My fascination with the Middle East continues with Qatar. It has been trying hard to become a tourist destination over the last few years. It hosted the World Cup recently and has Formula 1 racing among many other things to draw tourists. They have a stopover program like Dubai had years ago when it was trying to bring in tourism. So on my way to South Africa I decided to spend some time here.
The flight from LAX to Doha is about 15 hours nonstop on Qatar Airways. They codeshare with American so I easily used points for the flights.
A decade ago, few had heard of the sleepy desert capitol of Qatar an unassuming peninsula that juts out into the Persian Gulf. A city that’s only been in existence since the 1820s now boasts outlandish high-rises, lavish hotels and extravagant malls. It is an up-and-coming rival to the desert glamour of Dubai.
Here are two maps showing where Qatar is on the map.
I stayed at the Intercontinental Doha Beach Resort and it was very nice. It’s right on the beach with beautiful views of the city. Too bad the gulf was way too warm to swim!
I enjoyed every minute of wandering the labyrinth of Souq Waqif. The energy, the smells, the haggling, the unknown around every corner. I had an amazing local Qatari dinner, it didn’t look good in picture but tasted great! People watching was very enjoyable. The souq is built on the site of Doha’s century old trading market, on the banks of the Wadi Musheireb. It almost feels out of place with the backdrop of Doha’s modern skyline. The mud and limestone buildings keep it cool, winding alleys bring you back to what traditional street life must have been like at the time of the Bedouins. It’s still a bustling center of activity, commerce and so much fun.
Good night Doha
I explored more of Doha this morning and then relaxed on the beach back at my hotel. The heat is oppressive so it was nice to relax on the beach and swim in the pool, the gulf was too warm to swim. One of the coolest things I saw today was the outdoor air conditioning around the city!
At Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital مستشفى سوق واقف للصقور — I really enjoyed a visit to the Falcon Souq in Doha. Falcons are the national bird of Qatar and have always been a huge part of the country’s rich heritage and culture. The souq has trained birds and all the equipment they need. There also is a Falcon Hospital that is the largest of its kind on the world. In the same area of the souq, I visited camels and Arabian horses that belong to the police for their use and patrols.
Some interesting facts I learned about Falcons:
They are the fastest animal in the world with diving speeds of over 200mph.
They helped during WWII, they were used to intercept carrier pigeons.
They commit to one partner for the duration of their reproductive life.
They have amazing eyesight and use each eye independently to focus on up to three objects simultaneously. So they can focus on more than one prey item at a time.
La Mar Doha by Gastón Acurio is right here at my hotel so I had to take advantage of this and have a nice meal, even if it’s not local! It is contemporary Peruvian cuisine, known for its rich flavours and diverse influences. The menu has cebiches, fresh seafood, and charcoal-grilled meats paired with signature handcrafted cocktails. Situated right on the beach, it has stunning and panoramic views of the Doha skyline.
I have been looking forward to seeing this airport! I’ll spend more time here at the end of my trip and see how it compares to my favorites, Singapore and Beijing Capital. The airport is crazy, it has a mosque, two hotels, 12 lounges, so many duty free shopping areas, health club, two squash courts, a gym, a spa and a swimming pool. Perfect for long layovers but you really do need to see the city!
Next stop is a 9 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa!
Headed over for the ASTA, American Society of Travel Advisor’s Destination Expo in Israel.
Air Canada generously donated our flights so we had set dates with two days before and two days after the Expo. We are going to Jordan before and exploring more of Israel after.
November 7
Travel Day
I stayed overnight at an airport hotel so I could sleep longer before for my 7am flight to Toronto.
The Maple Leaf Lounge at LAX was clean and comfortable.
I had some oatmeal and relaxed but should have checked the monitors before I headed down to the gate. There was a delay of about 40 minutes and crowded down there.
Looks like I didn’t make the cut…
A Bloody Mary and a nap will be perfect until I arrive in snowy Toronto 😬
Well I didn’t sleep, only nodded off a few times before someone came barreling down the aisle and my aisle seat vibrated with each hoof stomp. I knew I should have chosen the window seat, thankfully I have one for the 10 1/2 hour flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv and I’ll finally sleep!
I started watching Cafe Society, I love Woody Allen movies.
I am so excited to see my dad, he’ll be waiting in the Maple Leaf Lounge when I get there, he arrives from New York about 45 minutes before me.
It was lightly snowing in Toronto, can’t see by this picture but it was so pretty in the sunlight.
I ran into my dad at the passport area! I thought he’d be far ahead of me. So we walked to the Maple Leaf Lounge together, I was starving!
It was much larger than the one in Los Angeles. Too bad I didn’t have enough time to enjoy everything. I had a really good Thai Chicken Curry Soup!
We finally found some from our group and sat with them until it was time to board.
We are flying an Air Canada 787 Dreamliner and it was another full flight.
We had snow on the wings so we had to get them de-iced before we left.
November 8
Israel and Jordan
I was so happy to sleep for 6 hours, I really needed it because we land at 10:30am local time with another flight and a full day ahead of me.
I could have passed on breakfast but not sure how long I have until the next flight and if I’ll have time to eat regular food. As the coffee cart approached I was happy because I needed a cup but right then we hit some turbulence so they stopped serving, ugh!!
We arrived in Tel Aviv and went through passport control, baggage claim and customs. It was very long and very thorough.
We headed over to the domestic terminal to get our flight to Eilat. There wasn’t much to eat, just packaged snacks and refrigerated sandwiches that didn’t look good so I passed. Even though I slept six hours, I’m tired…
We landed in the desert, very stark and tan. We are actually in the middle of the Rift Valley that extends from Turkey all the way down through East Africa.
Some check points along the way, the city of Aqaba in Jordan to the left and the city of Eilat in Israel to the right – both on the Red Sea.
Lots of date farms along the way as we approach this southern border crossing to Jordan.
We had to clear the Israeli side first, then walk along over to the Jordanian side.
We made it to the Israeli-Jordanian border pretty quickly. The security was impressive, I haven’t been through anything like that in all my travels! But I didn’t mind at all, I like that they keep their borders secure.
Our driver and guide picked us up on the Jordanian side and off we went towards Aqaba. Look how beautiful it is, the colors of the mountains as the sun is low in the sky.
We headed straight for Aqaba, Jordan, a port city on the Red Sea
We were all starving so we stopped for shawarma. It was soooo good, much better than the kind we have in the states. Buts that’s no big surprise.
The town of Aqaba is really cute, there are lots of little cafes and people walking around. It’s right next to Eilat, Israel and not far from Egypt and Saudi Arabia – they all share the Harbor.
We arrived at our desert camp in Wadi Rum after sunset so we couldn’t see what it looked like and if it really looks like Mars.
We did make it in time for dinner! They were cooking meat in a pit in the ground and when we arrived they were taking it all out and it smelled amazing! We went in for dinner and it was a great spread!
Our tent was simple and comfortable. I couldn’t wait to get into bed!
November 9
Jordan
After a great night of sleep I woke up excited but still tired. We were headed out to the desert for sunrise and dune bashing. I was excited to see the camp when I looked out of the tent!
Ready for sunrise in the desert!
On the back of the truck enjoying the chilly morning air
We explored and stopped to look at different animal tracks in the sand and watch the sun rise higher.
A stop to stretch our legs and look at some of the ancient writing on the rocks
We stopped at a Bedouin tent for some tea. There was a beautiful tent set up that had pretty carpets, brightly striped seat cushions around the edge, a fire in the middle and a man making tea over the fire.
The tents are made out of a woven goat hair material because it doesn’t burn so they can cook and warm the tent with no worries. It was very cozy and I was excited to have tea. They make it sweet and serve it in small glasses without a handle so you have to carefully hold it by the top rim. It’s such a small glass that it’s gone very quickly. For our second glass they put a few cardamon pods in the glass then poured the tea over them. It gave off a wonderful scent and tasted great.
We got back to camp and were able to see how pretty it was in the sunlight. There are a bunch of dogs who live there too and this one was so cute and playful!
Our tent in Wadi Rum and a well earned breakfast of local delights
We left the desert camp and were headed to see the Lost City of Petra today! On the way we stopped to see a refurbished locomotive from a bygone era in the middle of the Jordanian desert, the Hejaz Railway. It has been restored and you might recognize it from the movie Lawrence of Arabia, it was filmed in this desert.
These steam locomotives and train cars were built in the early 1900’s and used during the Arab Revolt.
Some fun pics with our guide “Mike Jordan”
Look at how the landscape is so desolate, we were getting hungry again and decided to have lunch before we got to Petra.
This was a very welcome site, the chicken smelled delicious!
Real plastic straws!! LOL
First was a stop at the new Petra Museum, learning about the history of the area was perfect as a primer for what we were going to see. Our guide walked us through and explained the history and the people who built Petra, the Nabatoeans.
Here we go!
It was about a mile walk in the canyon. A pretty cool meandering path with some things to see along the way. But it’s mostly just anticipation building!
Can’t believe I’m here!!
You just keep staring at it from all angles! Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains with many passages and gorges. It is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites and has been something I have wanted to see since I was little.
Perfect place for a cup of middle eastern coffee!
The Lost City of Petra was empty and near ruin for centuries until the early 1800’s when it was re-discovered. It was once a thriving trading center and the capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 BC and 106 AD. The vibrant red, white and pink sandstone facade of the Treasury is the most recognizable structure and the site for many films. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and more recently one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Petra was everything I imagined it would be and even better!
Our guide dropped us at our hotel in the town of Petra after dark and told us that we would wake to a surreal looking landscape. Wow was he right! It looked like a planet in Star Wars.
We had these huge terraces overlooking this valley.
It was cool and very windy this morning, other-worldly…kind of strange!
Back to the border to make our way to Israel.I was detained and all my bags searched at the Jordanian side and then again at the Israeli side! Little did I know there was a reason why it was so much harder to cross the border today than it was a few days ago.Back in Eilat, Israel and driving around the pretty resort town.
To continue the journey with my to Israel, go back to the Menu, Blog, Middle East then Israel or click here:
We didn’t want to leave Jordan but it was time to go to Tel Aviv. Back over the border again and to the brand new airport in Eilat.
Our hotel is the Intercontinental David in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is on the Mediterranean Sea and is a very modern new bustling city, what a difference from Jordan!
November 11th
Today was the first day of our conference and everyone was excited.
Dad and I had a really nice dinner at the hotel.
November 12th
This was a morning I will not forget. I was eating breakfast in the hotel and my dad was still upstairs. I heard the sirens but didn’t know what it meant. Then hotel staff made everyone go downstairs to the shelters and knocked on every room door. Many people were in their hotel robes because they were asleep.
Israel killed a militant leader with strikes before dawn yesterday. They retaliated and launched missiles to Tel Aviv, where we are. Israel shot them down but they are continuing. This picture was taken by someone outside our hotel. Two mussels were shot down over our hotel.
It was very scary but we are all okay. They closed all non essential businesses and schools. Our tours in Tel Aviv were cancelled and it was very quiet all day.
Two days ago we were in Jordan and crossed back over into Israel to fly out of Eilat. We were on the plane sitting on the tarmac for over an hour with 4 other planes and none moving. Then they told us to all go back to the terminal because the Israel Military closed all Israeli airspace for 3 hours for drills. We didn’t think much of this at the time and eventually took off for Tel Aviv. But now we know why.
That afternoon we went to explore Jaffa, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Jaffa, the ancient port town, has existed for thousands of years, but today it is one unified city with Tel Aviv, which was founded in 1909. Both Jews and Arabs live in Jaffa, and that’s reflected in the flavors of the neighborhood. There are old narrow streets, ancient buildings and a beautiful beach. We decided to explore Jaffa’s famous flea market, Shuk Hapishpeshim and see if anything was open.
A perfect sunset over the Mediterranean.
Today’s security alert email I received this morning.
Thankfully the restaurant we were going to tonight re-opened. Our dinner with the ASTA group was in Jaffa at Hazaken Vehayam or Old Man and the Sea.
It is a popular restaurant known for their 20 dishes that they put out on the table with a delicious freshly made flatbread.
Next was an amazing grilled sea bream that I ate with more of the toppings!
The waiters loved putting on a show, they all tried to out do each other with stacks of dishes and who could carry the biggest one and the crowd cheered! It was a great evening.
November 13, 2019
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dome of the Rock has been called Jerusalem’s “most recognizable landmark”. It is located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. You can see it as the golden dome in across the valley from us on the Mount of Olives. This was our first introduction to Jerusalem today, so excited to explore this city!
Next stop was the Israel Museum, you will notice an urn-shaped building with the Israeli Parliament behind it, this is the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and artifacts discovered at Masada. It was amazing to actually see the Dead Sea Scrolls right in front of you, no pictures were allowed.
Mahane Yehuda is also known as the Shuk, it is a great market in Jerusalem that sells everything and smells wonderful. There is a great atmosphere in the market and I happily ate my way through!
A neighborhood in Jerusalem
The Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall”, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.
It is in the Old City of Jerusalem and is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. It is a small segment of a much longer ancient retaining wall. Also of the four original retaining walls, the western one is considered to be closest to the former Temple, which makes it the most sacred.
November 14, 2019
The Church of Christ’s birthplace is in Bethlehem, it was a welcome respite in the bleak city. Thanks to our guide who knew all the police and guards in the Church, we were able to skip the 3-4 hour line to see and touch the birthplace of Jesus, marked by the Star of Bethlehem. The Church has three sections, the main section is Greek Orthodox and is cool and dark with no pews and open sections of the floor showing original mosaics from 395 AD. To the left and front, and the way to the Grotto, the place of Christ’s birth, is Armenian Orthodox. The Catholics have the site of the manger and the adjoining altar next to the Nativity Grotto. It was humbling to be amongst so much history and standing in one of the oldest continually operating churches in the world. I found it surprising that it only became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
The entry to the Church was lowered in the 1500’s to stop looters from driving their carts inside.
Parts of the original mosaic floor from the original church.
The chapel at Shepherds Field marks the place where, according to Catholic tradition, angels first announced the birth of Christ. It adjoins the remains of a 4th-century church and has three beautiful painted murals. They depict the annunciation of the angels, the shepherds and their flock and the Christ Child in the manger.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” Luke 2:8-10
Below this room is the Tomb of King David. It is important because according to the New Testament, Jesus is considered to be a descendant of King David’s dynasty.
Masada is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Israel but by King Herod in 30BC.
It was the Jews last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The 960 people living at the top of Masada chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive. Their deeds left behind a saga of courage, heroism, and martyrdom.
November 16, 2019
Thank you Air Canada and Sheena Hung for a wonderful experience traveling to and from Tel Aviv, Israel!
To see what I did before Israel, see my blog post about Jordan. Go to menu, blog, Middle East, Kingdom of Jordan or click here:
We woke up early again, this definitely means vacation is over….but the boys were delighted that there was some snow on the ground. Too bad they didn’t have time to play, we didn’t even have time to eat breakfast at the hotel. So they were trying to make snowballs out of the tiny bit of snow in the planters at the airport. They were happy that it was lightly snowing though and didn’t want to go inside. Of course I was freezing, I’ve seen enough snow in my life! Thankfully we got through the airport and into the lounge pretty quickly. Leaving us time to eat, have a Bloody Mary and relax. The boys were sad to be going home and the snow turned to rain so the dreary weather didn’t help. They were fascinated with the fact that sunrise wasn’t until around 8:30-8:45am so I reminded them of how the tilt of Earths axis causes the changes in amount of daylight and darkness. The science teacher in me never goes away, always looking to apply it to everyday situations. Our 11 hour flight back was uneventful, no one slept, although we tried. So we took off at 10am and landed the same day at 11:45am…ugh! How are we going to get through the day? By the time we got home it was 2pm and we were all asleep by 6pm! It was another amazing family adventure we will never forget. So where to next? We have our ideas but never know until a month or so before….we will have to see! Thanks for following our journey 🙂
We got up early and boarded a 7 hour flight to Amsterdam. We were sad to leave the Middle East, we had such a great time. We decided to make the trip home a little easier by spending a night in Amsterdam to break up the long flight. Wow I forgot what real cold feels like, it was damp and chilly and raining a bit. We bundled up with hats and gloves and coats and I remembered how much I hate this weather! Of course the boys didn’t mind much but I did. I wanted to show them so many things in Amsterdam that I love, but with one night it wasn’t possible. We ate at Café Hoppe, a traditional Dutch pub known as a ‘brown café. They are a quintessential part of Amsterdam’s culture and are known for their dark wood and smoke-stained walls. The atmosphere is cozy and this one is one of the most famous and founded in 1670. It was pretty awesome to drink an Amstel while standing in a National Monument. We ordered some traditional food like savory Bitter Balls, they are battered in a crunchy breadcrumb coating and filled with a gooey mixture of chopped beef, beef broth, flour, butter, herbs and spices. They were served with mustard for dipping and really good but super hot inside! Tasted amazing with the beer. Kaasblokjes are bite-sized cubes of aged Gouda cheese. They are firm and almost crumbly and served with mustard for dipping. Of course Stroopwafels for desert, it’s a waffle cookie made from two thin layers of batter with a sticky syrup filling in the middle, soft and crunchy and so good! I really wanted the boys to try the herring, since they love any kind of raw, cured or smoked fish. It is raw, gutted and the head taken off. You hold it by the tail and put your head back and put it in your mouth and bite it off by the tail. They are usually served from outdoor carts throughout the city. If you don’t think you can eat it like that, they also cut it up and serve it on bread with chopped onions. Unfortunately we didn’t see any, maybe next time. Home tomorrow…
We arrived back in Abu Dhabi this morning and disembarked the ship. We headed back to Le Royal Meridien, the boys were sad to leave. They both met a few other boys their age onboard and had fun with them. After 10 days of comfort and being taken care of onboard, it’s hard to go back to normal life! After the brash, glamorous and cosmopolitan Dubai, it was nice to get back to the more traditional, conservative and gentler pace of life in Abu Dhabi. Not to say it’s without its own modern developments like the sumptuous Emirates Palace Hotel and Sheik Zayed Mosque. So we spent the day exploring these gems that we didn’t see in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the trip. Emirates Palace was over the top and one of the most spectacular sights in Abu Dhabi. It lives up to every one of our Western cliches about the oil fueled opulent life in the Gulf! It’s possibly the most expensive hotel ever built at the cost of around $3 billion. It’s total Arabian excess and opulence. The sheer size is breathtaking, over a half mile long with 1000 Swarovski crystal chandeliers, 150,000 cubic yards of imported marble, 114 domes, and 102 elevators! We spent so much time walking around and exploring. The Emirate Palace Cappuccino is topped with gold flakes at the cost of about $20, but you have to do it! Next stop was the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. Is gargantuan and holds up to 40,000 worshippers! It has 57 domes and four huge minarets, and cost around $500 million and was completed in 2007 after 12 years of construction. I also has the worlds largest carpet. It’s 60,000 square feet and weighs 47 tons. There is also the worlds largest chandelier that is 33ft in diameter and 50ft high with a million Swarovski crystals. I had to cover up in one of their Abayas before I could enter the grounds. As you walk in they have a ladies entrance then a men’s entrance. But only the women had the required “uniforms”. I felt like a Jawa from Star Wars! We spent so much time exploring and taking pictures, around every corner was an amazing view. After we left, we went across the river to a Hotel and Souk to see the Mosque from a distance as the sun set, it was spectacular! We also passed by the Capital Building, also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi. It is known as the worlds most tilted tower with an 18° slant, more than four times that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But this was built this way. It is also home to the Hyatt hotel. Dubai boasts some of the best Indian food due to the sheer number of them here. We ate at a highly recommended place called India Palace. It was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed it. When we got back to the hotel, he went up to the top. They have a great cocktail lounge called Stratos because it’s a 360 degree area that slowly spins in about 1.5 hours. The boys loved watching it move while Jeff and I had cocktails and enjoyed the views from so high above.
The third day in Dubai was leisurely. We started with a huge breakfast in bed with Mimosas. Then spent the rest of the morning scouring the Souks for more goodies, mainly the gold Souk. Then some relaxation by the pool in the afternoon. We considered skiing at Ski Dubai, an indoor ski and snowboard mountain, but figured we could ski at home and instead immersed ourselves in the last day of Dubai culture. That evening we had dinner at the Tuscan Grille, another Celebrity restaurant that specializes in seafood, steaks, chops and homemade pastas. We started at the Martini bar and met Ray and Rachel for a drink. Then proceeded to the Tuscan Grille for an amazing three hour dinner. We sat in a beautiful spot by the window with a gorgeous view of the Dubai. Each course took time and was well worth the wait as it was freshly prepared. I asked them to raise the wooden slatted blinds that fell halfway down the floor to ceiling windows so that we could see the top of the skyline. The waiter said, they don’t go up…I found this strange so I asked the manager and he explained that last week while cruising through the Gulf of Aden there were pirates so all the lights on the ship were turned off and blinds were drawn. Since there were diners in the area where we were sitting near the window, they tried to get the blinds down quickly. They couldn’t do it quick enough so someone cut the strings so they would fall to the ground immediately. Hence, broken shades can’t move up and down. He said it took about an hour to move each one up a few feet…so they weren’t going anywhere! Oh well, didn’t matter, the ambiance, food and company was top notch. Another Celebrity jewel! We watch the production show in the theater and really enjoyed it but we’re so tired by this point-Dubai wore us out!
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.
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!
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!
A stop to stretch our legs and look at some of the ancient writing on the rocks
