Season's Greetings
This year we put up the tree and decorated the house at the end of November. Every day the kids checked under the tree and peeked in their stockings to see if any presents arrived.
They got us up at 4:30 on Christmas morning. Apparently they had been awake since 3:41 (Zoe got a watch for her birthday). They checked the living room and Santa had eaten the snack and left presents in their stockings. Finally, they heard Rick roll over and came racing in with such excitement. Who could send those adorable smiling faces back to bed?
After presents and breakfast, we settled in to setting up and playing with the Christmas treasures. As usual, Rick made an amazing Christmas dinner which we shared with friends. He didn't take my advice a few weeks ago when I told him to buy the Stovetop Stuffing that we saw, so of course when he went looking a few days before Christmas, it was gone. His homemade creation was so delicious, I don't think he'll ever use premade again.
The weather Christmas day was upper 20's and there was a sunny blue sky all day - definitely a tee-shirt and shorts kind of day.
Since Christmas fell on a Saturday this year, I got to enjoy the day off. But, it was back to work on Sunday. The kids are off for a 2 week vacation and go back to school on Sunday.
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Christmas in Dubai - an article in the Gulf News
Customers' quest for the perfect Christmas tree in Dubai
Stores in Dubai stock up on a wide variety, leaving most customers spoilt for choice
By Florence Pia G. Yu, Deputy Web Editor Published: 00:00 December 14, 2010
Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News Dubai: It's the time of year when the bustling Satwa neighbourhood is turning itself into a veritable mini-forest — of the transportable kind that is.
Natural Christmas trees line the streets vying for buyers' attention alongside flowers and other goods that mark this period in the calendar.
The trees, mostly imported from Canada, are being delivered to the shops by the truckloads. A prospective buyer will be spoilt for choice — there are many varieties of Christmas trees lining the shop aisles and on the pavements. There's fir, but in Satwa, spruce trees are the preferred choice, particularly the blue spruce.
And it's a lucrative business. "We start importing trees in the last week of November and sell up to 700 trees before Christmas," said Vicky V., manager of Fresh Flowers.
His shop has been selling spruce trees for some years now, and sales continued to climb to new highs.
Good business
Most customers are Europeans, though there continues to be a fair sprinkling of Arab and Asian buyers as well. The trees end up in households, offices and business establishments across the UAE.
"We have good business selling flowers and plants all year, but this is the extra that gives us at least Dh300,000 in sales during this season," Vicky commented.
Prices range from Dh250 to Dh5,000. "It depends on the height and the bulk of the tree," Vicky said. (that is about $70 - $1360)
The taller the tree and the more verdant, the more expensive it is. It is the novelty that draws people into buying real Christmas trees instead of their cheaper — and artificial — peers.
"You can't beat the real thing when it comes to the fragrance, look and feel," he said.
Shoppers can also go on-line to buy their tree. Dxbflower.com started selling real Christmas trees this year. A fully-decorated natural Christmas tree is on sale for $320 (Dh1,174).
Store supervisor Amar said that the trees are imported from Canada and take three days to deliver. Ace Hardware's store along Shaikh Zayed Road has pine trees imported from the US retailing for Dh399.
When Gulf News came calling, Kadija Arthur, senior sales assistant, said the store had just run out of stock, but is expecting a new delivery the next day. "It's one of our fast-moving items," she explained.
The shop started stocking the trees from December 3 and will continue to do so until December 15.
Scores of trees have already been sold.
"People are still calling and ordering," she said, adding she is amazed by the sales turnout.
Then again, it should not be a surprise with the onset of the season of cheer. The tree business is definitely scaling new heights.
Stores in Dubai stock up on a wide variety, leaving most customers spoilt for choice
By Florence Pia G. Yu, Deputy Web Editor Published: 00:00 December 14, 2010
Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News Dubai: It's the time of year when the bustling Satwa neighbourhood is turning itself into a veritable mini-forest — of the transportable kind that is.
Natural Christmas trees line the streets vying for buyers' attention alongside flowers and other goods that mark this period in the calendar.
The trees, mostly imported from Canada, are being delivered to the shops by the truckloads. A prospective buyer will be spoilt for choice — there are many varieties of Christmas trees lining the shop aisles and on the pavements. There's fir, but in Satwa, spruce trees are the preferred choice, particularly the blue spruce.
And it's a lucrative business. "We start importing trees in the last week of November and sell up to 700 trees before Christmas," said Vicky V., manager of Fresh Flowers.
His shop has been selling spruce trees for some years now, and sales continued to climb to new highs.
Good business
Most customers are Europeans, though there continues to be a fair sprinkling of Arab and Asian buyers as well. The trees end up in households, offices and business establishments across the UAE.
"We have good business selling flowers and plants all year, but this is the extra that gives us at least Dh300,000 in sales during this season," Vicky commented.
Prices range from Dh250 to Dh5,000. "It depends on the height and the bulk of the tree," Vicky said. (that is about $70 - $1360)
The taller the tree and the more verdant, the more expensive it is. It is the novelty that draws people into buying real Christmas trees instead of their cheaper — and artificial — peers.
"You can't beat the real thing when it comes to the fragrance, look and feel," he said.
Shoppers can also go on-line to buy their tree. Dxbflower.com started selling real Christmas trees this year. A fully-decorated natural Christmas tree is on sale for $320 (Dh1,174).
Store supervisor Amar said that the trees are imported from Canada and take three days to deliver. Ace Hardware's store along Shaikh Zayed Road has pine trees imported from the US retailing for Dh399.
When Gulf News came calling, Kadija Arthur, senior sales assistant, said the store had just run out of stock, but is expecting a new delivery the next day. "It's one of our fast-moving items," she explained.
The shop started stocking the trees from December 3 and will continue to do so until December 15.
Scores of trees have already been sold.
"People are still calling and ordering," she said, adding she is amazed by the sales turnout.
Then again, it should not be a surprise with the onset of the season of cheer. The tree business is definitely scaling new heights.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
National Day 2010
One of our favourite events here is National Day. This year is great because, since if falls on a Thursday and New Year falls early next week, we got a 4 day weekend.
At work, we had our "celebration" on Monday. The students dressed in their National colours and waved flags. The pride they have in being Emirati is so amazing. The entire assembly was in Arabic so I don't know what exactly was said, but it was obvious by the cheering that they adore all of the leaders of the country as well as the country itself. They always refer to Sheik Zayed who was the first ruler of the country as "Baba" Zayed which means "Father".
Zoe and Chase had their celebration at school on Wednesday. They had an entire day of assembly and carnival. Zoe participated in the assembly by playing her recorder in the performance. Since she is the grade representative for the Student Council, she also had to sell water for a while. For fun they had camel and pony rides, a jumping castle, and lots of things to buy. This year they highlighted the modern UAE and also had a display of 4 wheel drive and other sand vehicles.
On the actual National day we headed over to Mamzar area and joined in the excitement. Both the kids dressed in UAE National Dress. Zoe doesn't own an abaya, so she only had a shayla (head covering). We all enjoyed watching the decorated cars. Some put large decals of the sheiks over their entire car. Lots has small flag decals over the entire car, and of course flags of all sizes. Zoe and Chase had great fun spraying cars and people with silly string and spray snow. I think there was more spray snow here than I have ever seen in Canada!
At work, we had our "celebration" on Monday. The students dressed in their National colours and waved flags. The pride they have in being Emirati is so amazing. The entire assembly was in Arabic so I don't know what exactly was said, but it was obvious by the cheering that they adore all of the leaders of the country as well as the country itself. They always refer to Sheik Zayed who was the first ruler of the country as "Baba" Zayed which means "Father".
Zoe and Chase had their celebration at school on Wednesday. They had an entire day of assembly and carnival. Zoe participated in the assembly by playing her recorder in the performance. Since she is the grade representative for the Student Council, she also had to sell water for a while. For fun they had camel and pony rides, a jumping castle, and lots of things to buy. This year they highlighted the modern UAE and also had a display of 4 wheel drive and other sand vehicles.
On the actual National day we headed over to Mamzar area and joined in the excitement. Both the kids dressed in UAE National Dress. Zoe doesn't own an abaya, so she only had a shayla (head covering). We all enjoyed watching the decorated cars. Some put large decals of the sheiks over their entire car. Lots has small flag decals over the entire car, and of course flags of all sizes. Zoe and Chase had great fun spraying cars and people with silly string and spray snow. I think there was more spray snow here than I have ever seen in Canada!
Thursday, 18 November 2010
November in Dubai
It's finally cooling down a little bit here. We even had a little bit of rain the other day. The clouds seem to come in during the afternoon, and the mornings are brilliantly blue sky.
It is the Eid holiday this week. We decided to stick around Dubai and haven't been doing too much. We went over to friends' the other day. They live in a villa and the kids had a great time swimming, and we enjoyed sitting out in the evening.
Chase told us his version of "The boy who cried wolf". He claims Rick told him and Rick denies it...
Once upon a time there was a boy who was outside watching the fields. He had to go to the toilet, so he called "wolf". Everyone in the village came outside and he ran in to the house to use the toilet. The next day, the same thing happened again. The boy needed to use the toilet, so he called "wolf." Again, eveyone in the village came out and he ran in to the house to use the toilet. The next day, while the boy was out in the field, he did see a wolf and yelled "wolf". Everyone in the village ignored him and the wolf ate him.
It is the Eid holiday this week. We decided to stick around Dubai and haven't been doing too much. We went over to friends' the other day. They live in a villa and the kids had a great time swimming, and we enjoyed sitting out in the evening.
Chase told us his version of "The boy who cried wolf". He claims Rick told him and Rick denies it...
Once upon a time there was a boy who was outside watching the fields. He had to go to the toilet, so he called "wolf". Everyone in the village came outside and he ran in to the house to use the toilet. The next day, the same thing happened again. The boy needed to use the toilet, so he called "wolf." Again, eveyone in the village came out and he ran in to the house to use the toilet. The next day, while the boy was out in the field, he did see a wolf and yelled "wolf". Everyone in the village ignored him and the wolf ate him.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Happy Halloween
Time is moving along so quickly it is hard to believe that Halloween has come and gone already.
Sunday is the first day of our work week. I was tempted to try and convince the kids to skip trick or treating this year but I don't think that I would have been very successful. So, Rick and the kids picked me up after work and we headed to the same neighbourhood that we went to last year. The kids had a great time. It was a lot of fun to see so many children running about and enjoying the activity. Once again we were amazed by the beautiful neighbourhood and the extent of the decorations that people put up.
We walked some and then returned to the air conditioned comfort of the car. It was 30 degrees - even after dark. Both of the kids took their masks off between houses and were dripping in sweat. After about an hour and a half, they decided they had enough candy and we called it a night.
Sunday is the first day of our work week. I was tempted to try and convince the kids to skip trick or treating this year but I don't think that I would have been very successful. So, Rick and the kids picked me up after work and we headed to the same neighbourhood that we went to last year. The kids had a great time. It was a lot of fun to see so many children running about and enjoying the activity. Once again we were amazed by the beautiful neighbourhood and the extent of the decorations that people put up.
We walked some and then returned to the air conditioned comfort of the car. It was 30 degrees - even after dark. Both of the kids took their masks off between houses and were dripping in sweat. After about an hour and a half, they decided they had enough candy and we called it a night.
Friday, 29 October 2010
Picnic in October
We decided that it might be cool enough to try heading out for a picnic last weekend so we packed up the cooler and headed to the "suburbs" with the idea of eating and then visiting the Sharjah Wildlife Park.
As usual, the Suburbs were completely empty. I really have no idea what the area is meant to become. For now it is a fenced off area of several miles. Inside the fence are 2 partially constructed buildings, some camels with a shack for the camel herder and lots of sandy roads. We parked in the shade of the same tree that we always seem to end up at and set up.
Chase came prepared with his shovel. I am not sure what he intended to dig, but there were no shortage of sand dunes for him to dig into. Zoe made a bug cage and hoped to find some insects to bring home. We left the relative cool of the shade and went for a stroll in the sand dunes. There were lots of tracks in the sand but all of the creatures had taken refuge from the heat of the day. In the sand dunes we saw small holes which must have been the homes for the lizards and snakes whose tracks we saw everywhere. Even the camels were nowhere to be seen. It wasn't long before the heat became too much and we retreated to the shade ourselves. The temperature on the car thermometer read only 35 but in the direct sun it was scorching.
In the end, Chase didn't make a dent in the vast sand dunes - even with his hard work at digging. The only insects we encountered were the flies that wanted to share our snacks and the ant that climbed up Chase's leg, so Zoe left with an empty bug cage.
We crossed the road and spent the rest of the afternoon in the Wildlife Park. We fed the animals in the petting zoo before enjoying the air-conditioned comfort of the actual wildlife area. We ended our afternoon in the picnic area outside the museum. The kids enjoyed playing in the grass and climbing the trees.
Even though the temperatures haven't actually dropped this week, it feels a little cooler and there are even some clouds in the sky.
As usual, the Suburbs were completely empty. I really have no idea what the area is meant to become. For now it is a fenced off area of several miles. Inside the fence are 2 partially constructed buildings, some camels with a shack for the camel herder and lots of sandy roads. We parked in the shade of the same tree that we always seem to end up at and set up.
Chase came prepared with his shovel. I am not sure what he intended to dig, but there were no shortage of sand dunes for him to dig into. Zoe made a bug cage and hoped to find some insects to bring home. We left the relative cool of the shade and went for a stroll in the sand dunes. There were lots of tracks in the sand but all of the creatures had taken refuge from the heat of the day. In the sand dunes we saw small holes which must have been the homes for the lizards and snakes whose tracks we saw everywhere. Even the camels were nowhere to be seen. It wasn't long before the heat became too much and we retreated to the shade ourselves. The temperature on the car thermometer read only 35 but in the direct sun it was scorching.
In the end, Chase didn't make a dent in the vast sand dunes - even with his hard work at digging. The only insects we encountered were the flies that wanted to share our snacks and the ant that climbed up Chase's leg, so Zoe left with an empty bug cage.
We crossed the road and spent the rest of the afternoon in the Wildlife Park. We fed the animals in the petting zoo before enjoying the air-conditioned comfort of the actual wildlife area. We ended our afternoon in the picnic area outside the museum. The kids enjoyed playing in the grass and climbing the trees.
Even though the temperatures haven't actually dropped this week, it feels a little cooler and there are even some clouds in the sky.
Saturday, 16 October 2010
The Latest from Dubai
By now you have had time to read all our very long stories from our summer vacation.
It still feels like summer in Dubai. The temperature continues to be in the high 30's - but with the humidity, it can feel like 51. Needless to say, we still aren't able to do any outdoor activities. The kids still have indoor recess as school because of the high temperatures.
Zoe is in Middle School now. The school is on the same compound as the Primary School, but is completely separate. I don't think she and Chase see each other at all in the day. They both seem to like their new teachers. We have parent teacher interviews next week, so we'll hear how things are really going.
Rick and I celebrated our 20th anniversary in September. Well, we actually celebrated in October because Ramadan fell in September this year so restaurants were closed until sunset. We celebrated as a family and went to our favourite Mexican restaurant. Yes, good Mexican food here in Dubai!
No more news for now.
It still feels like summer in Dubai. The temperature continues to be in the high 30's - but with the humidity, it can feel like 51. Needless to say, we still aren't able to do any outdoor activities. The kids still have indoor recess as school because of the high temperatures.
Zoe is in Middle School now. The school is on the same compound as the Primary School, but is completely separate. I don't think she and Chase see each other at all in the day. They both seem to like their new teachers. We have parent teacher interviews next week, so we'll hear how things are really going.
Rick and I celebrated our 20th anniversary in September. Well, we actually celebrated in October because Ramadan fell in September this year so restaurants were closed until sunset. We celebrated as a family and went to our favourite Mexican restaurant. Yes, good Mexican food here in Dubai!
No more news for now.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Siem Reap
We decided to take a taxi for the 5 hour drive north from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Aside from the vehicles you would expect, we shared the road with oxcarts, wagons being pulled by horses, the weirdest tractors we have ever seen and motorcyles pulling trailers carrying more than you can imagine would be possible.
The main reason tourists go to Siem Reap is to go to Angkor Wat. The guide book explains: Angkor literally means 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. 'Angkor has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, as well as to the empire itself. The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. We opted for the 1 day tour. There are actually dozens of temples in the Siem Reap area and we only had energy to visit the 3 most significant/popular. And, although we had a guide and he shared an encyclopedia of information with us, I am going back to the guide for a brief description. We started at Angkor Thom which was constructed in the late 12th century. It is a 3square km walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the Ankorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Bahuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them adding the ouer wall/moat and some of Angkor's greatest temples including his state-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are 5 entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant faces.
The second stop of our tour was Ta Prohm which dates back to the mid 12th century. Of similar design to the later Jayavarman VII temples of Preah Kahn and Banteay Kdei, this sprawling monasic complex is only partially cleared of jungle overgrowth. Intentionally left partially unrestored, massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors offering a 'jungle atmosphere'. This temple was one of Jayavarman VII's first major temple projects. Ta Prohm was dedicated to his mother. It was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting of control over 3000 villages, thousands of support staff and vast stores of jewels and gold.Our final stop was Angkor Wat also constructed in the mid 12 century. Angkor wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three tiered pyramid crowned by 5 lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region Suryavarman II constructed Angkor WAt in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It served as his stated temple, though the temple's uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Sruyavarman II's funerary temple. Angkor Wat was surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1km square and consists of 3 levels surmounted by the central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-relief and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered aspara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of aspara carvings in Angkoraina era art. Bit it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical was of Suryavarman II.
Siem Reap is a relatively small city. Tuktuks are the primary mode of transportation. We had some days where didn't leave the pool. But on most days we ventured in to town - at least to eat. As with most of our stops, the markets are key attractions. We really enjoyed the night market in Siem Reap. They have a little movie house showing movies about the history of Cambodia. Of course there are lots of stands selling the usual tourist necessities, several massage places and a nice restaurant/bar. One night Chase was complaining about his very loose tooth. Our waiter asked if he could see. We thought he was pretending to pull it out - but he really did it! No one was more shocked than Chase to see his tooth in his hand.
We made a trip out to the war museum one afternoon. It is an outdoor field with all kinds of war machines, bombs , etc. At the end of our tour, we sat with a gentleman who had lost his entire family to a landmine incident. He gave us a very personal view into realities of living in Cambodia.
We had heard that the Tonle Sap Lake floating village was quite a sight so we took a ride out there one day and hired a boat for a tour. The village itself was pretty amazing. Schools, stores, houses, restaurants - everything necessary was right there on the lake. The residents went about their daily routines of cooking, washing, napping in their little homes. Apparently, they move according to the depth of the lake. The only frustrating thing was that it is quite a tourist trap and we felt like walking ATMs.
On Saturday night, we went to the Beatocello concert. It is a performance put on by a Swiss doctor from the local children's hospital. He plays his cello and describes his experiences in building the hospital - and tries to get donations of blood or cash to keep the hospitals going. Dr. Richner is an amazing, inspiring man who has been in Cambodia since the mid 90's. He has raised the funding to build several hospitals (I think they keep out growing the one in Phnom Penh and there is the one in Siem Reap). The government doesn't give any money so he raises millions of dollars every year to keep the hospitals running. He has given the concert every Saturday night for the past 18 years! Remember I mentioned that the average Cambodian makes 50 cents a day. These hospitals are staffed entirely by Cambodians (except 2 people) and they make at least $120 per month - even the non-medical staff.
We spent one day at the Cambodia Cultural Village. Each area is displays the various types of villages that are located throughout Cambodia. There is also a wax museum, and a miniature display of the most notable places in the country. A troop of dancers moves through the park, stopping at each 'village' and performing a story of life in Cambodia.
We discovered Viva - a Mexican restaurant on our first day in Siem Reap. We ate there almost every day. They served 50 cent beers and $1 margaritas (alcohol free for the kids) and of course some authentic tasting Mexican food.
On our last day, we left the hotel at 8:00 am and drove to Phnom Penh. From there we flew to Kuala Lumpur and finally to Dubai, arriving at 3 am.
Enjoy the photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/SiemReap?authkey=Gv1sRgCOqM3ubv_dz6sAE#
The main reason tourists go to Siem Reap is to go to Angkor Wat. The guide book explains: Angkor literally means 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. 'Angkor has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, as well as to the empire itself. The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. We opted for the 1 day tour. There are actually dozens of temples in the Siem Reap area and we only had energy to visit the 3 most significant/popular. And, although we had a guide and he shared an encyclopedia of information with us, I am going back to the guide for a brief description. We started at Angkor Thom which was constructed in the late 12th century. It is a 3square km walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the Ankorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Bahuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them adding the ouer wall/moat and some of Angkor's greatest temples including his state-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are 5 entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant faces.
The second stop of our tour was Ta Prohm which dates back to the mid 12th century. Of similar design to the later Jayavarman VII temples of Preah Kahn and Banteay Kdei, this sprawling monasic complex is only partially cleared of jungle overgrowth. Intentionally left partially unrestored, massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors offering a 'jungle atmosphere'. This temple was one of Jayavarman VII's first major temple projects. Ta Prohm was dedicated to his mother. It was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting of control over 3000 villages, thousands of support staff and vast stores of jewels and gold.Our final stop was Angkor Wat also constructed in the mid 12 century. Angkor wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three tiered pyramid crowned by 5 lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region Suryavarman II constructed Angkor WAt in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It served as his stated temple, though the temple's uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Sruyavarman II's funerary temple. Angkor Wat was surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1km square and consists of 3 levels surmounted by the central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-relief and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered aspara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of aspara carvings in Angkoraina era art. Bit it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical was of Suryavarman II.
Siem Reap is a relatively small city. Tuktuks are the primary mode of transportation. We had some days where didn't leave the pool. But on most days we ventured in to town - at least to eat. As with most of our stops, the markets are key attractions. We really enjoyed the night market in Siem Reap. They have a little movie house showing movies about the history of Cambodia. Of course there are lots of stands selling the usual tourist necessities, several massage places and a nice restaurant/bar. One night Chase was complaining about his very loose tooth. Our waiter asked if he could see. We thought he was pretending to pull it out - but he really did it! No one was more shocked than Chase to see his tooth in his hand.
We made a trip out to the war museum one afternoon. It is an outdoor field with all kinds of war machines, bombs , etc. At the end of our tour, we sat with a gentleman who had lost his entire family to a landmine incident. He gave us a very personal view into realities of living in Cambodia.
We had heard that the Tonle Sap Lake floating village was quite a sight so we took a ride out there one day and hired a boat for a tour. The village itself was pretty amazing. Schools, stores, houses, restaurants - everything necessary was right there on the lake. The residents went about their daily routines of cooking, washing, napping in their little homes. Apparently, they move according to the depth of the lake. The only frustrating thing was that it is quite a tourist trap and we felt like walking ATMs.
On Saturday night, we went to the Beatocello concert. It is a performance put on by a Swiss doctor from the local children's hospital. He plays his cello and describes his experiences in building the hospital - and tries to get donations of blood or cash to keep the hospitals going. Dr. Richner is an amazing, inspiring man who has been in Cambodia since the mid 90's. He has raised the funding to build several hospitals (I think they keep out growing the one in Phnom Penh and there is the one in Siem Reap). The government doesn't give any money so he raises millions of dollars every year to keep the hospitals running. He has given the concert every Saturday night for the past 18 years! Remember I mentioned that the average Cambodian makes 50 cents a day. These hospitals are staffed entirely by Cambodians (except 2 people) and they make at least $120 per month - even the non-medical staff.
We spent one day at the Cambodia Cultural Village. Each area is displays the various types of villages that are located throughout Cambodia. There is also a wax museum, and a miniature display of the most notable places in the country. A troop of dancers moves through the park, stopping at each 'village' and performing a story of life in Cambodia.
We discovered Viva - a Mexican restaurant on our first day in Siem Reap. We ate there almost every day. They served 50 cent beers and $1 margaritas (alcohol free for the kids) and of course some authentic tasting Mexican food.
On our last day, we left the hotel at 8:00 am and drove to Phnom Penh. From there we flew to Kuala Lumpur and finally to Dubai, arriving at 3 am.
Enjoy the photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/SiemReap?authkey=Gv1sRgCOqM3ubv_dz6sAE#
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Cambodia - Phnom Penh
Our last stop on our summer vacation was Cambodia. We spent 1 week in Phnom Penh and 2 weeks in Siem Reap. We chose Cambodia because we heard it was beautiful and inexpensive. I had heard about the Khmer Rouge, landmines and Angkor Wat but other than that didn't know a lot about Cambodia.
Cambodia turned out to be amazing. It was very inexpensive. In Siem Reap, we stayed in a beautiful 5 star hotel for $60 a night - including breakfast for all of us. Food and drink were also very inexpensive. The people are so friendly. They are truly interested in talking to you and helping you.
Sadly, the dark side of Cambodia is still very present. In Phnom Penh, some of the main attractions include the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum - the school where the Khmer Rouge tortured so many people. Victims of landmines can often been seen begging on the streets and the Royal Palace and Angkor Wat show the scars of the bullets. Corruption is rampant in Cambodia. The average income for locals is 50 cents a day!
I'll give you a brief overview of the tragedy of Cambodia. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot began rounding up all the educated Cambodians and systematically tortured and killed them. In 1979, the Khmer Rouge were defeated with the assistance of Viet Nam and the country fell into civil war for almost the next 30 years - that brings them up to the late 90's. The communist party (Khmer Rouge) is still in power and the police and politicians are often the soldiers of the past. Many aid societies (NGOs) are present in Cambodia, but between the corruption and the administration of these charities, poverty is still a huge issue. Given the atrocities that are a part of their recent history, it is amazing how happy the Cambodians all seem to be.
We started our stay in Phnom Pehn. We boarded the plane to Langkawi at about 11:30 am. Chase had picked up something and was threatening to vomit at any second. Thankfully, the plane departed on schedule and we had an uneventful flight. We even had time to have lunch before our 3:00 flight to Phnom Penh. Another quick fight and we arrived at our destination. My time on the plane was spent filling in forms.
We walked through the airport – upstairs only to go down more steps, Chase with his paper bag gripped firmly in his hand. At the base of the staircase, we were handed 2 forms for tourist Visas and then we proceeded to the desk where the officials took our passports. In broken English, and our bewilderment, we went through the Visa process...
Although people all around us were busy filling in application forms, we never did. The official behind the counter said $20 each, so we handed over $80. A moment later, he gave Rick back $40 and $30 to me and told us to “go over there” to wait. Some more gesturing and he gave us back the kids’ passports. We finally deciphered that children’s visas are only$5 and we paid for ours when we received them from the other desk – and our photos were not used. It took only about 5 minutes and we moved on the Customs counter with Chase in tears and holding the bag to his face begging to sit down somewhere. Customs was another efficient process and the forms I filled out on the plane were processed. One more stop (and the last form). We quickly passed through the declaration area and were immediately outside.
We were faced with the usual crowd of people with placards looking for their assigned guests and the taxi and tuktuk drivers. We determined that it was 30 minutes to the city center and the set rate for taxis is $9. We received our slip and went to our waiting taxi, still in a daze from our arrival and still with Chase threatening to vomit.
The taxi drivers seemed confused when I told them the name of our hotel which we found on the internet – the Villa Paradisio. I pulled out the reservation and discovered it was actually the Villa Paradiso and they seemed much more confident. They discussed the address and off we went with our driver who understood and spoke absolutely no English. Rick had been toying with the idea of renting a car and quickly dismissed that thought after about 5 minutes of watching traffic. Cars and scooters appear and disappear in every direction. It appears completely chaotic – and somehow it seems to work. It seems that the flow of traffic never stops, so if the vehicle comes to an intersection, the driver slowly nudges his way across – making his way between the cars and scooters who calmly continue to drive around him. And, what can you carry on a scooter? 5 people; a coat rack; a chest of drawers; a head board; a queen size mattress; a 100 lb bag of cement… all while maneuvering through the constant flow of traffic which does not stick to any lane, or for that matter, to the proper side of the street. Definitely driving in Phnom Penh is best left to the locals.
Along with marveling at the traffic, we were bombarded with the sights of the city. In some ways Phnom Penh is very typical of the Asian cities that we have been to. The roads are narrow and clogged with traffic – mostly scooters and tuktuks. There are lots of stands set up on the roadside selling mostly food and beverages and taking up the sidewalks. The small shops with similar businesses all clustered together. One street, on both sides, was entirely dedicated to selling scooters – hundreds, maybe thousands of scooters. Tiny shops (maybe 10 feet wide), one after the other, all doing some type of mechanical work on car engines. Lots of people were sitting around and walking along the streets – everyone looking a little dirty and shabby. The streets themselves are relatively free of litter and it is very clear that this is a poor country. The buildings are low – no more than 3 or 4 stories, mostly run down, but with a few very nice buildings interspersed every couple of blocks. They are nestled tightly together. Any larger building with garden space is surrounded by a tall concrete fence, often topped with razor wire and always monitored by at least one security guard.
Our taxi driver was clearly lost and when he seemed to be near our destination, we were stopped by road construction that required a long detour. The driver made several phone calls and asked a few security guards for direction. We were becoming more and more concerned at what the Villa Paradiso really was. Street 222 definitely not look like the location of the beautiful hotel we saw on the internet. Closer and closer we came to 29-35 and still the streets were the same. As the driver slowed to find the numbers, I spotted the small Villa Paradiso sign on the fence. It was with mixed feelings of relief and trepidation that we stepped out of the taxi.
The security guard leaped up to assist me with the small suitcase we had in the backseat and seemingly out of nowhere 3 other gentlemen appeared to assist with the other luggage. We entered the gates and immediately our anxieties were set to rest. To the right we saw the small reception cabana, further to the right was the beautiful villa with large pillars on either side of the entryway. To the left was the intimate restaurant. The garden was filled with exotic trees and flowers and the most inviting fragrance. After settling in to our room, we went out to explore the rest of the resort. The stunning gardens continued. The children opted for a dip in the pool and hot tub while we sat in the open air restaurant and chatted with the other hotel guests in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
It was a little difficult to leave the beautiful hotel and explore the realities of Phnom Penh. We decided that the Genocide Museum was too much for the kids, so Rick went on his own. The museum is an old school that the Khmer Rouge used to house the prisoners. They kept meticulous records of the prisoners along with pictures and these are all displayed along with the instruments of torture.
The rest of Rick's day was much more pleasant. He went for a quad ride through the country side. He visited small villages and really enjoyed meeting the locals who welcomed him in.
We took the kids to the Killing Fields and they managed fine. The most chilling display they have is the tower of bones that had been buried in the mass graves. The signs described the process for the prisoners from the time they arrived until they were executed.
Highlights of Phnom Penh are the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. There is also a wat on the the grounds. We also enjoyed walking along the riverfront and watching the locals who gather there at about 5:00.
When we left our hotel, we usually had our tuktuk driver wait for us. It is most amazing how they kept tabs on us. One day we went to the Russian Market and we got hopelessly lost in the row after row of clothing, souvenirs, food, household items... Because it is so crowded and not air conditioned, we had to get out for fresh air. No matter where or when we came out, our tuktuk driver was standing waiting for us! Another day, we asked the driver to drop us off at one end of the riverfront. He followed us for over an hour - he even parked so he could see where we were when we were seated on the second floor of the restaurant. The reason they were so keen to keep tabs on us is because we paid them after we got back to the hotel - all of that effort on their part for $4.00.
Check out the link for some of our photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/PhnomPenh?authkey=Gv1sRgCLOqgsqE-cyabw#
Cambodia turned out to be amazing. It was very inexpensive. In Siem Reap, we stayed in a beautiful 5 star hotel for $60 a night - including breakfast for all of us. Food and drink were also very inexpensive. The people are so friendly. They are truly interested in talking to you and helping you.
Sadly, the dark side of Cambodia is still very present. In Phnom Penh, some of the main attractions include the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum - the school where the Khmer Rouge tortured so many people. Victims of landmines can often been seen begging on the streets and the Royal Palace and Angkor Wat show the scars of the bullets. Corruption is rampant in Cambodia. The average income for locals is 50 cents a day!
I'll give you a brief overview of the tragedy of Cambodia. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot began rounding up all the educated Cambodians and systematically tortured and killed them. In 1979, the Khmer Rouge were defeated with the assistance of Viet Nam and the country fell into civil war for almost the next 30 years - that brings them up to the late 90's. The communist party (Khmer Rouge) is still in power and the police and politicians are often the soldiers of the past. Many aid societies (NGOs) are present in Cambodia, but between the corruption and the administration of these charities, poverty is still a huge issue. Given the atrocities that are a part of their recent history, it is amazing how happy the Cambodians all seem to be.
We started our stay in Phnom Pehn. We boarded the plane to Langkawi at about 11:30 am. Chase had picked up something and was threatening to vomit at any second. Thankfully, the plane departed on schedule and we had an uneventful flight. We even had time to have lunch before our 3:00 flight to Phnom Penh. Another quick fight and we arrived at our destination. My time on the plane was spent filling in forms.
We walked through the airport – upstairs only to go down more steps, Chase with his paper bag gripped firmly in his hand. At the base of the staircase, we were handed 2 forms for tourist Visas and then we proceeded to the desk where the officials took our passports. In broken English, and our bewilderment, we went through the Visa process...
Although people all around us were busy filling in application forms, we never did. The official behind the counter said $20 each, so we handed over $80. A moment later, he gave Rick back $40 and $30 to me and told us to “go over there” to wait. Some more gesturing and he gave us back the kids’ passports. We finally deciphered that children’s visas are only$5 and we paid for ours when we received them from the other desk – and our photos were not used. It took only about 5 minutes and we moved on the Customs counter with Chase in tears and holding the bag to his face begging to sit down somewhere. Customs was another efficient process and the forms I filled out on the plane were processed. One more stop (and the last form). We quickly passed through the declaration area and were immediately outside.
We were faced with the usual crowd of people with placards looking for their assigned guests and the taxi and tuktuk drivers. We determined that it was 30 minutes to the city center and the set rate for taxis is $9. We received our slip and went to our waiting taxi, still in a daze from our arrival and still with Chase threatening to vomit.
The taxi drivers seemed confused when I told them the name of our hotel which we found on the internet – the Villa Paradisio. I pulled out the reservation and discovered it was actually the Villa Paradiso and they seemed much more confident. They discussed the address and off we went with our driver who understood and spoke absolutely no English. Rick had been toying with the idea of renting a car and quickly dismissed that thought after about 5 minutes of watching traffic. Cars and scooters appear and disappear in every direction. It appears completely chaotic – and somehow it seems to work. It seems that the flow of traffic never stops, so if the vehicle comes to an intersection, the driver slowly nudges his way across – making his way between the cars and scooters who calmly continue to drive around him. And, what can you carry on a scooter? 5 people; a coat rack; a chest of drawers; a head board; a queen size mattress; a 100 lb bag of cement… all while maneuvering through the constant flow of traffic which does not stick to any lane, or for that matter, to the proper side of the street. Definitely driving in Phnom Penh is best left to the locals.
Along with marveling at the traffic, we were bombarded with the sights of the city. In some ways Phnom Penh is very typical of the Asian cities that we have been to. The roads are narrow and clogged with traffic – mostly scooters and tuktuks. There are lots of stands set up on the roadside selling mostly food and beverages and taking up the sidewalks. The small shops with similar businesses all clustered together. One street, on both sides, was entirely dedicated to selling scooters – hundreds, maybe thousands of scooters. Tiny shops (maybe 10 feet wide), one after the other, all doing some type of mechanical work on car engines. Lots of people were sitting around and walking along the streets – everyone looking a little dirty and shabby. The streets themselves are relatively free of litter and it is very clear that this is a poor country. The buildings are low – no more than 3 or 4 stories, mostly run down, but with a few very nice buildings interspersed every couple of blocks. They are nestled tightly together. Any larger building with garden space is surrounded by a tall concrete fence, often topped with razor wire and always monitored by at least one security guard.
Our taxi driver was clearly lost and when he seemed to be near our destination, we were stopped by road construction that required a long detour. The driver made several phone calls and asked a few security guards for direction. We were becoming more and more concerned at what the Villa Paradiso really was. Street 222 definitely not look like the location of the beautiful hotel we saw on the internet. Closer and closer we came to 29-35 and still the streets were the same. As the driver slowed to find the numbers, I spotted the small Villa Paradiso sign on the fence. It was with mixed feelings of relief and trepidation that we stepped out of the taxi.
The security guard leaped up to assist me with the small suitcase we had in the backseat and seemingly out of nowhere 3 other gentlemen appeared to assist with the other luggage. We entered the gates and immediately our anxieties were set to rest. To the right we saw the small reception cabana, further to the right was the beautiful villa with large pillars on either side of the entryway. To the left was the intimate restaurant. The garden was filled with exotic trees and flowers and the most inviting fragrance. After settling in to our room, we went out to explore the rest of the resort. The stunning gardens continued. The children opted for a dip in the pool and hot tub while we sat in the open air restaurant and chatted with the other hotel guests in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
It was a little difficult to leave the beautiful hotel and explore the realities of Phnom Penh. We decided that the Genocide Museum was too much for the kids, so Rick went on his own. The museum is an old school that the Khmer Rouge used to house the prisoners. They kept meticulous records of the prisoners along with pictures and these are all displayed along with the instruments of torture.
The rest of Rick's day was much more pleasant. He went for a quad ride through the country side. He visited small villages and really enjoyed meeting the locals who welcomed him in.
We took the kids to the Killing Fields and they managed fine. The most chilling display they have is the tower of bones that had been buried in the mass graves. The signs described the process for the prisoners from the time they arrived until they were executed.
Highlights of Phnom Penh are the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. There is also a wat on the the grounds. We also enjoyed walking along the riverfront and watching the locals who gather there at about 5:00.
When we left our hotel, we usually had our tuktuk driver wait for us. It is most amazing how they kept tabs on us. One day we went to the Russian Market and we got hopelessly lost in the row after row of clothing, souvenirs, food, household items... Because it is so crowded and not air conditioned, we had to get out for fresh air. No matter where or when we came out, our tuktuk driver was standing waiting for us! Another day, we asked the driver to drop us off at one end of the riverfront. He followed us for over an hour - he even parked so he could see where we were when we were seated on the second floor of the restaurant. The reason they were so keen to keep tabs on us is because we paid them after we got back to the hotel - all of that effort on their part for $4.00.
Check out the link for some of our photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/PhnomPenh?authkey=Gv1sRgCLOqgsqE-cyabw#
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Next stop: Langkawi Malaysia
Langkawi is an island chain on the north east side of Malaysia, very near to Thailand. There are actually 99 islands (101 at low tide) but only a couple are inhabited.
We rented a car so we could see the island at our leisure. The island is quite small and can be driven around in less than a day. Rick had the joys of driving on the opposite side of the road. I had the joys of trying to navigate using the tourist maps which are not a substitute for a road map. Somehow, we found our way to a lot of very interesting destinations.
The biggest town is Kuah, where we stayed for a couple days. We moved over to the beach for the last few days of our stay. Kuah is the location of the night market which is much smaller than the markets we visited on our previous stops. We enjoyed some more satay and "potato springs" and did a little bargaining on our visit. On our first night, we happened upon a great Chinese restaurant. It is located on the corner of 2 very quiet streets. The restaurant is very busy and when all the seats are taken, they set up tables and chairs in the little park across the street.
We stayed in 2 beach front hotels. In one, we had a room looking out onto the sea. It was great to have a dip in the pool or in the ocean at the end of the day. Rick and the kids rented a jet ski one day and went exploring to the neighbouring islands.
One of the highlights of Langkawi is the Cable Car. It was too cloudy and threatening to rain on our first trip, so the ride was closed and we spent the day at Oriental Village at the base of the mountain. There is tons to do at Oriental Village and we enjoyed our day. We all took advantage of the fish spa. It is a creepy, ticklish feeling to have the fish nibbling on your feet. The kids enjoyed the pedal boat around the lake in the center of the village. We also fed the deer and the rabbits. On our next visit to Oriental Village, we managed to get to the top to enjoy the beautiful view of almost the entire island.
Myths and legends abound in Langkawi. According to one legend, the fairies became quite enamoured with Telaga Tujah and made the 7 wells their bathing location. We climbed the steps up the mountain to the top of the Seven Wells. Water cascades down from one well to the next and the rocks have been smoothed out over time. On the internet, the location is described as a natural waterslide. The kids were eagerly anticipating their chance to slide down. Zoe came away with a monster bruise on her leg and she grabbed Chase just in time to save him from a worse fate. After that, we contented ourselves with basking in the wells and watching the monkeys. We never saw any fairies but the view was spectacular just the same.
Another island legend involves Mahsuri, a beautiful princess who was wrongly accused of adultery for which the punishment was death. According to legend, the villagers made many attempts to kill her with their knives, but she would not die. Finally, they used her knife and when she died, she bled white blood. Before dying she put a curse on the island dooming it to be barren for 7 generations. The seven generations have now passed, and as the islanders are quick to point out, Langkawi has now become a popular tourist destination. They have erected a mausoleum at the site of her tomb. It is fun little tourist trap where they have built replicas of traditional houses of various eras. Of course there is also a little museum featuring supposed artifacts from Mahsuri - even the knife that might have killed her and a suitcase belonging to someone who might have known her!
One day we drove to the highest point on the island - Gunyang Raya. The long and winding road was in pretty good condition, but since it was a rainy day and July is low season in Langkawi, we didn't encounter another car. At the peak is a 5 star hotel. We got out of the car to take a couple pictures and the hotel manager came running out to us. He invited to come to the observation tower and offered us a tour of the hotel when we were finished enjoying the view. He toured us around to the rooms with the best views, obviously very proud. The waitress in the restaurant shared her photos with us while we had a small snack. While there were no other cars on the road, there were cows and monkeys. We encountered a small troop of dusky leaf monkeys. They are black with white around the eyes and are quite beautiful. We stopped to try and get some photos without much luck. One was on the power pole at the side of the road and leaped off to a tree several meters away. He looked like he was flying through the air - and then he was gone.
Actually, monkeys were everywhere in Langkawi. The most common were macaques and we saw them almost everywhere we went.
We booked a boat for a fishing trip one afternoon. It was the first time that Zoe and Chase have been fishing and they would not let the impending thunderstorm spoil their enthusiasm. The sinister looking clouds rolled in just as we got on the boat and headed out. The thunderstorm did not take long to roll in and the thunder echoed through the islands all around us as the lightning crackled. Our boat captain took us out to his favourite fishing spots and very patiently baited our lines, unsnagged us and took our fish off the line. I don't think he spoke a single word of English. Chase excitedly caught the first fish. Just when Zoe was becoming discouraged at her lack of luck, she managed to pull in several right in a row. Rick caught the biggest. I caught one so small that I didn't even know it was on my line until I reeled it in when we were changing locations. In all, we caught about 28 fish which we gave to the captain.
On one of our island drives, we ended up across the island from our hotel at the sea. We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who attempted to sell us a boat trip. It was a 2 hour boat ride with several hokey sounding highlights. Since he agreed to lower the price, we decided to give it a try. In the end it was a lot of fun. We started in the mangrove forest and watched the eagles feeding. We went crocodile cave - named for the shape of the cave, not because there are any crocodiles. Bat cave however is named for all the bats. We stopped off at a fish farm where the kids patted a stingray and held a horseshoe crab. The highlight here was the archer fish. They leap out of the water to catch their dinner and we all had the chance to put bread on our fingers which they pulled off. If the food is too high, they spit at it to knock it down. I have never been spit at by a fish before! Back on the boat, along the shore we saw lots and lots of monkeys.
On our last day in Langkawi, we got up early and went to Island Horses for a horseback ride through the jungle and along the beach. Again, it was a private tour with a guide in front and following behind. Chase felt a little unsure, so he had someone walking along leading his horse. Zoe felt confident enough to go for a trot along the beach.
Here's the link to our Langkawi album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Langkawi?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmG4omX0ZHnJg#
We spent the last 3 weeks of our holiday in Cambodia - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. More stories to follow...
We rented a car so we could see the island at our leisure. The island is quite small and can be driven around in less than a day. Rick had the joys of driving on the opposite side of the road. I had the joys of trying to navigate using the tourist maps which are not a substitute for a road map. Somehow, we found our way to a lot of very interesting destinations.
The biggest town is Kuah, where we stayed for a couple days. We moved over to the beach for the last few days of our stay. Kuah is the location of the night market which is much smaller than the markets we visited on our previous stops. We enjoyed some more satay and "potato springs" and did a little bargaining on our visit. On our first night, we happened upon a great Chinese restaurant. It is located on the corner of 2 very quiet streets. The restaurant is very busy and when all the seats are taken, they set up tables and chairs in the little park across the street.
We stayed in 2 beach front hotels. In one, we had a room looking out onto the sea. It was great to have a dip in the pool or in the ocean at the end of the day. Rick and the kids rented a jet ski one day and went exploring to the neighbouring islands.
One of the highlights of Langkawi is the Cable Car. It was too cloudy and threatening to rain on our first trip, so the ride was closed and we spent the day at Oriental Village at the base of the mountain. There is tons to do at Oriental Village and we enjoyed our day. We all took advantage of the fish spa. It is a creepy, ticklish feeling to have the fish nibbling on your feet. The kids enjoyed the pedal boat around the lake in the center of the village. We also fed the deer and the rabbits. On our next visit to Oriental Village, we managed to get to the top to enjoy the beautiful view of almost the entire island.
Myths and legends abound in Langkawi. According to one legend, the fairies became quite enamoured with Telaga Tujah and made the 7 wells their bathing location. We climbed the steps up the mountain to the top of the Seven Wells. Water cascades down from one well to the next and the rocks have been smoothed out over time. On the internet, the location is described as a natural waterslide. The kids were eagerly anticipating their chance to slide down. Zoe came away with a monster bruise on her leg and she grabbed Chase just in time to save him from a worse fate. After that, we contented ourselves with basking in the wells and watching the monkeys. We never saw any fairies but the view was spectacular just the same.
Another island legend involves Mahsuri, a beautiful princess who was wrongly accused of adultery for which the punishment was death. According to legend, the villagers made many attempts to kill her with their knives, but she would not die. Finally, they used her knife and when she died, she bled white blood. Before dying she put a curse on the island dooming it to be barren for 7 generations. The seven generations have now passed, and as the islanders are quick to point out, Langkawi has now become a popular tourist destination. They have erected a mausoleum at the site of her tomb. It is fun little tourist trap where they have built replicas of traditional houses of various eras. Of course there is also a little museum featuring supposed artifacts from Mahsuri - even the knife that might have killed her and a suitcase belonging to someone who might have known her!
One day we drove to the highest point on the island - Gunyang Raya. The long and winding road was in pretty good condition, but since it was a rainy day and July is low season in Langkawi, we didn't encounter another car. At the peak is a 5 star hotel. We got out of the car to take a couple pictures and the hotel manager came running out to us. He invited to come to the observation tower and offered us a tour of the hotel when we were finished enjoying the view. He toured us around to the rooms with the best views, obviously very proud. The waitress in the restaurant shared her photos with us while we had a small snack. While there were no other cars on the road, there were cows and monkeys. We encountered a small troop of dusky leaf monkeys. They are black with white around the eyes and are quite beautiful. We stopped to try and get some photos without much luck. One was on the power pole at the side of the road and leaped off to a tree several meters away. He looked like he was flying through the air - and then he was gone.
Actually, monkeys were everywhere in Langkawi. The most common were macaques and we saw them almost everywhere we went.
We booked a boat for a fishing trip one afternoon. It was the first time that Zoe and Chase have been fishing and they would not let the impending thunderstorm spoil their enthusiasm. The sinister looking clouds rolled in just as we got on the boat and headed out. The thunderstorm did not take long to roll in and the thunder echoed through the islands all around us as the lightning crackled. Our boat captain took us out to his favourite fishing spots and very patiently baited our lines, unsnagged us and took our fish off the line. I don't think he spoke a single word of English. Chase excitedly caught the first fish. Just when Zoe was becoming discouraged at her lack of luck, she managed to pull in several right in a row. Rick caught the biggest. I caught one so small that I didn't even know it was on my line until I reeled it in when we were changing locations. In all, we caught about 28 fish which we gave to the captain.
On one of our island drives, we ended up across the island from our hotel at the sea. We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who attempted to sell us a boat trip. It was a 2 hour boat ride with several hokey sounding highlights. Since he agreed to lower the price, we decided to give it a try. In the end it was a lot of fun. We started in the mangrove forest and watched the eagles feeding. We went crocodile cave - named for the shape of the cave, not because there are any crocodiles. Bat cave however is named for all the bats. We stopped off at a fish farm where the kids patted a stingray and held a horseshoe crab. The highlight here was the archer fish. They leap out of the water to catch their dinner and we all had the chance to put bread on our fingers which they pulled off. If the food is too high, they spit at it to knock it down. I have never been spit at by a fish before! Back on the boat, along the shore we saw lots and lots of monkeys.
On our last day in Langkawi, we got up early and went to Island Horses for a horseback ride through the jungle and along the beach. Again, it was a private tour with a guide in front and following behind. Chase felt a little unsure, so he had someone walking along leading his horse. Zoe felt confident enough to go for a trot along the beach.
Here's the link to our Langkawi album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Langkawi?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmG4omX0ZHnJg#
We spent the last 3 weeks of our holiday in Cambodia - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. More stories to follow...
Friday, 3 September 2010
Borneo
The next stop on our journey was Borneo. The island of Borneo is about half Indonesia and half Malaysia.Also on the island is the entire (tiny) country of Brunei. Oil was discovered in Brunei, and it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We went to Malaysian Borneo, which is the northern half of the island. We went to the state of Sabah, on the east side. We spent our time in and around the city of Kota Kinabalu.
Borneo is known for all the unique creatures and flowers, for headhunters and because of the rainforest. It is also the location of the first Survivor series. We were surprised at how developed it is - and how big and spread out.
Being rainforest, of course we got lots of rain, including thunderstorms. It seemed to rain everyday, either late morning or late afternoon. Once we figured that out, we managed to mostly stay dry.
Kota Kinabalu is the biggest major city in Sabah. It is located on the sea but it is not beach. There are several markets. One is dedicated to handicrafts and other tourist items. Another is mostly grocery items and seems to be for the locals. There is also Sunday Market and Night market. At night, there is also a food market where dinner (prepared or raw ingredients) can be found.
We actually had quite a challenge finding food. Being that it is an island, fish is a staple dietary item. We are not big fish eaters at the best of times, and these were served complete with heads and teeth. Added to that we did not recognize any of the menu items (especially if they were written in Malay). If the restaurant did not have a picture menu, or display their foods we had to move on. Thankfully, there was McDonalds for the more difficult days.
One day we took a boat trip over to Sapi Island to spend the day snorkeling. It was fabulous! You can walk out from the beach and see fish without even putting your head under water. Slightly further out (but still no need to swim) is coral. We decided to test our camera's underwater claim so we got a few pictures - but they are nothing like the real experience. The water is comfortably warm and clear and we spent hours underwater. When we needed to dry out, we walked over to the restaurant for lunch and the most delicious watermelon juice we have ever tasted. About 20 feet away we noticed monitor lizardss in the shade of the trees. One was about 6 feet long. They were quite shy and moved away if we got too close while taking pictures.
Another day we went to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Reserve where we were able to see some of Borneo's unique animals and plants. The most memorable are the orangutan, the proboscis monkey and the hornbill.
Our next day was spent journeying to Mt. Kinabalu Park. Mt. Kinabalu is one of the highest peaks in Asia and is a destination for trekkers. Many people choose to climb to the peak. It is a 2 day hike and a highlight is being at the peak for sunrise. We were not that energetic and instead went to the Park for the Canopy Walk, Rainforest walk and viewing of the rafflesia. On the rainforest walk we discovered several varieties of orchids and some pitcher plants. The rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world and is only found in Borneo. The biggest one is about 1 meter across. The one we saw was about 18 inches. Rafflesias flower once a year for about 1 week. Getting to see the flower is most of the adventure. When one is in bloom, signs are put out on the roadside directing you to the location. Our bus drove as close as possible and then we got out and paid our viewing admission. We were led down into the forest for about 500 meters. The guide unlocked the fence and took us the remaining 30 meters to the flower. A barricade is set up to keep us from touching and damaging the flower while we looked. There is no foliage, only the giant waxy bloom sitting on the ground. They have the smell of rotten meat, but are quite extraordinary to look at.
Next stop for the day was Poring Hot Springs and Canopy Walk. This was one of the times when we were not able to avoid the rain - and rain is the rainforest is like nothing I have ever experienced before. We ended up running along the canopy walk and not really taking in the amazing scenery.
Our tour guide explained to us that he is from a tribe in the southern part of Malaysian Borneo. He said the the tribe are historically headhunters, but headhunting has been illegal since 1964 so they no longer practice the tradition.
Do you know what a pineapple tree looks like? I always imagined they are tall palm trees, like coconuts. It turns out they are about the size of a houseplant and the pineapple grows on the top - only about 2 feet from the ground.
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Borneo?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDOs9H5mNz8DA#
Borneo is known for all the unique creatures and flowers, for headhunters and because of the rainforest. It is also the location of the first Survivor series. We were surprised at how developed it is - and how big and spread out.
Being rainforest, of course we got lots of rain, including thunderstorms. It seemed to rain everyday, either late morning or late afternoon. Once we figured that out, we managed to mostly stay dry.
Kota Kinabalu is the biggest major city in Sabah. It is located on the sea but it is not beach. There are several markets. One is dedicated to handicrafts and other tourist items. Another is mostly grocery items and seems to be for the locals. There is also Sunday Market and Night market. At night, there is also a food market where dinner (prepared or raw ingredients) can be found.
We actually had quite a challenge finding food. Being that it is an island, fish is a staple dietary item. We are not big fish eaters at the best of times, and these were served complete with heads and teeth. Added to that we did not recognize any of the menu items (especially if they were written in Malay). If the restaurant did not have a picture menu, or display their foods we had to move on. Thankfully, there was McDonalds for the more difficult days.
One day we took a boat trip over to Sapi Island to spend the day snorkeling. It was fabulous! You can walk out from the beach and see fish without even putting your head under water. Slightly further out (but still no need to swim) is coral. We decided to test our camera's underwater claim so we got a few pictures - but they are nothing like the real experience. The water is comfortably warm and clear and we spent hours underwater. When we needed to dry out, we walked over to the restaurant for lunch and the most delicious watermelon juice we have ever tasted. About 20 feet away we noticed monitor lizardss in the shade of the trees. One was about 6 feet long. They were quite shy and moved away if we got too close while taking pictures.
Another day we went to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Reserve where we were able to see some of Borneo's unique animals and plants. The most memorable are the orangutan, the proboscis monkey and the hornbill.
Our next day was spent journeying to Mt. Kinabalu Park. Mt. Kinabalu is one of the highest peaks in Asia and is a destination for trekkers. Many people choose to climb to the peak. It is a 2 day hike and a highlight is being at the peak for sunrise. We were not that energetic and instead went to the Park for the Canopy Walk, Rainforest walk and viewing of the rafflesia. On the rainforest walk we discovered several varieties of orchids and some pitcher plants. The rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world and is only found in Borneo. The biggest one is about 1 meter across. The one we saw was about 18 inches. Rafflesias flower once a year for about 1 week. Getting to see the flower is most of the adventure. When one is in bloom, signs are put out on the roadside directing you to the location. Our bus drove as close as possible and then we got out and paid our viewing admission. We were led down into the forest for about 500 meters. The guide unlocked the fence and took us the remaining 30 meters to the flower. A barricade is set up to keep us from touching and damaging the flower while we looked. There is no foliage, only the giant waxy bloom sitting on the ground. They have the smell of rotten meat, but are quite extraordinary to look at.
Next stop for the day was Poring Hot Springs and Canopy Walk. This was one of the times when we were not able to avoid the rain - and rain is the rainforest is like nothing I have ever experienced before. We ended up running along the canopy walk and not really taking in the amazing scenery.
Our tour guide explained to us that he is from a tribe in the southern part of Malaysian Borneo. He said the the tribe are historically headhunters, but headhunting has been illegal since 1964 so they no longer practice the tradition.
Do you know what a pineapple tree looks like? I always imagined they are tall palm trees, like coconuts. It turns out they are about the size of a houseplant and the pineapple grows on the top - only about 2 feet from the ground.
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Borneo?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDOs9H5mNz8DA#
Friday, 27 August 2010
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
We flew out of Dubai at 6 pm and arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 6 am. The airport is located outside of the city so we took a 45 minute taxi ride to our hotel. It gave us lots of time to enjoy the scenery.
Kuala Lumpur is probably most famous for the Petronas Towers - which, at 452 meters tall, used to be the highest building in the world until they were dwarfed by the Burj Khalifa here in Dubai. We were impressed with the architecture of the towers. They are actually very beautiful. The highlight of our trip to the Petronas Towers was the activity area in behind called Lake Gardens. Directly behind the towers there is a large pond. A little beyond that there is a water park and the biggest playground we have ever seen. It seemed to go on forever and I think Zoe and Chase tried each piece of equipment!
After several hours playing, we decided it was time to return to the hotel because the daily rain was approaching. Since it was evening rush hour, we waited in vain for our hop-on-hop-off bus. After waiting for an hour, we negotiated a fare with a taxi and headed back to the hotel. It took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to make the 1.6 kilometer trip. If we would have known it was so close (and the direction) we definitely could have walked. But, then again, there was a torrential downpour so we were content to be cool and dry in the taxi.
Our hotel was in the Bukit Bintang area and we were surrounded by shopping malls. Most were pretty standard, with several floors of the typical shops. The Time Square mall had a 3 story amusement park. The Sungei Wang mall goes on forever (we kept getting lost each time we went in) and is several floors of market stalls where you can bargain with the shop keepers. The other 2 malls we visited were the Pavilion and Lot 10. The highlight of these malls are the food courts. They had the most amazing selection of food. The first night we ate at a Japanese restaurant where they cooked the food in front of us. The experience was a fun as the food was tasty.
We ventured away from our hotel area to go to the Batu Caves. We climbed up the 272 steps (yes, Zoe counted to make sure)to see the limestone caves (thought to be 400 million years old) and the Hindu shrine. Along the way, we encountered our first monkeys of the trip. The kids both held the iguana.
That evening we went over to Chinatown to take in the Night Market. Zoe purchased 10pairs of earrings for less than $5.00 and we added several movies to our collection. We also had a scrumptious dinner at one of the many restaurants.
We met a fabulous Australian family at our hotel. The 3 three kids were similar in age to Zoe and Chase and they made fast friends. We decided to go to Sunway Lagoon together one day. Sunway Lagoon is a waterpark/amusement park/mini zoo located a short distance away from Kuala Lumpur. The day was much too short to take in all of the exciting rides and attractions and off course we had a great time.
Here is the link to our web album for Kuala Lumpur.
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/KualaLumpurJuly2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyasajW0fuL8QE&feat=directlink
Next stop - Borneo.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Back to the Routine
Vacation is over! We have been back for about a week and I am back at work. Zoe and Chase don't start school until September 13th, so they still have a lot of vacation left.
Our vacation was fabulous and busy. We started in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where we spent about 5 days. From there we went to Borneo for another week. Our next step was the island of Langkawi in Malaysia for another week. Finally we flew over to Cambodia where we spent 1 week in Phnom Penh and 2 weeks in Siem Reap.
We are still in the process of sorting through photos and downloading them on to the computer. Thanks to digital we were able to take over 1500 photos. Now the challenge is archiving them on the computer! Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll be able to put together a slide show and write more about our trip.
The weather continues to be hot and sunny. I think, with the humidity, it feels like over 50 degrees. Needless to say, we are spending most of our time indoors. It is now Ramadan, so not too much is happening in the daylight hours.
Our vacation was fabulous and busy. We started in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where we spent about 5 days. From there we went to Borneo for another week. Our next step was the island of Langkawi in Malaysia for another week. Finally we flew over to Cambodia where we spent 1 week in Phnom Penh and 2 weeks in Siem Reap.
We are still in the process of sorting through photos and downloading them on to the computer. Thanks to digital we were able to take over 1500 photos. Now the challenge is archiving them on the computer! Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll be able to put together a slide show and write more about our trip.
The weather continues to be hot and sunny. I think, with the humidity, it feels like over 50 degrees. Needless to say, we are spending most of our time indoors. It is now Ramadan, so not too much is happening in the daylight hours.
Monday, 28 June 2010
Another year has passed in Dubai
As we are getting ready to head out on vacation, it seems like a good time to reflect on the year that has just passed. So here is another top 5 list:
Highlights of the last year:
1. Vacation in Thailand
2. Vacation in Australia
3. Day trip to Oman
4. Discovering the cheap ironing service
5. Zoe winning 3 gold medals in the inter school track meet
6. Chase in Tee-ball
7. Getting a gas barbecue
Things that we still have not adjusted to:
1. The summer heat
2. No car seats and people not buckling up their children
3. Living in an apartment
4. Having a GPS and still getting lost
5. Restaurants not opening for lunch until after 1:00
Unexpected surprises we love about Dubai:
1. The cheap ironing service - and they deliver too!
2. The price of groceries - feta cheese $3.00 per kg, fresh baked bread - 60 cents a loaf, $1.50 for fresh pineapple - cored, peeled and packaged, can of Coke - 30 cents
3. Getting the car washed every week for $4.00 - where ever it is parked
4. Door-to-door service for the school bus
5. Going to a movie theatre at 1:00 on a weekend and being almost the only family there (Shrek 3D)
6. Never wearing socks
Things we have yet to try:
1. Getting McDonald's delivered
2. Going up the Burj Khalifa
3. Musundam boat cruise in Oman
Things we are most looking forward to when we go home:
1. Going for a family bike ride
2. Grass, trees and sidewalks
3. Ice caps and slurpees
4. pork bacon
5. opening the windows and breathing in the refreshing, fresh air
We leave for vacation tomorrow. This year we are heading to Malaysia, Borneo and Cambodia. Stay tuned for the stories and photos when we return in August.
Highlights of the last year:
1. Vacation in Thailand
2. Vacation in Australia
3. Day trip to Oman
4. Discovering the cheap ironing service
5. Zoe winning 3 gold medals in the inter school track meet
6. Chase in Tee-ball
7. Getting a gas barbecue
Things that we still have not adjusted to:
1. The summer heat
2. No car seats and people not buckling up their children
3. Living in an apartment
4. Having a GPS and still getting lost
5. Restaurants not opening for lunch until after 1:00
Unexpected surprises we love about Dubai:
1. The cheap ironing service - and they deliver too!
2. The price of groceries - feta cheese $3.00 per kg, fresh baked bread - 60 cents a loaf, $1.50 for fresh pineapple - cored, peeled and packaged, can of Coke - 30 cents
3. Getting the car washed every week for $4.00 - where ever it is parked
4. Door-to-door service for the school bus
5. Going to a movie theatre at 1:00 on a weekend and being almost the only family there (Shrek 3D)
6. Never wearing socks
Things we have yet to try:
1. Getting McDonald's delivered
2. Going up the Burj Khalifa
3. Musundam boat cruise in Oman
Things we are most looking forward to when we go home:
1. Going for a family bike ride
2. Grass, trees and sidewalks
3. Ice caps and slurpees
4. pork bacon
5. opening the windows and breathing in the refreshing, fresh air
We leave for vacation tomorrow. This year we are heading to Malaysia, Borneo and Cambodia. Stay tuned for the stories and photos when we return in August.
Friday, 11 June 2010
Monday, 17 May 2010
A Drive in the Country
On Friday, we decided to go for a little drive to Umm Al Quain. We left by 10 in the morning so traffic was pretty light. Umm Al Quain is about 50 kilometers from our place and it didn't take long to get there. When we checked the outside temperature on the thermometer, it read 49 degrees in the sun! On the drive home we had to wait for camels who decided to take a stroll down the highway. Then, suddenly the winds started to pick up. Even though we have a fairly big vehicle, the winds were still tossing us around a fair bit. We decided to just go home and on Saturday, our outing was to the air conditioned comfort of the new shopping mall. This one has an amusement park and a separate water play area.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
It has been a long time since I last updated you. There are 2 reasons for this, it has been busy and we haven't had any new exciting adventures.
I have been quite busy at work and so we have spent the weekends just relaxing at home. And the summer heat is already here, so daytime activities need to be indoors.
Since we are spending so much time at home, let me tell you about home life in Dubai...
Each of our 3 bathrooms has it's own water heater. The water for the building is stored in huge tanks on the roof, so in the summer it is actually as hot as if it went through the water heater. We turn off the heaters and use the "cold" water. Since the water heaters are in the ceiling, the water in them is cooler than the "cold" water. No matter how many showers we have in a row, even if we are washing laundry and dishes, we never run out of hot water.
We have no means of heating the apartment. They do sell space heaters for the cool winter days, but we have never found a need for one. In fact this winter was so warm, we used the air conditioner every day. We use a fan at night all winter long - partially to cool the room and partially to mask the sound of the nearby mosque. The call to prayer occurs sometime between 4 and 6, depending on sunrise and wakes us up (as it is meant to do).
Laundry is another adjustment that we needed to make. I have recently consented to having the ironing done at the local laundry. It cost about $3.00 to have 2 weeks worth of shirts ironed - and they deliver them when the are ready! We still do our own wash. We splurged on the expensive washer. It is also a full dryer. Since the dryer function is really just a cold air spin and it takes about 4 hours to complete a load which then comes out quite wrinkled, we rarely use it. FYI, the other version takes 9 hours and the clothes are 80% dry, and wrinkled. Generally, we do our part for the environment and dry everything on a clothes rack. We used to keep it on the deck and the clothes would dry in less than an hour in the summer. There is no option for cold water washing, unless we turn off the water heater in the kitchen where the washer is. The clothes do come out amazingly clean.
We wear summer clothes all year round. Since the kids are growing taller and not wider, they haven't grown out of many things. And, they wear school uniforms each day so the clothes don't wear out either. It is probably also because of the school uniforms that we have been able to avoid the "everyone is wearing them" syndrome.
I have been quite busy at work and so we have spent the weekends just relaxing at home. And the summer heat is already here, so daytime activities need to be indoors.
Since we are spending so much time at home, let me tell you about home life in Dubai...
Each of our 3 bathrooms has it's own water heater. The water for the building is stored in huge tanks on the roof, so in the summer it is actually as hot as if it went through the water heater. We turn off the heaters and use the "cold" water. Since the water heaters are in the ceiling, the water in them is cooler than the "cold" water. No matter how many showers we have in a row, even if we are washing laundry and dishes, we never run out of hot water.
We have no means of heating the apartment. They do sell space heaters for the cool winter days, but we have never found a need for one. In fact this winter was so warm, we used the air conditioner every day. We use a fan at night all winter long - partially to cool the room and partially to mask the sound of the nearby mosque. The call to prayer occurs sometime between 4 and 6, depending on sunrise and wakes us up (as it is meant to do).
Laundry is another adjustment that we needed to make. I have recently consented to having the ironing done at the local laundry. It cost about $3.00 to have 2 weeks worth of shirts ironed - and they deliver them when the are ready! We still do our own wash. We splurged on the expensive washer. It is also a full dryer. Since the dryer function is really just a cold air spin and it takes about 4 hours to complete a load which then comes out quite wrinkled, we rarely use it. FYI, the other version takes 9 hours and the clothes are 80% dry, and wrinkled. Generally, we do our part for the environment and dry everything on a clothes rack. We used to keep it on the deck and the clothes would dry in less than an hour in the summer. There is no option for cold water washing, unless we turn off the water heater in the kitchen where the washer is. The clothes do come out amazingly clean.
We wear summer clothes all year round. Since the kids are growing taller and not wider, they haven't grown out of many things. And, they wear school uniforms each day so the clothes don't wear out either. It is probably also because of the school uniforms that we have been able to avoid the "everyone is wearing them" syndrome.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Oman
Because Rick was so impressed by the area where he went to work in Oman, he took us all there for a day outing on Saturday.
The drive to Oman takes about 1.5 hours from Dubai. The border is more of a checkpoint than a true border, but you still need a passport and the post is manned by a soldier with a machine gun.
You definitely know that you are in a different country when you enter Oman. It is like taking a step back in time - at least in the area where we were. The buildings were small and made of stones and you get the sense that Oman is still very traditional. Goats roam throughout the town and have the right of way on the roads.
Fortunately, Rick knew exactly where to go because it is definitely an out of the way area. We drove down a typical highway which suddenly became a gravel road. Almost instantly, we went from being in a town, to being in the middle of the remote wilderness in the most amazing rocky terrain. Initially, the road follows along beside the wadi (the best that I can describe it is a dry river bed). Apparently when it rains, the wadi instantly fills and becomes dangerous because it is so deep. Although they had predicted rain, and warned against travel in the region, the sky was cloudless and brilliantly blue and there was not a drop of water anywhere. As we travelled down the road, the mountains shot up and towered over us. It was like entering into a tunnel, only wide enough for the 1 lane road. Looking around we saw some signs of civilization. There were rock walls built at the mouths of caves at least 50 feet up the sheer mountain side. We were in awe at how (and why) someone could climb up there, let alone build a shelter.
As we climbed higher, we continued to see these houses, but the only sign of life we saw were the hundreds of goats that roamed freely. Apparently, they are all owned by the farmers that live along the road and the fine for accidentally killing one is extremely high.
We climbed to an area that is a plateau and resembles a golf course with leveled off area that look like they could be golf greens or tee off areas. Throughout this area were the remains of a number of stone houses and fences. We were told that they created this area for farming. We wondered why they would choose such an obviously hot and dry area to try and farm. Even if it rains, apparently it dries up within a day or two. I think that they get more rain than we do, but even still it is very dry. Not to mention, it would be almost impossible to reach in the rain because of the flowing wadis. We were there in early April and the temperature rose to the upper 30's. I can only imagine what it would be like in the heat of the summer.
Climbing higher, we reached the top of the mountain. Looking out across the valley, the mountains looked like cooled lava beds. A little farther down the road, the scenery included a massive canyon with jagged rocky mountains throughout.
We decided to turn back after we reached the summit although it would have been interesting to see what lay at the base of the mountain on the other side. We drove less than 30 kilometers and because of the bumpy roads and sharp switchbacks,it took us over an hour to climb up. It was absolutely spectacular and we are fortunate to have had the opportunity to see it since it is definitely not a place that you would ever see without an off-road map or directions from someone else who had discovered it.
The drive to Oman takes about 1.5 hours from Dubai. The border is more of a checkpoint than a true border, but you still need a passport and the post is manned by a soldier with a machine gun.
You definitely know that you are in a different country when you enter Oman. It is like taking a step back in time - at least in the area where we were. The buildings were small and made of stones and you get the sense that Oman is still very traditional. Goats roam throughout the town and have the right of way on the roads.
Fortunately, Rick knew exactly where to go because it is definitely an out of the way area. We drove down a typical highway which suddenly became a gravel road. Almost instantly, we went from being in a town, to being in the middle of the remote wilderness in the most amazing rocky terrain. Initially, the road follows along beside the wadi (the best that I can describe it is a dry river bed). Apparently when it rains, the wadi instantly fills and becomes dangerous because it is so deep. Although they had predicted rain, and warned against travel in the region, the sky was cloudless and brilliantly blue and there was not a drop of water anywhere. As we travelled down the road, the mountains shot up and towered over us. It was like entering into a tunnel, only wide enough for the 1 lane road. Looking around we saw some signs of civilization. There were rock walls built at the mouths of caves at least 50 feet up the sheer mountain side. We were in awe at how (and why) someone could climb up there, let alone build a shelter.
As we climbed higher, we continued to see these houses, but the only sign of life we saw were the hundreds of goats that roamed freely. Apparently, they are all owned by the farmers that live along the road and the fine for accidentally killing one is extremely high.
We climbed to an area that is a plateau and resembles a golf course with leveled off area that look like they could be golf greens or tee off areas. Throughout this area were the remains of a number of stone houses and fences. We were told that they created this area for farming. We wondered why they would choose such an obviously hot and dry area to try and farm. Even if it rains, apparently it dries up within a day or two. I think that they get more rain than we do, but even still it is very dry. Not to mention, it would be almost impossible to reach in the rain because of the flowing wadis. We were there in early April and the temperature rose to the upper 30's. I can only imagine what it would be like in the heat of the summer.
Climbing higher, we reached the top of the mountain. Looking out across the valley, the mountains looked like cooled lava beds. A little farther down the road, the scenery included a massive canyon with jagged rocky mountains throughout.
We decided to turn back after we reached the summit although it would have been interesting to see what lay at the base of the mountain on the other side. We drove less than 30 kilometers and because of the bumpy roads and sharp switchbacks,it took us over an hour to climb up. It was absolutely spectacular and we are fortunate to have had the opportunity to see it since it is definitely not a place that you would ever see without an off-road map or directions from someone else who had discovered it.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Picnic Season
A couple weekends ago we decided that we better do some outdoor activities before it gets too hot. We packed up and headed out for a picnic before going to the Wildlife Park.
How can I describe our picnic location??? Basically it was a desert field with lots of small sand dunes and 4 wheel drive trails and several trees. As we were driving around we also saw many camels - even 3 babies! We were able to walk up within about 10 feet of them before they got spooked and walked away. One unique thing about the location was that there was no one else around - very rare here.
We had been to the Wildlife Park before, and it is one of our favourite destinations. The kids love the petting zoo where they can feed the animals. This time they even got to go for a pony ride.
The next week was quite eventful for Zoe. At school she got her "pen license" because of her neat penmanship.
Later in the week Zoe competed in the inter school sports day. She got 3 firsts, 1 second and 1 third!
On another day she was walking with her friends at the playground. Her hat fell over her eyes and she walked into a pole and broke her front tooth and gave herself a black eye. Off to the dentist we go!!! As unbelievable as her explanation is, she insists it happened exactly like that.
This past week, Rick was working out of town. But that's a different story for another time.
How can I describe our picnic location??? Basically it was a desert field with lots of small sand dunes and 4 wheel drive trails and several trees. As we were driving around we also saw many camels - even 3 babies! We were able to walk up within about 10 feet of them before they got spooked and walked away. One unique thing about the location was that there was no one else around - very rare here.
We had been to the Wildlife Park before, and it is one of our favourite destinations. The kids love the petting zoo where they can feed the animals. This time they even got to go for a pony ride.
The next week was quite eventful for Zoe. At school she got her "pen license" because of her neat penmanship.
Later in the week Zoe competed in the inter school sports day. She got 3 firsts, 1 second and 1 third!
On another day she was walking with her friends at the playground. Her hat fell over her eyes and she walked into a pole and broke her front tooth and gave herself a black eye. Off to the dentist we go!!! As unbelievable as her explanation is, she insists it happened exactly like that.
This past week, Rick was working out of town. But that's a different story for another time.
Friday, 5 March 2010
A change in the weather
Dubai seems to have 2 seasons - summer and the rainy season. This year the rainy season had been pretty uneventful. We hadn't even had rain since very early in January. That all changed this week!
Our experience is that it doesn't just rain in Dubai. Rain falls in heavy downpours and is accompanied with thunder and lightning. Our first rain happened on Saturday night. Traffic ground to a standstill on many of the major thoroughfares as they developed huge puddles. I guess when it only rains 5 - 10 days a year, drainage systems aren't a priority in the infrastructure. Just when things were almost getting back to normal it rained again on Monday night. Roads closed into some of the Emirates, schools were closed. Our kids were sent home early - not sure why since they were already there and the sky was clear and blue.
I heard of one woman who had her 3 cars destroyed because of the water. She must have been parked in an underground parking garage. Dubai Mall also apparently flooded. Fortunately, with our Penthouse suite, the only issue we had was a little puddle of water in our bedroom from the leak in our window.
Our experience is that it doesn't just rain in Dubai. Rain falls in heavy downpours and is accompanied with thunder and lightning. Our first rain happened on Saturday night. Traffic ground to a standstill on many of the major thoroughfares as they developed huge puddles. I guess when it only rains 5 - 10 days a year, drainage systems aren't a priority in the infrastructure. Just when things were almost getting back to normal it rained again on Monday night. Roads closed into some of the Emirates, schools were closed. Our kids were sent home early - not sure why since they were already there and the sky was clear and blue.
I heard of one woman who had her 3 cars destroyed because of the water. She must have been parked in an underground parking garage. Dubai Mall also apparently flooded. Fortunately, with our Penthouse suite, the only issue we had was a little puddle of water in our bedroom from the leak in our window.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Our latest news
Where does the time go? I was surprised when I realized that I haven't written an update in a month. We haven't been up to much.
Chase is in tee-ball and he has a game every Saturday. Not only does he look really cute in his uniform, but he also plays pretty good.
The school Sports Day happened a couple weeks ago. The kids are both in the Gazelle house. THe Gazelles won the Junior school trophy and the overall school trophy. Zoe won the 200 meter race, the long jump and the bean bag toss. Chase brought his team from behind to win the relay race.
Our days out in the sun are getting numbered this winter as the temperature is already rising to the high 30's. We didn't really even have a winter this year. There wasn't one day where we needed sweaters!
Chase is in tee-ball and he has a game every Saturday. Not only does he look really cute in his uniform, but he also plays pretty good.
The school Sports Day happened a couple weeks ago. The kids are both in the Gazelle house. THe Gazelles won the Junior school trophy and the overall school trophy. Zoe won the 200 meter race, the long jump and the bean bag toss. Chase brought his team from behind to win the relay race.
Our days out in the sun are getting numbered this winter as the temperature is already rising to the high 30's. We didn't really even have a winter this year. There wasn't one day where we needed sweaters!
Friday, 29 January 2010
Our Visit to Australia
Chase's best mate from school last year is from Australia. His Mom worked with me and we got to know the family quite well. We were all very sad when they announced that they were leaving in June. We have always wanted to see Australia, and we decided to take them up on their invitation to visit. Before they left, we made plans to travel to see them on my mid-year break this year. Being in the southern hemisphere, their seasons are opposite, so visiting in January is the best. We decided it was worth the experience for the kids to miss a couple weeks of school.
Australia is fantastic. It is summer there and we had perfect weather - lots of hot sunny days for the beach. All the locals we met were really friendly and seemed to have a relaxed attitude. Aside from visiting our friends, major attractions for us were the unique wildlife. Imagine wallabies and kangaroos on the side of the road instead of deer and moose, flocks of exotic birds flying by. We were very fortunate to see many types of animals in the wild, but more about that later.
We started our vacation in Melbourne which is in the state of Victoria, on the southern part of Australia. Melbourne is very clean and tourist friendly. Our hotel was in the area called Southbank, right across the river from the main transportation hub. They have fabulous public transportation with trams and the metro running throughout the city. From our location, we could easily walk to see many interesting places. Very near to our hotel was a tourist area and we were entertained by buskers every time we went out. We were also only a short tram away from the piers. It happens to be cherry season in Australia and we were thrilled to be able to get some fresh cherries from a local stand.
On our first day in Melbourne, we took the free tourist tram for a ride around to see the sights. We got off at a park and enjoyed the grass, flowers and trees. I loved seeing oak trees beside palm trees. We also loved the mix of old buildings and modern architecture. Melbourne is a beautiful city with so much to see. The next day we took the tourist bus for some more sightseeing. We got off at the Old Melbourne jail. After taking a tour and listening to the ghost stories, we got arrested. The kids were "junior sergeants" and helped enforce the rules. They were excited to have the opportunity to "dob in" anybody misbehaving.
We took a bus trip up the Great Ocean Road for our 3rd day. We rode along a windy ocean road with sheer cliffs dropping down to the ocean. One focus of the trip are the "12 Apostles" - gigantic rock formations erupting out of the ocean. The views were spectacular! Along the way we also stopped for a walk in a rain forest and in a koala nature reserve. It was our first view of koalas and since they were in the wild it was even more exciting.
The next morning, we rented a car and Rick got the experience of right hand drive on the other side of the road in an unfamiliar city. Things got off to a rocky start when he wanted to make a right turn, and the sign said to make right turns from the left lane. He opted to go straight and try again at the next intersection. Again, the procedure to turn right is to go from the left lane. We continued going straight! Fortunately, the next intersection was "normal". We were able to make our way around and then take left hand turns which were more familiar. The other thing that continued to stump Rick was the turn indicator being on the right side. I can't tell how many times he turned on the windshield wipers when he wanted to turn! All in all, the drive out of Melbourne was surprisingly easy. We drove along the Prince's Highway to Lakes Entrance to visit our friends.
We stayed with these friends for several days. The kids loved being able to run around and play in the grass and we loved letting them have that freedom. Our friends took us on an Australian adventure everyday. I was surprised how much there was to see within an hour of this small ocean side town.
One day, we went to Buchan Caves where we toured the amazing underground formations. This was also where we saw our first kangaroos. We went for a walk through the park and found a herd of kangaroos. We were able to walk fairly close before they hopped away.
On another day, we drove to Raymond Island. Raymond Island has many eucalyptus trees which are home to the koalas. We walked along and easily spotted at least a dozen koalas resting in the trees.
Of course we had to have beach time in the Southern Ocean. The waves were huge and everyone loved jumping through them on foot or on the boogie boards. I have to say that I have been very spoiled by the Persian Gulf and I found the water to be cold. That didn't seem to bother anyone else though.
Zoe also got her ears pierced while we were in Lakes Entrance. Later that afternoon, we stopped at a playground with an incredibly long slide. While the kids played, we watched a flock of cockatoos fly around!
We continued our trip eastward along the southern coast and spent 2 nights in Merimbula. Merimbula is a vacation destination and a quaint little seaside town. The highlight of our stay here was our visit to Potaroo Palace, a wildlife sanctuary. Here we able to get very close to the kangaroos as we fed them. They were incredibly tame and friendly and we held pellets in our hand which they gently took from us.
We drove back to Lakes Entrance for one last night with our friends and then headed to Melbourne for our midnight flight. Our last day we drove inland through the beautiful Yarra Valley which is full of vineyards and orchards. We went to the Healesville Sanctuary which is entirely dedicated to Australian wildlife. We finally got to see a platypus, a wombat and a tasmanian devil.
Sadly, we made our way to the airport. We allowed ourselves a lot of time and ended up getting there very early. After checking in we found some seats optimally located for people watching. A while later, we saw a group of well dressed men and police walking by. After a second glance, we realized that it was Prince William.
We have posted a few photos on our Picasa web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Australia2010#
Let me know if you have trouble with it and I can send you an invitation.
Australia is fantastic. It is summer there and we had perfect weather - lots of hot sunny days for the beach. All the locals we met were really friendly and seemed to have a relaxed attitude. Aside from visiting our friends, major attractions for us were the unique wildlife. Imagine wallabies and kangaroos on the side of the road instead of deer and moose, flocks of exotic birds flying by. We were very fortunate to see many types of animals in the wild, but more about that later.
We started our vacation in Melbourne which is in the state of Victoria, on the southern part of Australia. Melbourne is very clean and tourist friendly. Our hotel was in the area called Southbank, right across the river from the main transportation hub. They have fabulous public transportation with trams and the metro running throughout the city. From our location, we could easily walk to see many interesting places. Very near to our hotel was a tourist area and we were entertained by buskers every time we went out. We were also only a short tram away from the piers. It happens to be cherry season in Australia and we were thrilled to be able to get some fresh cherries from a local stand.
On our first day in Melbourne, we took the free tourist tram for a ride around to see the sights. We got off at a park and enjoyed the grass, flowers and trees. I loved seeing oak trees beside palm trees. We also loved the mix of old buildings and modern architecture. Melbourne is a beautiful city with so much to see. The next day we took the tourist bus for some more sightseeing. We got off at the Old Melbourne jail. After taking a tour and listening to the ghost stories, we got arrested. The kids were "junior sergeants" and helped enforce the rules. They were excited to have the opportunity to "dob in" anybody misbehaving.
We took a bus trip up the Great Ocean Road for our 3rd day. We rode along a windy ocean road with sheer cliffs dropping down to the ocean. One focus of the trip are the "12 Apostles" - gigantic rock formations erupting out of the ocean. The views were spectacular! Along the way we also stopped for a walk in a rain forest and in a koala nature reserve. It was our first view of koalas and since they were in the wild it was even more exciting.
The next morning, we rented a car and Rick got the experience of right hand drive on the other side of the road in an unfamiliar city. Things got off to a rocky start when he wanted to make a right turn, and the sign said to make right turns from the left lane. He opted to go straight and try again at the next intersection. Again, the procedure to turn right is to go from the left lane. We continued going straight! Fortunately, the next intersection was "normal". We were able to make our way around and then take left hand turns which were more familiar. The other thing that continued to stump Rick was the turn indicator being on the right side. I can't tell how many times he turned on the windshield wipers when he wanted to turn! All in all, the drive out of Melbourne was surprisingly easy. We drove along the Prince's Highway to Lakes Entrance to visit our friends.
We stayed with these friends for several days. The kids loved being able to run around and play in the grass and we loved letting them have that freedom. Our friends took us on an Australian adventure everyday. I was surprised how much there was to see within an hour of this small ocean side town.
One day, we went to Buchan Caves where we toured the amazing underground formations. This was also where we saw our first kangaroos. We went for a walk through the park and found a herd of kangaroos. We were able to walk fairly close before they hopped away.
On another day, we drove to Raymond Island. Raymond Island has many eucalyptus trees which are home to the koalas. We walked along and easily spotted at least a dozen koalas resting in the trees.
Of course we had to have beach time in the Southern Ocean. The waves were huge and everyone loved jumping through them on foot or on the boogie boards. I have to say that I have been very spoiled by the Persian Gulf and I found the water to be cold. That didn't seem to bother anyone else though.
Zoe also got her ears pierced while we were in Lakes Entrance. Later that afternoon, we stopped at a playground with an incredibly long slide. While the kids played, we watched a flock of cockatoos fly around!
We continued our trip eastward along the southern coast and spent 2 nights in Merimbula. Merimbula is a vacation destination and a quaint little seaside town. The highlight of our stay here was our visit to Potaroo Palace, a wildlife sanctuary. Here we able to get very close to the kangaroos as we fed them. They were incredibly tame and friendly and we held pellets in our hand which they gently took from us.
We drove back to Lakes Entrance for one last night with our friends and then headed to Melbourne for our midnight flight. Our last day we drove inland through the beautiful Yarra Valley which is full of vineyards and orchards. We went to the Healesville Sanctuary which is entirely dedicated to Australian wildlife. We finally got to see a platypus, a wombat and a tasmanian devil.
Sadly, we made our way to the airport. We allowed ourselves a lot of time and ended up getting there very early. After checking in we found some seats optimally located for people watching. A while later, we saw a group of well dressed men and police walking by. After a second glance, we realized that it was Prince William.
We have posted a few photos on our Picasa web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Australia2010#
Let me know if you have trouble with it and I can send you an invitation.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Vacation is over
We are back. We had a fabulous time in Australia. We landed in Melbourne and spent a few days there before renting a car and driving east along the coast. We spent several day with friends at a beautiful ocean side town then ventured a little further for a few days before heading back to Melbourne for our flight home. We had intended to get to Sydney, but decided to save it for another trip. I'll write more this weekend and put up a photo album, but in the meantime...
Thursday, 7 January 2010
A New Year
New Year's Eve was very quiet for us and we did not mark the occasion with any celebrations. Any celebrations that happened in Dubai were overshadowed by the opening of the Burj Khalifa on January 4th.
We also missed that milestone. Rumour has it they closed Sheik Zayed Road (the major highway near the Burj) at 3:30. I think the event started at around 6:00. I heard of people trying to take the Metro over and having delays at each station so they missed it.
Here is a link to a pretty good YouTube video of it. Sorry I still haven't mastered how to add a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqQRmxnyfnQ&sns=em
We are off to Australia for my 2 week semester break. Unfortunately, my vacation doesn't match with the kids. They have just gone back to school on Monday from their Christmas break.
We also missed that milestone. Rumour has it they closed Sheik Zayed Road (the major highway near the Burj) at 3:30. I think the event started at around 6:00. I heard of people trying to take the Metro over and having delays at each station so they missed it.
Here is a link to a pretty good YouTube video of it. Sorry I still haven't mastered how to add a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqQRmxnyfnQ&sns=em
We are off to Australia for my 2 week semester break. Unfortunately, my vacation doesn't match with the kids. They have just gone back to school on Monday from their Christmas break.
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