27th February
Another Visa Run………
Booked for the guys to go on the Desert Safari with Jaffar…..he has done really well out of us being here! And he did not disappoint….excellent time was had by all, although I wonder how many times mum would have tried to brake for him!!!
So CJD and I hit the road early afternoon to head to Oman to get our new 60 day visas. It was a pretty warm day but the wind really got up……the air filled with sand and it was like a sandstorm! Apparently lots of people had cancelled the desert safari! But we pressed on, taking photos this time…..camel signs, wadi signs…..dunes, camels etc etc…. Stood in the border control for ages waiting to be processed…no one ever seems to be in a hurry there……….so started to journey back to Dubai around 4pm!
On the way back to big red, the wind seemed to have dropped…..we checked on the time and there was no way we would get back to work…..5:15…..not even at the dubai rush hour yet….so CJD and I decided to have a go at the quadding…….I miss my CB600F and really needed a fix of something, so in we went for a price!!! 150DHS 1/2hour on the bikes!!! COOL! Was such fun…..donuts, bobbing up and down on the dunes, nearly wiping out on the steep sides of the dunes…..it was great….the guy came out to us and asked if we wanted to go up BIG RED!!!! YEAH!!!!
Big red is a VERY BIG sand dune. It is reputed to be over 300ft high and the sand is a glowing orange/red colour…..proper Cadburys flake advert type of place!!!! Apparently you can board down the dune….it certainly looked steep enough from the top!!! CJD and I raced up to the top for a fantastic view and the raced straight down up and over some smaller dunes….totally loving it!!! Some 4x4s started to arrive so we went back to the quad enclosure which seemed somewhat safer! Even so nearly wiping out AGAIN on the smaller dunes!!....
After dismounting with the biggest grins ever, we took a wander over to the camels they had out the back…….such a cute baby camel, I think you will agree……didn’t fancy riding it….maybe next time….must do it so I can cross it off the list! ;-)
They also had a Bird…I think it was a Falcon….totally stunning. We both stood posing while holding this thing…..they then fed it! Its food……..erm……..well,…….it was still flapping its wings…I think it was a quail…..he fed it while I photographed it…..’Sam, your not going to photograph it actually feeding are you…….you know its food is alive”, ‘yeah, I know……I am trying not to react…….lets go” hahahahaha it didn’t eat while we were there, but it was still weird watching it ‘hunt’ its prey!!! Didn’t want any gory shots!

totally tired from our exploits we trudged back into the traffic and back to Dubai……..another first to be crossed off our list!!!!!


Must also mention that the Pancake tossing pics were because we actually remembered shrove Tuesday!!!!!! YUMMY!!!

Single day weekend! Bummer!
Decided we would do another road trip….not to a new destination, but over to the east coast again! Wanted to show Mum and Steve the Friday market and the mountainous terrain…..so much more barren, rugged and wild than the sky scrapers of Dubai.
Plus I just had to get another Coconut!!! They were yummy! I think CJD might be staring to like coconut too!....for some reason she took both mine and mum's coconut!!!

Note the photo of the wadi....like a canyon cut in the landscape! the small 4x4 giving some sense of scale!
We also had a mission to go to the Sandy Hotel and resort. A day of sunbathing next to the Gulf of Oman (different to the waters of the Persian Gulf off the west of the Arabian peninsular), and to go Snorkeling at Snoopy Island!
It is off the coast of Khor Fakken and is approx 100m from the shore. It is called snoopy island because it is supposed to look like snoopy asleep on his back???!!!
Once on the beach (phew it was hot and the sand felt like it was burning your feet!) we found a spot to leave mum in the shade and hired our snorkeling gear! Flippers mask and snorkel. Thought it sensible to whack the factor 40 on the old back, really didn’t need to sunburn our backs. The water was a bit pretty cool to start with but soon felt great. It didn’t take long to swim out to the island, although on the way out there I got stung by something on my knee…..felt like stinging nettles and really did sting….but I carried on because afterall it didn’t take my leg off! WOW the fish were amazing…so colourful!! Steve had bought a couple of underwater cameras out for us, so I was happily snapping all the fish that we saw. Somehow CJD has escaped the lens!!! (return visit will happen and i will get a photo of her snorkelling!)
I THEN started seeing red orange string like things in the water….HMMMM wonder if that what was the stinger!!?? My knee by this point was red and had white raised bumps like nettle stings…CJD went in and we followed about 20mins later…..it transpired that both Steve and CJD had got stung! Grrrrrrrrr
Spent a few hours in the sun and Steve and I went back out to finish the camera film.
When we had had out fix of the beach we popped down to the Oldest Mosque in the UAE and then back to the Al Aqah Beach Resort for afternoon tea. Totally wrecked, we drove back to Dubai in the dark with our dodgey car!!! Need to get the headlamp fixed!!!!!! Back to work Saturday…………….

Did a bit of research back on the internet and found out that they are strings of baby jellyfish all stuck together! safety in numbers huh! i kept my eye out for them in strings and individual, but didnt see any to photograph......

Again, weekday activities are usually not mentioned……normally so tired that we don’t do anything new and try to chill out, but…………No chilling this week. More visitors…..I have been looking forward to these ones since crimbo!!!!
Mum and Steve arrived Sunday morning to blue skies and sunshine….a big change from UK weather!!! Straight away I treated them to a journey on Dubai roads, across Maktoum Bridge, dumped them at the apartment and went back to work. We returned later that evening to find them both like lobsters!!! They were reading on the balcony and napping!!! Hahahahaha Told them to cream up!! Thankfully no pain and it is brown now!! And in the evening we showed them the Mall Downstairs.
They had a day wandering around Dubai on Monday and we did the obligatory Burj al Arab Drive by and Mercato Mall etc in the evening. Sorted the big bus tour Tuesday and in the evening hit the Dubai Gold souk!
Mum was looking for a memento from the UAE and really wanted a ring…….Well, she certainly had lots to choose from…in the end it was a decider between two! I took her to where I got my ring and the guy did a fab deal, we picked it up the next night and wandered to a part of the Souks that was new to me!!!!!!!
THE SPICE SOUK! Not sure where it is?????? FOLLOW YOUR NOSE! The books all say that you cant miss the aroma, and it is soooo true! A small ally towards the creek with Hessian sacks full to the brim with all sorts of spices…..they all tell you “come in my shop, come in my shop”. I think it was daunting for mum at first, but you go with the flow, all they want to do is show you their wears.
The first shop on the corner was like stepping back in time in the UK. Little boxes of herbs and spices, and open boxes of treats……nuts etc. He gave us things to try.
The first was a few stone like things…..i looked at him funny, “what the hell are these” I thought. It turns out they were sweets! Sugar coated chocolate made with honey….VERY NICE, have a bag of those! He gave mum a vanilla pod hahahahah not really sure why! and I bought some Saffron and sandle wood for burning over candles. The guy was very informative but seemed some what half cut!? Not sure what he had been on?? Was very entertaining. I joked with him I would buy my spices from him if he let me take a photo of his shop, he was more than willing to oblige!
I will experiment with my spices (my cooking is improving) and perhaps stock up before returning to the UK.

Saturday 17th Feb.
A leisurely morning. Late lie and headed to the antiques market. We always take people there to get thier souvenirs! its a few quid cheaper per item than other places! Again we spent obscene money in there. Of course all the items we bought we totally needed! I bought a Tibetan Cashmere wool pashmina in beige. kind of looks like a poncho from the good the bad and the ugly, but i like it and think it will be just what is needed by the chiminea on those summer evenings at a barbeque!!!
also got a couple of Silk Camel placemat things...for hanging on the wall! '
CJD, Liz and Moira bought pashmina's............LOTS OF THEM! in various colours and styles for different people back home.
After a couple of hours, we headed back to the flat. I decided to clean the balcony ready for my mum and Steve turning up and CJD, Liz and Moira frequented the 7 star hotel. Yep thats right, afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab!!!
Bit of a nightmare!!! A sandstorm came in, so my clean balcony was ruined and CJD had a pants view from the top of the hotel! They did, however, manage a drink in the skyview bar!!!!!
Had a restfull evening and chilled while the guests packed. back to work on Sunday

Because the mosque and surrounding view was really pretty, i post a few more pictures!!!
Not forgetting the Le Meridian!!!!!
It makes us laugh everytime we say it, it is because of the way it is said on the local radio station adverts!!!
see the coconut that i kept stabbing with my straw! was soooooo nice!

Weekending 16th/17th February 07
Had a busy week with Moira and Liz! During the day they pottered around Dubai, jumping on the big bus tour, walking tour and frequenting various malls!
In the evening CJD and I entertained with various activities……shopping at the gold souk I think must be by far their FAVOURITE activity……….such beautiful jewelry, Moira definitely has an eye for what is the best jewelry.
After what seemed like a never ending 6 day week Friday arrived!!!!! And back on the trail we went! Decided to go back to Fujairah.
We stopped at the Friday market on the way there this time. Buying up fresh fruit and veg and the odd treat……now I love coconut, and I was put off slightly after buying a couple of bad ones from my local supermarket…but I thought as the men kept badgering I would get one….Not actually knowing what I was going to do with it…..you see, it comes as a green BALL!!! Not the brown husky wooded shell you see in your local shop in the UK….this blighter was picked straight from the tree and taken to market!!!
Parted with my 5 DHS and stood back…….he pulled the sharpest Machete I have ever seen in my life!!! (not that I have actually seen that many!!) he proceeded to hack away at my fruit!!!! First he sliced a flat bottom….very considerate!! It wont roll around now, and then he moved to the top….I like to think of it as sharpening a pencil…he used that action all the way round the top, then used the tip of his blade to pop the plug out of the top….well I thought I was going to have to drink this thing out of the hole!!! Visions of making a proper mess, but he emerged with a packet of straws!!!! Stuck one in the top and hey presto!!!! Your own coconut drink……IT WAS LOVELY! The fruit was so fresh I kept digging at it through the hole with my straw, getting slivers of coconut.
Well that was me entertained all the way to Fujarah………well……..in fact that was me occupied on and off for the rest of the day!!! Liz and I also bought a corn cob…..they boil or roast them on the side of the road at the market….was a bit messy but well worth it!

Went on up the coast road from Fujairah to the oldest mosque in the UAE. We had driven past it last time, but stopped to take some snaps. We arrive just as the call to prayer started…….it was quite amazing to think how long that little mosque had been there! Behind it was a great view of the mountains and a couple of lookout posts.
Unlike our last trip to the east coast it was very warm and the sun brought out the amazing colours in the surrounding landscape!

We continued up the road, driving past the Sandy resort (will be going snorkeling there hopefully), on to Le Meridian Al Aqua Beach Resort, Fujairah!!!! And had afternoon tea!!! Getting quite used to the old afternoon tea now!!!
This afternoon tea was different to any other afternoon tea we have tried, because…………………….IT HAD A CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN!!!!!
Yes that’s right, and what’s more it was a chocolate fountain in an all you can eat sugar fest of a buffet!!! Start with mozzarella and tomato roll then on to cakes of all types, marshmallow, fruit and a pot of tea!!! Of course many visits to the fountain too!!!!
Completely full up we went to look for the souvenir shop …………….but had the funniest visit to the bathroom EVER!
Have you ever seen automated bidets???? Well we hadn’t, and CJD just had to play!!! Hearing the laughs I had to see what it was all about……these things are amazing…..we didn’t use it, just played with the buttons……most funny!!

Having created a mini lake, we left the resort and continued with our trip……back to Dubai.


photos to follow when internet connection is working properly!

Fri 9th Feb A single day weekend……….
Had a works barbeque at the apartments on Thursday night. Was a really good turn out, and great to speak to people in a different environment from the office. Again plenty of food and drink fueled the evening (no one fell in the pool fully clothed!) which culminated in a PING PONG (Sorry Table Tennis) tournament in the mens gym (that’s where the tables are)!!! Very amusing.
I was still nursing a sore neck…walkig round like the hunchback of Notredame.

Woke up in a very leisurely manner on Friday to SUN SUN SUN. it is starting to warm up now! Decided despite the strong wind, we would go to the beach. My friend Ang and her boyfriend stayed over, so we all jumped into the car and hit Al Mamzar again!

Well, the sea was LESS than calm…I haven’t seen such big waves since we got here…the red flag was flying, but the wind was blowing on shore, and other peeps were in the water, so we grabbed the lilo and headed for the surf!!!!
I figured that my healing neck would benefit from a little light surf action!!!
The sea is slightly warmer than the last time we visited and it didn’t take long for the waves to forcibly make us get wet! It was mad….managed to fight our way the other side of the breaking waves jump on the lilo and ride the top of the waves in to the shore!!! it was such fun! It was so good I had to buy a lilo too!!!! And despite being swept off my feet numerous times there was no way i was letting go of the lilo!!! to the amusment of CJD!
Sat on the sand watching te world go by, and Gav got invited to play a game of footie with some locals and Brit holidaymakers. I think it was around 4-3 to the Brits when half time came…but the second half never happened!!!

The main problem with the day at the beach was when you came out of the sea to laze in the sun…the wind was pretty strong and made it feel a bit cool. We managed to put up with it til about 3pm and went back to the apartment….and the roof was no better!

Had a crafty nap and got ready to go out for dinner and drinks at the Emirates Towers.
Again we frequented Scarletts, a nice pub/restaurant before jumping in the lift to floor 51 and Vu bar!
Roll on next weeked! Must plan a road trip!

Photos to follow....having problems with internet connection at the mo!