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Dubai builders create winter wonderland |
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2/10/2006 7:56:19 AM |
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Feb. 9, 2006. 01:00 AM
Kings of Construction: Dubai's Ski Resort, Thurs., Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. on Discovery: Like a Disney theme park, or a casino for that matter, Ski Dubai has pulled off the ultimate in illusions.
A massive complex the size of three football fields has been filled with enough air conditioners, snow-making machinery and chairlifts to give the desert nation of Dubai its own Alpine ski resort.
There's a black-diamond slope, sled runs, lessons and full equipment rental right down to disposable socks, should you wander in wearing only sand-filled jammer shorts. Why, you are asking, would anyone want to ski in the desert? Well, it seems Ski Dubai is about more than giving tourists a new playground. Like the Jamaican bobsledders of the '80s, the resort wants to raise the profile of snow sports and create future champions from Dubai.
This one-hour episode of Discovery's excellent series about engineering massive landmarks follows the park from paper to completion.
Most interesting facts:
Ski Dubai is only a part of the $1 billion Emirates shopping mall. It's the third largest indoor ski park in the world; ones in Holland and Germany are bigger. The project is overseen by the same man who shepherded the London Eye Ferris wheel. Admission is about $30 to $40 U.S. To preserve the illusion of being in the Alps, there are no windows to the outside world.
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The Thirsty Traveller, Sun., Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. on CTV Travel: Kevin Brauch's popular show about the world's signature beverages is back for a fourth season on a new network. And yes, those of you without a digital box are out of luck. Brauch has literally gone a long way since he was a kiddie host on TVO; he travels to every corner of the globe imbibing beer, wine, liquor and lets viewers in on its history, how it's made and, most enviably, how it's best enjoyed. The Thirsty Traveller kicks off with two episodes on Feb. 19: A trip to Australia's Hunter Valley at 9 p.m. to tour vineyards turning out Shiraz and Semillon wines.
At 9:30 p.m. the intrepid drinker follows the bourbon trail to New Orleans' bars and bayou swamps.
If you are still thirsty, the next night, Feb. 20 at 9:30 p.m., there's a look at Peru's national drink, pisco, which is a little like brandy made from white grapes.
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Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Sat., Feb. 11 at 10 p.m. on CTV Travel: A funny thing has happened to bad boy chef Anthony Bourdain as he documents his wild travels through the world's culinary underbellies: It looks like he's having a hard time being bad.
The hard-drinking, chain-smoking, always sarcastic author of bestselling Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour has toiled for 30 years in restaurants, and his gruff demeanour and say-anything persona has made him a media darling. In No Reservations, Bourdain tries to explain the relationship between a destination's food and its people and culture. In Paris, for example, he documents the customs of long, leisurely lunches with wine and long leisurely breakfasts with newspaper and coffee. But this is tame stuff. In what comes across as a desperate bid to be bad, he hooks up with one of the few remaining bottles of real absinthe circa 1910 and spends the night in Oscar Wilde's hotel room. What ensues is an overly long series of special effects trying to convey hallucinations, but it's really just ridiculous.
No Reservations also checks out New Jersey and Satin Dolls, the club represented in The Sopranos as the Bada Bing. Iceland, Vietnam, Sicily, Las Vegas, and New Zealand are also featured episodes. Also airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. |
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