Terrifying Experience

Wednesday. Wake-up call at 6:00. Taxi picked us up at 7:00 and took us to the airport. Unlike the flight going to Dubai, this one was not full so I had an empty seat beside me which was sweet. About three-quarters through the flight, we encountered some terrifying turbulence. Not just normal turbulence, but TURBULENCE to the nth degree. The plane was rocking back and forth very badly and dipping badly and Ralph said afterwards that the overhead compartments were shifting. Talk about pandamonion on the plane. Everyone was screaming and hollering and crying, including me and all I could say was "we're going to die, we're going to die" as I truly felt we were. A man somewhere in the plane behind us was hollering loudly "Jesus, take control; Jesus, take control", over and over again. I never prayed so hard in my life. I think most everyone thought we were going down and were going to die - everyone except Ralph of course who was as cool as a cucumber. I'll never forget it as long as I live. And the thought that went through my head was the instructions I had left with Todd, was it an omen. After things calmed down, a woman across the aisle from Ralph, threw up three times in the bags. Also, the attendants had to give oxygen to someone else. It was a horrible experience.

We are at the Days Hotel in Toronto tonight and I hate it. Looking forward to getting home in the morning. Although it's 10 to 7:00 in the evening here, it's 10 to 4:00 in the morning for us right now as we didn't/couldn't sleep on the plane. So we are dead tired and off to bed.

End of Holiday

I'm posting two blogs right now. Obviously, I forgot to post yesterday's after I wrote it - I do recall practically falling off my chair as I was so sleepy.

This is Tuesday night and the party is over. We will be leaving for the airport at 7:00 a.m. and I, for one, am not looking forward to the 14 1/2 hour direct non-stop flight to Toronto. I'm wishing now that we could go straight home when arriving in Toronto but suitable connections to Regina could not be made so we have to spend the night in TO. Kids, we'll be at the Days Inn (airport).

Anyway, this morning we hopped on the metro to the Al Rigga district (an outstanding item on our to do list) and had breakfast at one of the many cafes. As well, Ralph wanted to go to the clock tower there. We walked and walked and walked and window shopped and did this, that and the other thing. The rest of the day was spent souvenir shopping for the family and clothes shopping for our grandchildren - poor little things, they are so deprived, they have hardly no clothes! Anyway, I enjoyed every minute of it. We went for supper about 6:30, again to the Al Rigga district after which we partook in all of the festivities going on in the streets for the Dubai Shopping Festival - parades, acts, entertainment, fireworks, etc., etc.

You see and hear all the great and good things about Dubai and we saw them all, but there's a dark side. All the luxury and the beauty and the buildings were built on the backs of others (cheap off-shore labour), mainly Pakistanies, Filipinos, Sri Lankans, Africans, Indians. Labour legislation in Dubai is practically non existent. For all the hardships that these off-shore labourers have in this country, they're still better off here than they would be at home. All the service sector employees - restaurant staff, hotel staff etc., that we met, were all extremely friendly, approachable and hard-working, mostly Filipino ladies.

There will be one more blog entry after this one.

The Gold Souks

Monday morning following breakfast, we took the metro to Deira City Mall, just to look around. Came back to the hotel about 3:00 to charge batteries (no, not the cameras' batteries, our batteries, ha) and then the plan was that we would find our way to the Gold Souks, an outstanding item on our list of things to do. We had not used the busses up till now as it was a little hard to figure out the schedules/routes; however, with help from the hotel staff, we learned that we could take bus 31 which goes directly to the Gold Souks. This, we did, and we could use our NOI cards on the bus. Good heavens, the Gold Souks are jewellery stores upon jewellery stores upon jewellery stores, selling, you guessed it, gold jewellery. We had fun window shopping and shop owners were all over you, trying to get you to come into their store. We spent several hours there as that's how long it took to see everything. We then found out what bus we should take to get us back to our part of town. Using the busses was fun and we're sorry we hadn't introduced ourselves to them earlier; however, as it was, our days/nights were full and there really wasn't time. Once back in our area, we went out for a late supper (9:30) and sat outside and watched all the action. It's now 11:00, Dad is snoring already and I'm falling off my chair again so that's it for now.

Scenic Oman

Sunday (regular weekday). We had a horrible sleep last night, probably because we were afraid the alarm wouldn't go off at 5:30 a.m. We were picked up by our driver at 6:30 a.m. as today we will be doing a full-day dhow cruise of a fjord in the Musandam area of Oman (northeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula). It was about a three-hour drive to get there and we had to "exit" at Emirates immigration and "enter" at Oman immigration. Our driver (Rauf) basically handled everything for us, but we had to be with him. On the way there, our trunk was searched, yikes. The car ride there was very interesting and relaxing. The landscape so different. Once we crossed the border, we were in for a very pleasant and unexpected surprise. Talk about scenic. On one side was the mountains and on the other side the Arabrian Gulf. We climbed up and climbed down on hairpin turns, the highways are excellent. Rauf stopped several times so that Ralph could take pictures. He got us to our dhow by 10:00 a.m. and would be back to get us at 4:00 p.m. I had never heard of the word "dhow" before and didn't know what it meant. It's an olf-fashioned wooden boat and you sit on cushions on the floor. We were put on boat 3. We were supposed to leave at 10:00 a.m. but didn't get away until 10:30 as a group of other tourists were late. There were ten guests on our boat. Besides ourselves, the other 8 people were from Germany. We would be out on the water for 6 hours. Tea and coffee was served to all, followed by bananas, apples and dates (always dates, grown here), followed by juices and/or soft drinks. The first stop was in a bay where the dolphins are active. The three dhows stayed together and we did indeed see the dolphins jumping and playing and they like to follow the boats. It was neat, I think Ralph got some good pictures. There were about 4 guys as crew, with Mina (guy from Egypt) doing the commentary, etc. As we went through the fjord, the scenery was beautiful. There are small villages and the way of life in those villages was told to us. I think the next place we anchored was at Telegraph Island. It is the famous location where the British laid underwater cable in 1864 from India to Iraq, to communicate the two countries with England. While anchored at Telegraph Island, everyone (from all three boats) went snorkeling. Everyone, except for me of course! (and another German couple who were on our boat). Ralph had taken his swimming suit with him, and the flippers, masks, breathing tubes, and towels were provided. They were given 45 minutes to snorkel. They were not allowed to remove any coral, but could gather other things. When everyone was back on the boat(s), lunch was served. Lunch consisted of salad, stew, rice, fish and nan bread. After lunch we continued on through the fjord (I forgot my sunglasses and also forgot the sunblock). The next stop was another place that is great for snorkling and they were given another 45 minutes to snorkel. Ralph and I were the oldest (from all 3 boats) but your dad kept up with best of them, ha. While the snorkling was going on, the crew had fishing lines out. Mina was successful in catching a big baracuda. The 5-star hotels in Dubai buy them to serve in their restaurants. When leaving the boat today, Ralph asked Mina what kind of fish we had for lunch and he said baracuda. Had I know that, I probably wouldn't have eaten it, but it was good. We arrived back at the dock at 4:00 p.m. and all the drivers were there waiting for everyone. We left there shortly after 4:00 p.m. and got back to our hotel at 7:30 and the traffic was very heavy. Again, on the way back, we thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Oman (mountains and sea), and then in the Emirates, the barren sand dunes. Two more border stops of course, "exit" at Oman immigration and "enter" at Emirates immigration. Even though we didn't do the talking, it's always so intimitating (like Russia - Olga, ha, ha). This time (when entering Emirates) we again stood at the counter with Rauf. Immigration officer looked at our passports and looked as us, and then Rauf told us we could sit down while he remained at the counter for the paperwork, stamping, etc. Soon, Ralph was called back up and I was nervous - it's just bloody scary when you're so far away from home. They wanted to have a better look at him, ha. Meanwhile, two wickets over, a ruckus was going on. We didn't know what was happening but apparently one of the German women (who was on one of the boats) - the page of her passport that contains her picture was torn out of the book (loose). And they're saying (loudly), how do we know this is your passport, sort of thing. I'm not sure how it all played out for her but she and the officer were having words, yikes.

We got back to the hotel at 7:30 p.m., traffic was horrendous in the city, and we were pooped from our adventure. We then had to go out for supper so went to Nando's tonight and ate at the tables outside and watched all the action - people, people, people.

OK, it's 15 to 11:00, Ralph is snoring and I'm falling off my chair.

The Splendor of Beautiful Abu Dhabi

Saturday. We were picked up in the lobby of our hotel at 8:30 a.m. by tour company for our day trip to Abu Dhabi. Three other ladies (mom and two daughters) were with us. They were from Sweden. It is a 1 hour, 40 minute drive. The drive out of the city this morning was eye-popping as we had not seen this part of the city before. Ralph was the only man on board so got the front seat and was able to do videotaping as we drove along. The highways are beautiful, the scenery so very different from what we see at home. We were surprised to see what a beautiful city Abu Dhabi is - much more picturesque than Dubai, lots of landscaping and beauty. Our driver was very informative, pointing out landmarks all the way. Upon arrival, our first stop was at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque. It is breathtakingly beautiful! Many tour busses and tourists were there. All ladies are provided with the long black gown and black headscarf upon entry and everyone has to take their shoes off. Everything is white marble, each of the huge chandeleirs contains 1,000,000 crystals, lots of gold. It's really hard to describe. However, Ralph got lots of pictures which we will post when we get home and also, our tour guide took lots of pictures with both of us in them today. I guess we spent about an hour at this mosque which apparently is supposed to be the most beautiful mosque in the world. I can't imagine topping it. Our next stop was Heritage Village and we spent about an hour there as well. Then we went to Corniche. The Corniche is a long road that extends almost 6 km from the Sheraton Hotel to the Hilton Hotel along the shore of the Arabian Gulf. There are several gardens lined all along the Corniche around the coastal boulevard that borders the city. The ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, loves greenery, and gardens and fountains are the result of that love. The other important feature of the city is the fountains that can be seen on every intersection of the Corniche. With the modern buildings facing the sea for the background, it is one of the most picturesque sites in Abu Dhabi. Some of the sensational sandy beaches of Abu Dhabi are located along the seafront Corniche. After that, our driver dropped us off at Marina Mall (biggest mall in Abu Dhabi) so that we could have lunch in the food court. He gave us one hour and that was plenty of time for lunch and a pee break. After lunch, and last but not least, he took us to Emirates Palace. WOW! In fact, it used to be a palace, but was then handed over to a hotel chain and it is now a hotel. It took about another good hour to tour this place and it was wow, wow, wow! Again, pictures to follow. We then drove by the President's palace. You're not allowed to even take pictures out of the car window; there's an armed guard at the gate. We arrived back in Dubai and to our hotel about 3:30 p.m.

Rested/relaxed for a few hours and went out again about 6:30. We stopped at Union Square to take a picture when a man offered to take it for us (with both of us in it). We talked to this man for one whole hour, he was very interesting. He was born and raised in Montana; however hates the States and hasn't been home for 20 years. He lives in India, that is his home. He sure had a host of interesting stories to tell. He is a professor but is retired now (taught 1500's English literature and poetry, yuk!). He sure has led an interesting life, we really enjoyed visiting with him and hearing his stories. Went out for supper to one of the outdoor cafes. Lots of people out because it is the weekend. Also, the annual Dubai Shopping Festival started this weekend and will be on for a month, with many bargains to be had, except I haven't had time to do any shopping yet. Tonight where we were eating, a parade came by with all kinds of stuff and a stage was set up nearby with entertainment and there was fireworks, etc.

It's now 11:00 p.m. and we just got back to the hotel and are off to bed as we have to get up at 5:30 in the morning for our trip to the country of Oman.

Afternoon Tea and Global Village

Friday was a holy day here so everything was closed at least until 2:00 p.m., including the metro. We discussed how neat it would be to see the Burj Al Arab. This is touted as the most luxurious and only 7-star hotel in the world. It is also the tallest all-suite hotel in the world (321 metres high). It is designed in the shape of a billowing sail. The hotel is set on a man-made island in the Arabian Sea and connected to the mainland by a private curved bridge. However, joe public can't just go there to tour it or even see it. The only way tourists can view this hotel is to make a reservation in one of their ten restaurants. By the way, the seafood restaurant is completely under water! We made a phone call and checked the prices, which were phenomenal and we decided this was not for us. However, on the other hand, it would be a shame to go to Dubai on a holiday and not see Burj Al Arab. We learned that Afternoon Tea at Sahn Eddar (one of the restaurants) is the best way to introduce guests from abroad to Burj Al Arab. However, this too, is unbelieveably expensive. When I phoned to inquire about the Tea and asked the price, my thought was "what? ... for crumpet and tea? ... you've got to be kidding!" We decided to bite the bullet and just do it. When I phoned to make the reservation for 3:00 o'clock (for 3:00-5:00 sitting), I was reminded that there was a dress code which for this particular restaurant was smart casual. Men had to have a shirt with a collar, long pants (no jeans), and no sandals or runners, but closed-in shoes. Fortunately, Ralph was able to meet the criteria, imagine that! And I was also reminded on the phone that if you were a no show, your visa account would be charged so much a person and that they would only hold the reservation for 30 minutes after your sitting time. Well, this turned out to be very stressful. We got ready and headed to the metro station, forgetting that it (metro) doesn't open till 2:00 on Friday. We were cutting it really short and besides, we needed to top up our NOI cards (metro cards) which was going to take more time. Also, the people waiting to get in the doors were many and we wondered if we'd even make it onto the train. We pushed and shoved our way in and it was packed like sardines. We got off at the Mall of the Emirates, had to walk what seemed like miles in order to find our way to the front entrance of the mall where all the taxis are parked. From there we took a taxi to Burj Al Arab and we were late. In order for the taxi to proceed onto the private bridge, we had to produce the email confirming that we had a reservation in one of the restaurants. This place is absolutely unbelieveable! Honest, when I stepped out of the car I felt like I had arrived at the Oscars and was stepping onto the red carpet (ha).

We hurried to the Sahn Eddar restaurant and from that moment on, it was one awesome experience. A waiter greeted us and informed us that our Afternoon Tea was seven courses! That was a surprise. Firstly, we were served a glass of champagne. Then we were handed menus with coffees on one side and teas on the other side and we had to make a selection. The first course was an array of fancy sandwiches (cucumber, cheese, smoked salmon, egg, roast beef and lots of fancy hors d'oeuvres containing prawns, shrimp, forget at the moment, all done up in fancy pastries. The second course was smoked salmon, baked with a pastry around it and had a pureed pumpkin sauce on the side. The third course was strawberry sorbet with a fresh rose petal on the bottom of the dish (we didn't eat the rose petal, ha). The fourth course was six scones (three plain/three raisin) with clotted cream (butter?) and a selection of jams. The fifth course was fresh fruit served on a bed of whipped cream - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and another berry that we didn't recognize. The sixth course was a selection of English fruit cake, marble cake, carrot cake, pudding tart, hazelnut fingers and lemon fingers. The seventh course was last but not least - everything from strawberries dipped in white chocolate to miniature cream puffs to cocoanut balls plus a multitude of square-like sweets. All the while a Russian ensemble was playing live music. When I said to Ralph, "I'll bet the bathrooms are beautiful.", he said "yeah, I'll bet there'll be somebody in there to wipe your bum." Ha, ha. And ... almost, ha. This whole exercise took exactly two hours, after which we spent some time taking pictures inside and outside. A young man who appeared to be part of the maintenance staff was kind enough take us down to see the seafood restaurant which is completely under water. And we took the all-glass elevator up to the top but then it is roped off on every floor as only hotel guests are allowed on the floors. For me personally, this was definitely a highlight of our trip.

We walked across the bridge and caught one of the many taxis waiting there, and went back to the Mall of the Emirates. From there we were now going to catch a bus and go to Global Village. Unfortunately, we couldn't figure out the bus schedules so we took a taxi, it's far. Global Village happens every year, started Thursday and goes on for a month. It's situated far outside of the city and is like a big exposition where 70 countries from around the world have pavillions and serve their national food, and sell their national goods, and offer their national entertainment, etc. It's like a big fair really. There were thousands upon thousands of people there, and of course all the rides, etc. We visited many of the pavillions but by 10:00 p.m. we still hadn't found the Canada pavillion and we were so pooped that we decided it was time to go back to Deira. There were literally hundreds of taxis (not kidding) all lined up in a parking lot and so we took a taxi to Mall of the Emirates. However, this guy hoodwinked us. It cost more than twice as much to go back to the mall from Global Village than it did to go from the mall to Global Village. Hubby wasn't happy as he knew taxi driver was taking a long-about route (thinking probably that us old farts didn't know where we were going); however, Ralph didn't say anything, and he got no tip. We took the metro back to Union Station and were at our hotel in less than five minutes.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable day.

Cruising Dubai Creek

Slightly cooler on Thursday but still very pleasant. After a late breakfast, we headed to a local travel agency to arrange a few tours. After getting a lot of information and options, we headed back to the hotel to study them and make some decisions. Back to the travel agency after lunch, having decided on three. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking and exploring again - my goodness, these feet have logged an awful lot of miles in the past week or so.

Tonight we went on a dinner cruise on the Dubai Creek. We were picked up in the lobby at 7:30 p.m. The dinner cruise was from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. We enjoyed it very much, the buffet was excellent as was the scenery of the city lights/skyline (reminded us of Hong Kong Harbour). There were many Indians (India) on the cruise and later in the evening, young and old took to dancing to Indian music which added an extra dimension to the cruise; it was fun to watch. We were dropped off at our hotel about 11:00 p.m.