Liwa
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| "A" marks Liwa, UAE |
For the weekend of Valentine’s Day, we journeyed about a
couple of hours to a desert resort called, “Liwa.”
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| Tilal Liwa Resort |
Interestingly enough, although one can find
heart-shaped merchandise in any of malls around Valentines, Emirati and workers from the
East (Pakistan and the Philippines) make very little of the holiday. Their neglect was our gain. The Tilal Liwa hotel is surrounded by large
sand dunes; there one can ride camels or cruise around in small all-terrain
vehicles (ATVs). We chose instead to lounge
by the pool and soak up some much-needed vitamin D and warmth.
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| Steve forgot to tell Alison how cold the water was before she entered! |
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| Beautiful gardens leading to pool |
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| An oasis in the desert |
Later we enjoyed “spousal” massages. Steve’s masseuse recommended the Swedish
massage over the painful “dry” Thai message while Alison enjoyed a hot stone
treatment to loosen up her injured shoulder.
Continuing to fight sinus issues, we found the steam room a nice respite. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious
champagne and international buffet, including grilled meats and seafood under
the twinkling star filled sky. (Very romantic!)
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| Amazing dinner under the stars |
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| Steve and Alison enjoying the night. |
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| Happy Valentines! |
The next morning we had scheduled to drive the ATVs, but a
dense fog engulfed the area. We
cancelled for fear of becoming Hansel and Gretel, and losing our way back. Fog is a regular occurrence in the winter in
the Emirates. It usually burns off by
9:00 a.m., but this fog lasted well into the afternoon.
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| Could not see the desert beyond arch |
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| Alison and her camels |
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| Steve playing hide and seek |
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| Thick fog on drive home |
Dubai
Two weeks ago, we spent a day in Dubai, a city of 2.5 million
and the financial hub of the Emirates.
Abu Dhabi, the capitol, and Dubai hold more cache than the other states
in the U.A.E. and can veto important legislation. Traveling to Dubai takes a couple of hours and
one needs to purchase a special “Salik” pass, (radio-transmitted toll pass) to
affix to one’s windshield for the excursion.
One of my work colleagues at Il Ittihad School, Philly Steve
(see Thanksgiving blog), had purchased a four-hour tour of the city on a
double-decker bus.
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| Gabe and Philly Steve |
The trip began at the
Dubai Historical Museum, which traced the beginnings of the area as a mecca for
pearl diving.
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| Dubai Museum |
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| Traditional Dhow |
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| Coffee? Shisha? |
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| Traditional Emirati Dress |
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| Alison loves camels! |
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| Pearl Diving: Before Oil - Economic boom |
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| Our Tour Guide |
Our tour guide provided
some interesting cultural fodder. Did
you now a gallon of gas in Dubai costs less than a gallon of water and there
are more cars in the city than residents?
(Interesting trivia!)
The tour included stops at all the famous sites in the city,
including the Burj al Arab, the Palm Jumeirah, and the Dubai Mall.
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| Old City looking toward harbor |
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| Jumeirah Mosque |
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| Burj Khalifa |
Constructed in 1998-99 along Jumeirah beach, the
28-story Burj al Arab is the world’s only luxury
seven-star hotel.
The iconic sailboat-shaped hotel boasts of a
royal suite, which currently lists at $18,716 a night.
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| Burj Al Arab |
With the demise of frequent Dubai visitor
Michael Jackson, the most famous guests are now the communist Chinese who
occupy more than a quarter of the rooms.
(Your American debt dollars at work.)
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| Sunset over Dubai |
The tour then progressed to the Palm Jumeirah, a man-made archipelago
in the shape of a palm tree. (which can be seen by the astronauts in space)
The island features several theme hotels,
villas, marinas, restaurants and retail outlets.
Only about $5 million for a villa.
So fancy the place sports its own monorail.
One of the highlights is the Atlantis
hotel.
Alison has assured me that we
will be returning for a Friday brunch in the future.
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| Atlantis Hotel |
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| Another view of the Atlantis |
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| Looking out to sea from Palm Island |
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| City Skyline at night from Palm Island |
Our last stop was the Dubai Mall.
Yes, you guessed it:
the largest mall in the world (13 million
square feet with 1,200
shops, a hotel, a 22-screen cinema, an aquarium,
an ice rink, and 120 restaurants and cafes).
Sorry,
puny Mall of America.
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| As the locals say, "Do...Buy" |
After a brief stop
at the aquarium, we trekked outside for the “Dancing Fountains.”
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| Aquarium in the Dubai Mall |
Though it was an impressive display of
vertical water projection and monochromatic lighting, I still have a soft spot
for Elvis crooning “Viva Las Vegas” outside the Bellagio.
The site also afforded a photo opportunity of
the Burj Kalifa, currently the tallest building in the world and equipped with
the fastest elevators.
While our time
was very limited in the mall; again Alison assures me not to fear for another more
extensive trip to the Dubai Mall will be in my future.
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| Dancing Fountains |
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| Alison and Steve - Burj Khalifa |
After sampling some tasty Garrett’s Popcorn, a Chicago
favorite, we returned that evening to the Abu Dhabi.
Next week is spring bring and we are off to Malaysia and Indonesia.
