As some of you who actually visit this site occasionally know, I've been obsessed with this building for years. Well, I finally went to Dubai in 2009, and of course skipped this building entirely and went to see the Burj Dubai, which is now officially the world's tallest building. Maybe I am a size queen after all.

From the past...

Sometimes you happen on a building that is evolutionary. One of my five-year goals is to stay for a few nights at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai.

The hotel, pictured on the left above, is the most technologically advanced hotel in the world. It is also the tallest, and arguably the most over-the-top in terms of decor.

There are, of course, drawbacks to visiting Dubai, the Utah of the Middle East. However, Dubai is supposedly more cosmopolitan in outlook. Research on this continues.

The other drawback to this plan is the cost of staying at the hotel, which is now roughly $US1,500 per night. The wave-like hotel pictured to the left is only $US500 per night, a relative bargain.

But then who puts a price on fascination?