Just reviewing my posts from AD and realising that I gave the place a very short shrift (what does shrift mean anyway?) The truth is I arrived after 10 at night and only went from hotel to client's place, back to hotel - twice. So my whole experience was airport, cab, hotel, cab, conference room, cab, airport. Which is of course what most business travel is.
What I saw from the cab was an interesting urban form. Blocks which had obviously been sold and built on by separate parties with little connections considered. The roads were enormous, really along the scale of Beijing: four plus lanes in each direction. Being a pedestrian was tougher than I thought possible, of course I was a) jet lagged; b) confused because the traffic was coming from the wrong direction; and c) stunned because I spent the day in a fiercely air conditioned conference room.
The place was not as dry as I had expected. There was a LOT of irrigation, which was probably not great. There was a really lovely waters edge promenade, which was empty during the day but seemed to have picnicking families and couples under the shelters once the sun went down. This reminded me of the causeways in Florida.
All in all, I should go back with out my snarky attitude and look at it again. Its an area of the world where there is a tremendous amount of growth and it deserves a longer look. Or at least a look that doesn't include a cab.
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