With memories of Mumbai still fresh in my mind even after two days at sea, I have to admit I was not prepared for the stark contrast of landscape and lifestyle that is UAE.

Absolutely staggering displays of wealth and success are everywhere. From the Worlds Largest Indoor Theme Park, Ferrari World, to the Worlds Largest Shopping Mall here in Dubai, luxurious cars sprinkled with sand speeding through the city streets, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with 24-carat gold-plated Swarovski crystal chandeliers and the Worlds largest hand-woven carpet.

I find it hard not to be cynical in the face of such grandiosity. A shopping mall full of designer brands, an ice rink and giant aquarium provides a luxurious respite from the heat and sand outside but it's not enough for me to want to plan a return visit anytime soon.

To be fair a glimpse of life beyond the mall was revealed thanks to an excursion across the desert to watch a beautiful sunset, along with a belly dancer, this evening. Yet I find it difficult to reconcile the beauty of this scene with the rage and shame felt by the Western women refused entry to the mosque yesterday, and perhaps too the young local women living within these high walls.