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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Today we decided to see Dubai from the water. We took a ferry along the coast and saw the city from a different perspective, just as beautiful. Went past the Palm Jumeirah, as we call it Palm Island, there are other man-made island complexes we passed like the World, a bunch of islands made to look like a map of the entire world. We made our way to the Dubai marina, it was constructed in only five years between 2005 and 2010. It was just untouched desert 10 years ago, and now you’re surrounded by high-rises and million-dollar yachts. While none of the skyscrapers have any sort of architectural merit, well besides the infinity tower with its twisted look, the area is known as the tallest block in the world. We walked around the promenade and looked at the shops and restaurants and drooled at the amazing yachts. The Palm Jumeirah was next, we know it as the crazy man-made islands shaped like a palm tree. Everyone also knows it as the island that has the Atlantis resort on it. Same owners as the Atlantis in the Bahamas, and looks same too. It is the worlds largest artificial island so we had to see it. We took a 15 minute elevated monorail ride across the trunk of the palm tree which gave us views of the fronds of the palm with their amazing homes and real estate. The boys were dying to see the Dubai version of Atlantis, so we spent some time exploring there and of course it was beautiful. For sunset we went to the Madinat Jumeirah, I huge complex with landmarks, hotels, restaurants, a gorgeous Souk and beautiful views. The architecture is pretty with tall wind towers and framed by palm trees everywhere, a real Arabian feel. We spent so much time wandering around the Souk we kept getting lost and finding really pretty things to buy. The Burj al Arab is the sail shaped landmark that put Dubai on the map. It’s one of the most memorable, beautiful and astonishing buildings. It’s claimed to be the world’s most luxurious hotel and it promotes itself as the worlds only seven star hotel. The lobby has dancing fountains decorated in gold leaf, it also has a restaurant that appears to be underwater that you take a submarine to get to. It was built in 1999 and it’s outline is inspired by the shape of a local Dhow’s sail. It definitely is a beautiful sight.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai’s warm climate, beautiful beaches, lively souks, and upscale modern luxury is what makes it so popular. It’s the financial hub of the Middle East and Asia and its location on the Persian Gulf is what attracts so much wealth and trade. Dubai’s modern skyline is home to the world’s tallest building, the stunning Burj Khalifa. Emirati cuisine is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian flavors. Fresh caught seafood is the staple of the Dubai diet, but lamb stews spiced with saffron, turmeric, and thyme are also popular. We are arrived by ship at about five in the morning, so when we woke up we ran to the window to look out. Rowan was amazed at how tall the Burj Khalifa was. We were so excited to get up, eat a quick breakfast and head off the ship. Wow what a difference from Oman, a traditional old city full of history to a glitzy and flashy new city. It’s exactly how people describe it. We started in Old Dubai at the Creek, a river that runs through the middle of the city. This is what Dubai was like when it was a small time trading and fishing port up until the 1950’s. We started at the Gold Souk, it was gold rather than oil that powered the economy of old Dubai and even today it generates enormous sums of cash. The Souk has quaint shops that are clustered around a main alley and then spill out into the surrounding streets. There is an ornately carved ceiling with gorgeous hanging lamps. The amount of gold in this place is staggering, it seems to be crammed into every single space and window! From here we easily made it to the spice Souk. Well we actually smelled it before we saw it. Just like the gold Souk, you navigate through narrow alleyways and all of them overflowing with herbs and spices beautifully arranged. Besides the spices there also other things like frankincense which you smell burning all over the place. The shops here are run by Iranian traders. They were very nice and spent a lot of time to explain all of the different mysterious spices. Coming out of the spice Souk, we were right at the edge of the creek and it was bustling with energy. Abra’s, old-fashioned wooden passenger ferries, goes back-and-forth across the creek. You see all types of people from Emirati’s in their flowing white robes to Pakistani day workers to tourists with cameras. Many Dhows still sail the Arabian Sea and go to neighboring Emirates, and over to Iran, Pakistan and India. So you see loading and unloading of so much cargo like strange things like washing machines to the more common contraband cigarettes. We took the elevated metro line down Sheik Zayed Road because it has a spectacular view of the massive skyscrapers, a real contrast to the Souk and the old part of the city we were just in. The Burj Khalifa is our next stop and you can’t miss that! It is the worlds tallest man-made structure and we are going up to have a high tea with a view of the whole city. Dubai is considered the tallest city on the planet with 20 of the world’s 100 highest buildings, and 4 more in Abu Dhabi. Other high-rise cities like New York and Hong Kong have 7 and 6 top 100 buildings each. When the Dubai World Trade Center opened in 1979 it was the tallest building in the Middle East, now it’s only at number 92 of Dubai’s top 100. The worlds fastest elevator whisked us up to the 124th floor in 45 seconds! You can see all of Dubai and the huge Skyscrapers we passed on Sheik Zayed Road, they actually look tiny from up here! Looking down you can see the beautiful Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa Lake. The fountains are similar to the show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas with colored lights and dancing water and music. We had a very nice High Tea at At.mosphere, the world’s highest restaurant. We spent a leisurely two hours over tasty finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, different teas and cocktails. All while gazing at the beautiful view. Just that kept the boys occupied the whole time. Of course we had to stop at the Dubai Mall, the largest mall on the planet. So many tax free high end designer stores, a full-size aquarium, a waterfall, Olympic size ice rink and a lot of other fun kids activities. It’s a tourist attraction in it’s own right!

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Khasab, Oman

Khasab, Oman

The Sultanate of Oman, also known as “Oman”, is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. This area of Oman, the m Musandam peninsula, where the town of Khasab is located, is also known as the “Norway of Arabia”. The setting of this port is spectacular, a fjord as you would imagine seeing on the moon, no vegetation at all! Khasab is still relatively unknown to travelers but with its dramatic landscape of towering cliffs and fjords it’s destined to become a major resort in the future. It is a very peaceful town overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Khasab in Arabic means fertility which refers to the large produce of dates and the freshwater. Due to where it’s located and is geographical position and mountainous terrain, it was isolated from the rest of Oman and the region developed at its own pace. In contrast to the stark beauty above the water, Musandam has an underwater world treasure. It is rich in the colorful marine life that is very inviting for fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. As with everything in Oman, everything is very clean and the people are the nicest he will ever meet! The cuisine is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods, mostly based on chicken, fish and lamb with the ubiquitous rice. Most of these dishes contain a rich mixture of spices and herbs and marinades. We decided to take a traditional Omani Dhow out for the day. This was an amazing experience, the boys really enjoyed watching the dolphins follow the Dhow and putting on a show. With the Omani fjord as the backdrop it was breathtaking. We stopped at Telegraph Island where in 1864 the British built a Telegraph station. They laid an underwater cable from India to Iraq to get a connection between England and India. The corals and reefs surrounding this island are one of the best places to swim and snorkel in Oman. The water is crystal clear and a deep emerald green, while it’s a bit chilly, it was very refreshing. The boys got in right away and started snorkeling it took me a while because everyone else was saying how chilly it was. I got in pretty quickly and was surprised that it wasn’t so cold, and I’m a total wimp with cold water, I prefer bath warm Caribbean waters. Rowan and Grant had so much fun being surrounded by all the tropical fish, we couldn’t get them out of the water! We practically had to pull them out as the Dhow was leaving. Since we are so close to Iran, it was fun to see the Iranian smugglers at dusk. Small little speedboats would be coming in and out and trade goats for American cigarettes. Of course we watched this from the safety of our ship, I told the boys not to point at them or bring attention to it bc you never know!

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Day at Sea

Sohar, Oman

Today was a really relaxing day, the weather was beautiful so the kids spent a lot of time in the pool and we just sit back and relaxed with a cocktail or two. We also seem to eat our way through the day. We started at Sushi on Five for lunch and it was really good! Back to the pool to digest then to the spa for the Persian Garden which has an aromatherapy steam room, heated tile loungers, sauna and more. It’s the perfect peaceful place to unwind. For dinner we went to Oceanliners, it’s designed like a restaurant on the old Titanic-like ocean liners. Very old fashioned, dark woods, nautical theme, formal settings and crisp white tablecloth’s. It is gourmet French and the menu is amazing, the waiters in their tuxedoes were very attentive to every aspect of the meal. Somehow we managed to eat a lot again, it was so good we couldn’t help it! Rowan especially enjoyed it!

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Muscat, Oman

Muscat, Oman

Today was a great day exploring the town of Muscat. Ibrahim took us everywhere and was a great guide, he taught us so much. We started the day at the breathtaking Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is the third largest mosque in the world and has the worlds largest handmade Persian carpet. Before I could go in, I had to be covered from head to toe, even my ankles and wrists. I wore a long sleeve dress that went to the ground and covered everything so I really only had to wear a head scarf. Upon entrance to the mosque there was very brusque man with a turban checking everyone to make sure they were appropriately dressed, he was very scary! The size of the mosque is amazing, it can hold 20,000 worshippers. Everything is white and gray marble and is very cool in the sun, felt good on our feet. The gardens surrounding it are spectacular with bright tropical flowers and there are pretty splashing fountains. There is an exquisite Persian carpet inside the main hall that took 27 months to hand weave right in place so that it is all one piece and absolutely gorgeous. There are huge Swarovski crystal chandeliers from Austria all over. Then we went to the Sultans Al Alam Royal Palace for a look. It is the office of the Sultan Qaboos, ruler of Oman. It looks like a crazy 70’s style building and it is guarded on either side by two 16rh century Portuguese built fortresses. It was heavily guarded today because the Sultan was there so we couldn’t see much. The Muttrah Souk was our next stop, I was very excited for shopping! It is known as one of the best souks in Gulf region. This is an old Arab market with a maze of narrow alleys that smell of incense. It’s full of traditional Omani handicrafts and food, spices, silver daggers, pashmina shawls, jewelry, incense burners and many artifacts. Even though Omanis are traders by nature, they are gentle and dignified people and didn’t hassle us. I picked up a bunch of nice things and Ibrahim did all the haggling for me and told me what not to buy and what was good to buy. We also visited the Royal Opera House, that was beautiful! And finally stopped at the fish souk. The boys loved looking at and touching all the fish.

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Wadi Shab, Oman

Sur, Oman

South from the U.A.E. on the Arabian coast is the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s capital city is magical and quite a contrast to its bustling northern neighbor. It is situated on a striking cove on the Gulf of Oman, ringed by striking volcanic mountains and guarded by two ancient Portuguese forts. Muscat’s architecture, most of which is fairly modern, from the Grand Mosque to the Sultan’s 1970s-esque palace, is elegant and features Islamic design. No buildings are higher than 8 floors. The old port city boasts one of the region’s best souks. There are lovely beaches for swimming, gorgeous scenery beyond the city and genuinely elegant resorts. The Arabic traditions and the influence of Islam run deep. The call to prayer echoes out over the cities five times a day. The people are genuinely friendly and fascinating to talk to. Everybody has a story there, our driver Ibrahim was so fascinating, the boys loved him. And with 5 kids of his own, he could really relate to my boys. Well, we made it through the Gulf of Aden and into the Gulf of Oman, phew, I was a little worried. Although rare, pirate attacks against ships have taken place in the region, particularly in the Gulf of Aden or when the ship travels from the Arabian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. We didn’t get any warnings so there was no cause for alarm, but they say when you are warned, the warnings are not to be taken lightly :-l Since I’m still not acclimated to the 12 hour time change, I was up at 5:30 again this morning. So instead of tossing and turning and trying to go to sleep, I decided to go have coffee on the outside deck and watch the sunrise over the Al Hajar mountains which form the backdrop of the city of Muscat. To hear the morning prayers blaring from the speakers in all the minarets in the city was a real magical experience. We ventured to Sur to visit Wadi Shab. After driving on the barren plain, the vista of mountains opened into a pea-green lake and we were here. Aptly named in Arabic the ‘Gorge Between Cliffs’, Wadi Shab is known as one of the most lovely destinations in Oman. During a 45 minute hike we passed turquoise pools, waterfalls and terraced plantations. Native kingfishers splashed here and there and brightly colored pink oleander bloomed by the water’s edge. Luckily we had some shade because it was in the low 80s and it would’ve been pretty hot to do this hike in the sun! We were rewarded with a glorious crystal clear swimming hole to swim and splash in! Then we navigated through a keyhole into a huge cavern that reminded us of the Goonies! The boys climbed up the waterfall, they slid down natural slides, they jumped off of huge rocks near the top of the cavern into the deep water. Our next stop was Bimmah sinkhole, a stunningly beautiful limestone hollow that had the most beautiful colored water. It’s about 60 feet deep and attracts swimmers and scuba divers. We got there too late and weren’t able to swim. The boys were a little disappointed but still thought it was amazing. It is listed as one of the most beautiful sinkholes in the world and I can see why. On our way out we had to stop and drink some Arabic coffee and eat dates. Everywhere you go they offer this, even when you are paying for something in the souk! You take a few minutes to talk and enjoy. The Omanis are very hospitable and friendly. I really enjoy this tradition, the coffee is very different than ours. It’s made with cardaman and smells very good. I was never a fan of dates but the ones I have been eating here are delicious. I guess it’s because they are grown right here. Date palms are everywhere. Our driver Ibrahim even brought me a big bag of them from his home. He sealed them all up so I can pack them to bring home. He also gave me Date syrup and said it’s good to drizzle on fresh bread in the morning.

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Celebrity Cruise Ship

Minab, Iran

We boarded the Celebrity Cruise ship in Abu Dhabi. This cruise itinerary is different than most because it is an “Immersion Cruise”, what this means is that on a usual cruise ship itinerary you stop in port for the day and then cruise in the evening to another port. On this itinerary we spend a few days in each city so that you have plenty of time to see everything day and night and a few days to do it. We stayed in Abu Dhabi for a few days, then we sailed out in the Persian Gulf towards Oman. It’s nice to do this trip on a cruise ship, because you get to relax in between and are not always on the run. I love Celebrity’s upscale and innovative ships and we have a day at sea to spend time at the spa, the pool, watching great production shows, enrichment lectures, shopping, eating well and having cocktails. The cocktail part is especially important because you can’t buy alcohol in these countries, it is illegal. You have to go to very fine hotels and their restaurants in order to have a drink, the locals do not drink alcohol. So we have to maximize it while on the ship! Looking forward to our adventures in Oman tomorrow and I’ll explain more about the city.

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The Arabian Desert

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The desert here is amazing, dark orange dunes that seem to go on forever. The undulating landscape is so soothing to gaze at, simply breathtaking. We all rode camels and were mermerized by the landscape. The boys were especially excited about riding on the camels, they couldn’t believe how tall they were. It was a little scary when we stood up on it and then sat down, I thought I would fall off and the boys just giggled. Climbing the sand dunes was a real challenge! Very good exercise but tiring! The boys spent a few hours dune surfing, just like snow boarding but on sand. They both got hurt a few times, face plants taught them real quickly! Every twenty minutes or so I would look down from the dune I was on and see one of them lying prone so I’d have to yell down and ask if they were okay, I’d get a feeble “yes, just tired”! As long as they were alive I just let them keep going. We watched sunset from a very high dune and the colors were amazing, the dark oranges, golds and tans against the milky blue sky was spectacular. We took so many pictures and the lighting was amazing. We went to fetch the boys and their faces were brown with white areas where they touched their sweaty faces, they looked soooo funny! They were a mess, coughing the sand out of their throats and asking for water. I gave Grant water and then he got down on all fours and just started throwing up! So needless to say I had to carry his stuff back….Rowan wasn’t much better, they had no energy left in their bodies! But they said it was awesome. We washed all the sand off them, it was everywhere-100 times worse than the beach! Then got cleaned up for dinner. We sat in the traditional Bedouin style with low tables surrounding a center stage outside. We ate delicious local food while listening to Arabic music by a man playing an oud. Then dinner ended with belly dancing, that was lots of fun to watch. Arabic coffee and dates were a nice finish to dinner as they turned out all the lights and everyone just sat back quietly and looked at the heavens. Of course I had to point out all the planets and constellations (quietly), they were so bright they jumped out at you. Venus and Mars were prominent on either side of the waxing crescent moon while the Pleiades, Cassiopeia, Orion and the usual circumpolar constellations were present as well. A very peaceful end to the evening.

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Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

We slept so well last night, not a big surprise! We passed out at about 1am and while I woke up frequently during the night, I went right back to sleep and was very comfortable. We got up very excited around 7:30am and felt refreshed and excited to start the day. Abu Dhabi boasts emerald blue seas, white sand beaches, haunting sand dunes and a lot of culture plus the amenities of a modern city. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is much quieter and authentic than than its flashy and cosmopolitan neighbor Dubai. Abu Dhabi is situated between two extremes-the beauty of the pristine Persian Gulf and miles of rolling desert sand dunes. The natural wonders offer a beautiful backdrop to a city that is home to both modern developments and a wealth of cultural treasures. Abu Dhabi offers a delicious fusion of global cuisines. The cities location by the sea makes fresh seafood a staple of many dishes. Dishes often highlight flavors of cinnamon, saffron and turmeric, complemented with nuts, limes and dried fruit. The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is the largest and wealthiest of the nation’s seven emirates and is a rapidly growing cosmopolitan metropolis. Glittering skyscrapers pierce the sky, and five-star resorts spread across islands both natural and manmade. There are golf courses, beaches, marinas, upscale malls, a Formula One race car track, amusement areas and cultural institutions-outposts of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums are opening soon. We had a sumptuous breakfast spread and really enjoyed it. Then explored the hotel before heading out to the desert for the afternoon and evening. We will be back to Abu Dhabi at the end of our trip to spend more time exploring.

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Schiphol Airport

The Netherlands, New Years Day

Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands

Arriving in Amsterdams Schiphol Airport on New Years Day was foggy and dreary. Our connecting flight was right near the gate we arrived at so it was very convenient but that flight was delayed due to technical issues for an hour. I noticed Grant had what appeared to be a bug or spider bite on his neck and it looked new and red. Once we boarded the flight he started complaining about being itchy, so I gave him a dose of Benadryl afraid it was an allergic reaction to the bite. It just kept getting worse, his whole scalp, back and all the way down to his feet and he had chills. Now I start getting worried, I gave him another Benadryl and piled on blankets. I’m thinking about getting him off the plane before we take off, now I am so anxious I don’t know what to do. So I just held him and let him relax and he slowly started getting better. Thankfully we were delayed and just sitting on the plane so I didn’t have to make any decisions at that point. The boys slept most of the 6.5 hours of the flight and missed dinner. I napped on and off and am tired, I’ve been up about 26 hours so far….but I finally watched Bridget Jones’s Baby during the flight. We arrived at our hotel Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi in the Corniche area of Abu Dhabi around 11pm local time, 26 hours after we left our home in California. Finally in bed after 1am local or 29 hours after we got up today.