The End... (and a last cultural side note)

In case you're wondering, that's all folks!   There are some pics and stories we didn't post, but not many, and I'm sure you're sick of reading this anyway.   Thank you all for playing...  Hopefully we'll have a nice highlight reel photo book to share in person too.  Probably shorter than this, but then you're at the mercy of Marshall and my long-winded tales live and in color. Harder to switch off when you get bored.  ;)

One last cultural side note photo for entertainment's sake.  At our swanky hotel in Dubai, I looked in the drawer of the nightstand, since I was curious.  Did the Gideon's have reach into Dubai?   Appears not, but some Muslim group had instead provided a nice Koran and a prayer rug.  Some things change, some things stay the same.  Part of why I love to travel. :)

Until next time....

The Palm Island & Atlantis Resort - Finally we get there!

As discussed in the post Desert Death March, our first attempt to visit Palm Island didn't go so well.  So during our "Dubai Do Over" this was high on my list of tasks to accomplish.  :)

As a refresher, Palm Island is a completely man made set of islands built in the shape of a palm tree, with a semi-circular barrier island around the outside.  The edges are private homes and rentals, and I believe you can actually purchase some of the individual islands outright.  There are roads connecting throughout, and a monorail that runs down the middle to the huge Atlantis Resort at the tip. 

We opted to take a cab, as the mononrail cost $ too, and I had looked up specifically where I wanted to go this time.  (live and learn)  Knowing a bit more now than earlier, I just checked to see if the Atlantis had public bars or restaurants with a beach view.  They did, however, as with anywhere "with a view" in Dubai, if you weren't staying on site, there was a minimum spend.  That didn't bother me since A) I wanted to go and B) we presumed we could probably stick our travel insurance company with the bill as part of our trip delay coverage.  As Marsh would say "He, he, he..."  :)

So off we whooshed in our cab around the  edge of the island.  Taking pics out the window proved somewhat tricky, but I got a few.  The architecture isn't much different than nice housing you'd see in any warm city like Miami or Phoenix, just a tad more "arabic" in design.

The view back towards the city

The Atlantis Resort - that beachfront area in the photo is where we are headed....

Once we got there, I was amused to see how much it reminded me of a place I love to go with my sister Debbie in Scottsdale - Olive & Ivy's.  Minus the beach part, that is.  :) 

See Deb - just like Olive & Ivys!  Next time, you, Boo, Mom and I will have to come to Dubai.  ;)

 

 

If any of you had doubts that Marsh could play the sophisticated world traveler, his cover is blown.  :)

We were amused by the pack of guys behind us listening to tunes on their Dr Dre headphones and smoking shisha at 2 in the afternoon.  We just aren't that hip I guess. 

Guys playing beach volleyball, just for my photo opportunity.  Thanks guys!

Gotta love it when your lunch looks back at you.  Prawns on a Plank, fresh from the gulf. 

Very tasty once you got past the eyes....

The monorail

Dubai architecture - if you're into buildings....

Bear with me, this is for anyone into architecture.  Having just done the architecture boat tour in Chicago recently, I was very keenly interested in the skyscrapers.  Granted, these are all shot out of a cab window, so not great pics, but the design and variety of the buildings is really fascinating.  As I had said before, if you are an architect - Get thee to Dubai!  They are building at breakneck pace, as evidenced by the cranes absolutely everywhere, and seem to have money to burn...

This is their monorail station design.  Marsh and I both loved it, it is very Star Trek. 

 

The Beach - Finally!

One thing that was wonderful, is that I actually got some time on the beach!  And Marshall, equally thrilled, got some time to sit in the hotel and watch sports on TV.  Bliss, for both, in our own fashion. 

I had two beach options, I could have bought a day pass - for a reasonable $35 or so - to a private resort that had an arrangement with our hotel, and use their facilities.  However, they seemed to have a small beach, and I didn't want to spend hours and hours there, so I opted instead to visit the Jumeirah Beach Park.  The guide books said it was lovely, and a woman downstairs working at the hotel said I would be perfectly safe there alone during the day. 

The beach park costs a whopping $5 dirham, which is less than three bucks, and for that they have huge nice changing rooms, a snackbar, lifeguards and a place to rent towels, chairs and umbrellas cheap.  It was very clean and fronted by gardens and volleyball courts.  The water was a gorgeous clear blue, but wasn't super warm, though it was easily swimmable once you got used to it.  I got in and paddled up and down the beach a couple times.  Heck, if I come all this way, and dealt with all I've handled in the past few days, I'm getting IN the Gulf baby!!  Though, once again I am reminded why I need to pack my bikini when I travel internationally.  Not as bad as Brazil, where absolutely NO ONE had on a one piece suit, but still my little Lands End grandma mu-mu was not very fashionable.  Especially since it has a skirt on it.  I got some looks.  But oh well. 

Though I must admit that I am a felon now in the UAE.   At the entrance to the beach is a HUGE sign with about 25 beach rules on it.  One of which is that photography is strictly prohibited.  Not sure why, but I found that to be a huge bummer.  Granted, after watching person after person snapping photos, and taking video, I figured it was highly unlikely I would end up in jail taking a few quick shots.  So here you go, the fruits of my illegal labor...

Delay getting home?  3 days.  Stress from trying to get rebooked?  Incalculable.  Lost wages?  Don't even ask. 
Sitting on the beach in Dubai, just you and your shadow?  Priceless.  :)

 

My view to the left, sitting on the beach. 

Cultural note.  You'll detect that most of the beach bums are white.  Locals do NOT hang out in swimsuits, as you might imagine, considering they spend the rest of their days covered up from head to toe.   However, that said, they must come out at some point, since I believe Mondays are "women and children only" day at the park.  So that is nice.

This was the coolest part of this beach.  Look one way, you see Burj Al Arab  (small, far right side on the horizon)

Look the other, and you see Burj Khalifi.  (between the palm trees, center shot) You can see both better from the water, but I obviously didn't take my Canon into the Gulf with me.  Not that dedicated a photographer. ;) 

The round open ampitheatre you cross going out the main entrance. Fabulous skyline view, with Burj Khalifa on the left.

Goodbye Sri Lanka... Hello Dubai?!? Again?

As everyone probably already knows (if not, read this post), we ended up BACK in Dubai.  For 3 days.  Compliments of British Airways canceling two full flights to London, and being unable to get us home. 

However, this had a fat silver lining for me.  Our first stay in Dubai had some pitfalls, and we missed seeing some things I really wanted to see, so I considered this the "Dubai Do-Over". 

We were in a nice hotel, which BA was paying for, Marsh didn't have to teach til Monday, and I was pretty confident I wasn't going to lose my job over this.  So we tried to relax, catch up on sleep, enjoy the fabulous food, and have a good time.  (once the mad stress of trying to figure out when the heck we were getting home was over, that is)  :)

Last night in Sri Lanka... a nice way to end

Our last night in country, we stayed at the Closenberg Inn, an old British home converted to a hotel.  And even though w booked this one online, it turns out that T's friend Ritu knows the owner's son well!  So she was thrilled we chose to stay there. 

It is a lovely place, and our evening dinner was taken outside on their oceanside terrace.   We had a bottle of wine, and some fantastic food - I had a local fish fillet, and Marshall had Devilled Fish, a spicy rice and curry he has developed a taste for.  They do know how to put on a romantic dinner!  It was a lovely finish to our trip...

Loved the heart made out of temple flower petals in two colors, and the little men made from napkins.  So cute!