I want it now.
  • There was a huge indoor sky slope in Japan that went bankrupt as the bubble burst. Guess when the oil money dries up, all these places will become ruins too. Or maybe end up retrofitted.
  • this will be one of those attractions at which some catastrophic failure will lead to the grisly death of dozens of tourists.... /salivates
  • Penguariums don't belong in any Arctic experience! They should be all the way down at the Antarctic experience.
  • An update on the first of the man-made island communities, the Palm.
  • Yeah, we know, you've got all the money and no common sense.
  • I do?
  • I suddenly want to be path's bestest friend ever.
  • Ah, chikie-baby, we'll go to Jack in the Box, and you can have whatever you want! I generally get a couple of tacos, 'cause they're cheap, You could even have an Ultimate Cheese Burger, and a Dr. Pepper. Maybe some fries, if you're really hungrym just becaue you're my bestest friend, ever.
  • That's EXACTLY what I mean! Creating islands. Manufacturing snow in the desert. I'm sure this all started with a liberal attitude toward snacking on "fries"
  • Not sure who started this craziness, but the establishment of a skating rink, a zoo including penguins, and ski slopes have also been objectives of Turkmenbashi in the past few years, mention of which has been made here.
  • psst, path, your invocation to the Lost Sock worked
  • If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.
  • Would you feel differently if it was a greenhouse in Alaska that featured tropical plants? (Because I do. And it bugs me that I can't figure out why.)
  • I'm with you, PatB. One seems to be a desire to be close to nature--plants are important to me and many people. The other seems to be this big ego trip on the part of the builders and a huge hedonistic worldview on the part of the users.
  • If you build it, they will come. *eats deep-fried taco with strangely orange cheese bought by new bestest friend ever*
  • I was at the West Edmonton mall once. Its quite similar to the Dubai thing. But again, I feel differently about it. http://www.westedmontonmall.com/home/default.asp (I'm having trouble making links today)