"GRAND"

I'm including in this blog Ken's rendition on some of our travels..beware...it may seem that we visited entirely different continents!!! This is Oman!!! Followed by Dubai...
4-3-10 Saturday….. Muscat Oman ( docked)
As we set foot on land, we faced temperatures. about 103 but very low humidity. Muscat is a beautiful small city of about 200,000, set at the bottom of a large mountain range. Muscat and is the capital of Oman (where the Shake hangs out) and has brilliant white buildings which includes the Sultans resident and Country capital buildings. This is all set against a background of very tall range of ragged treeless, brown mountains. Our first stop was a local shopping “souk” (open air market) remember it’s 100+ degrees. I am wearing long pants to respect the local religious requirements and sweating my ass off…. We ran into some ship- friends who gave us their ticket for a tour of the Capitol grounds and Prince’s palace. Interesting place very clean and modern …. Returned to the ship at 4:00 for a 5:00 overnight sailing to Dubai.


Janet's thoughts in Dubai....Grand...that is the word for this place in so many ways. Firstly, I was so happy to be able to meet up with Joseph and his lovely wife Linda. They were so hospitable and it was good to finally see someone I knew from home and to think we were halfway around the world!!! We met them at a wonderful restaurant overseeing so much activity in front of the tallest building in the world!!! Ken pretty much described our trip was like I said "GRAND". Linda has a contract with a hospital and has been here for two years, it's a four year contract. They both seem to really enjoy the place and all it has to offer. One real nice thing about this part of the city was the fact that we weren't hounded by vendors trying to sell their wares...most everything had a set price so there was very little negotiating.

I really enjoyed the museum the following day...could not believe how big it was as from the outside it looked very small...kinda like the Indian Temple Museum in FWB!! I could've spent alot more time in there but Ken was waiting outside for me...he chose not to go?? There was a movie that showed Dubai and how it has grown and the future...they are planning a "hospital city", "sports city" a huge marina and a huge (of course) "Disney type area!!! With the economy everyone thinks that Dubai is sinking and in trouble but it sure doesn't appear so...there is so many cranes and lots of buildings going up and up and up!!! Once again, it was such a delight to visit with Joseph ( a real Destinite) and Linda...we had our photo taken and will be sending it to the Log...who knows if we'll make it into the paper...perhaps if it's a slow news day!!!
4-4-10 Easter Sunday…. Dubai UAE.
Attended onboard Easter Sunday service lead by a minister from Atlanta Ga. (I was able to help serve communion to the approx 200 attending this service). Departed the ship at 9 a.m. to take a bus to “one” of the major mall attractions in this city of 3 million.
Dubai is only 38 years old. So everything is new and modern and in a constant building stage. There is no limit to the wealth in this city. We are to meet JR’s friends at the Burg building (currently the tallest building in the world) the mall that is connected to this building is also the largest mall in the world (and I believe it is) with 7 floors of every high-end retail store, you can think of (in the world). Sounds like I am in Texas with everything being the biggest.
After lunch at the Burg building complex, the building itself was not open due to mechanical problems with the lifts ((elevators)). We drove out to the newly developed the“Palm Island” man-made city developments (which you can see from space). On the way to the Palm we stopped at the newly open Ski Dubai mall that has an actually indoor (real snow) ski slope. The ski area is a full 5000 foot indoor ski run (real snow made daily with a “base” about 14 in.) In the Ski area…. is a black diamond run plus an intermediate ski run and “bunny” run. Also, a special area for snow boarding. Unbelievable!
At the tip of the Palm Island is a new Atlantis Hotel, similar to the one in Nassau, where rooms rates average $600 a night (rack rate $800) We stopped for a drinks, tea, lemonade or a special fruit drink..limited amounts of alcohol..only served to those who have a special permit…JR and Joseph also participates in a special “pipe smoking” event (not hash or M-J, also like alcohol…. a very big no-no in this Arab country). They smoked some kind of strawberry vanilla “she-shee” tobacco combination. Did not seem to do anything to, or for, JR other than to make her face red and caused her to cough violently. ($100.00 up in smoke.. literally)..
JR and I took a cab back to the Burg area for a nighttime water light show. To get the best seat I talked JR into having dinner at a restaurant on the fifth story overlooking the Burg Lake where they hold the nightly show. JR not happy with the restaurant because it was a TGI Fridays….. (she prefers local fare opposed to good old fashion ribs (beef, not pork, remember the part of the world we are in) Water show (and dinner) great,,,,, very much like the Bellagio Las Vegas. All the people of Dubai are very attractive, men, woman and kids ..dark skin, beautiful eyes and most dress in dish-dacha (men long white gowns) and Hyabf and Abayas (woman gowns). Taxied back to the ship about 11:00 pm (pooped).

4-5-10 Monday Dubai (second day)
We set off for the old city of Dubai at 9 am. Old city is built on the Dubai River (salt-water river) where many local products are transported via small wooden boats. We took one of these boat “up river” to the old city shopping area and museum. Bought (negotiated) more stuff, we don’t need and have no room for, but had fun anyway. We are developing a pretty good “buying” routine…i.e. the poor little American girl shopper and the mean old BIG Buddha (me) has all the cash…when we start to barter for merchandise the poor little white girl drives the price down then Buddha come in for the kill (not sure who get killed)… Am still on the prowl for a good Canon Camera. So, just before we had our final afternoon rebounding, we stopped at the Dubai Carrefour (Dubai’s answer to Wal-mart) for supplies (Pepsi, nuts, etc.) and maybe a camera ( but no luck on the camera …price still to high).. Re-boarding at 4:00 for a sail- away party (there is always a sail away party, not sure if the reason. Maybe it’s to get the hell out of that port or a reason for the majority of the passengers old and new to get drunk… not sure. Anyway, we undocked at 5 p.m. to head southwest to Salalah Oman.. This leg of the trip will be under new, very tight security conditions, bob-wire is being strung on lower outdoor decks and a outside security detail have been brought on the ship for better protection. All cabin drapes are to be full pulled over windows at night and a special “pirate drill” will be held tomorrow.. O’boy!!! JR can finally use her “sword” fencing lessons.



4-7-10 Wed. (Shalala Jordan)
We have been sailing in a “black-out” condition i.e. all window drapes are to be pulled closed at sunset. ALL interior ship lights are off (except running lights)…This is a very eerie when you are on the upper decks, however you can see as million stars from any baloneys or open upper decks. The pirates scare continues, we have been sailing in a convoy (6 six ships I can see) and shadowed by a military ship. Today it is a Spanish frigate. Steaming at 23 k. Seas flat and we are still running with the wind so the ride is good.. Salalah is a dirty little town with little to offer except frankincense and Mir, Took a cab from the ship to town for a look-see, visited their beach, shopped at the souk (outdoor market) then back to the ship. They only gave us 5 hours in this port so Canard was not to keen on Salalah either. We have new dinner quest, two men from Alberta Canada. One is an Optometrist the other an I.T. expert, good conversationalist.

janet and ken