Greetings from Dubai!!
This is our first post from the trip. I'm not going to have enough time to put any photos on yet, but we'll work on that while we are sailing this afternoon on our way to Oman and try to get them on tomorrow.
We have had a fabulous time so far. Fist glitch - the United flight from Washington Dulles with 7 of our group was 14 hours late!! They had departed and flown about an hour and a half and had to return to IAD with mechanical problems. They were put up in a hotel for a few hours then finally made it to Dubai 10:30 a.m. Saturday instead of Friday evening at 8pm as scheduled.
We had a super guide for our 2 half-day tours of Dubai, one of ancient Dubai and one of modern Dubai. I think everyone in the group is just stunned at all we've been seeing.
Saturday afternoon/evening we had a desert safari with dinner in a Bedouin camp. I didn't tell people too much ahead of time (or some of them would have certainly chickened out!), but we laughed and screamed as our luxury 4 wheel drive Toyotas raced up and slid down gigantic sand dunes. We visited a camel farm and saw baby camels. At the Bedouin camp we got to RIDE camels. I have indeed a great photo of Mother and Vaughn on a camel. Vaughn screamed as the camel got up off its knees while Mother sat stoically behind her. When Vaughn calmed down she asked Mother if SHE were alright. We all had a good laugh at that. There was also henna painting and belly dancing before a wonderful Bedouin BBQ dinner.
The tour of Old Dubai started with a stop at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club (home of the Dubai Open with Tiger Woods etc.) then into the heart of the old city and the fort and the museum. The whole group got on an abra (little wooden ferry boat) and crossed to the Deira side for a visit to the spice market and gold market.
Sunday morning we had photo stops for the Burj Dubai, tallest building in the world, and then made a stop at Dubai Land. Now that's amazing. Dubai Land development will be twice the size of the entire Disney/Epcot complex in Orlando - twice the area of the city of San Francisco. It's just mind boggling to see. We got to drive out on the Jumeirah Palm Islands and take photos of the Atlantis Hotel. Also a photo stop of the Burj al Arab Hotel (the one shaped like a sail). And of course what everyone expects to see in the desert is downhill snow skiing! We got to go in and see Ski Dubai.
People have been incredibly friendly everywhere we go, especially after they find out we are Americans - then we are honored guests! It's certainly not what most of the group expected but it's delightful to experience.
This morning (Monday) I took my sisters Vaughn and Twila to meet with people from the Ministry of Education. I think that was the highlight of the trip for Vaughn.
OK, I've got to turn in the rental car and get back or I'll miss the ship!