Monday, May 29, 2006

Dubai Revisited

The last time cerita pasal Dubai trip, takde pics. One thing because I was kinda new with blog and was trying to navigating around the features and all. Ini kira trial and errorlah. Secondly since returned from Dubai, memang hectic. Balik ke dari Dubai, attended several job interviews, kena cancel work permit my mother's maid and kena bawa dia shoping before dia return to Indonesia for good.

2 weeks in Dubai was definitely a good and peaceful break. Kalau dulu masa kerja dengan former company, walaupun on holiday, still receive business calls and kena kerja. Ini kira relaxing lah until I start my new job. Of course highlights of the trip dune drivinglah. Wished could do more the adventurous stuff, tapi kalau dah travel dengan mum, kena slow down lah sikit.

DESERT SAFARI
Back to the dune driving/desert safari, Ali, the guide/driver picked us up (my sister, mum & me) at my sister's apartment at Al Karamah in a 4WD at around 3.30 p.m. Ali ni Iranian and he is also the owner of the tour agency, lucky us sebab dia cakap English memang clear unlike the others. I was kinda kept asking them to repeat whatever they said. First, we stopped at a camel farm run by the Bedouins. Of course I pernah tengok camel kat Zoo Negara tapi ini tengok dari dekat especially in their natural habitat. According to Ali, yang ada single hump untuk diternak and the ones with 2 humps are used for travelling in the desert and the price for each camel could go up to DHS5000. It was summer, so lalat memang banyaklah.
After about 15 minutes, we went to a pit stop where we will start dune driving. There, you can ride camels, horse or ride on quad bikes. I didn't miss the opportunity to try quad biking for half an hour. It cost DHS30. Just selected the small one since that was my first time. Mula-mula tu susah jugak nak handle but after a while, I got the hang of it. Just make sure you don't collide with the other riders. Some of them bawak yang besar and laju.
Dune driving started at about 5.30 p.m. Dune driving ni kira macam roller coaster ride through the dunes. So for thrill seekers who like the adrenaline rush, this is a must. I was holding on to whatever I could grabbed on to especially masa Ali drove down very steep dunes, kecut perutlah juga. I must say mum was very cool about it. Relak aje, just my sis aje yang dok menjerit macam banshee. After about 45 mins or so, we stopped for sandboarding. Eik...seramnya sebab dune tempat we stopped to tinggi jugak. Tapi once tried, seronok pulak. I did it again from a higher place. I just sat on the board tapi kalau ada yang dah biasa skiing, boleh jugak try standing.
Lepas sandboarding, Ali drove to the highest dune he could fine to watch the sunset. Took some photos and just admire the scenery. The sight was breathtaking. Then, we headed to the campsite for dinner buffet style and tengok belly dancing. There you can go for camel ride or henna drawing, (all for free), try this local dish macam kira cekodoklah tapi makan dengan honey. I have tried this before when my sis 1st time bawa balik dari Dubai last year. Buffet food banyak salad, some local dish and also western. Yalah, yang banyak datang pun Europeans. Lepas tu, startlah belly dancing performed by a dancer from Lebanon. Actually nothing to shout about. I have seen a better belly dancers. Normally those yang ada big hips and voluptous will be good belly dancers. But of course yang excited are the male tourists lah especially bila kena ajak menari atas stage. But still it was entertaining jugak. The show ended at about 8.30 p.m.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Brunch was yummy and the delivery service was efficient. They delivered to the doorstep within 15 mins.

Just realized got my flight schedule mixed up. I am supposed to fly to Muscat, Oman tonight at 10.35 instead of tomorrow. Phew....my reality check bounced a few times these couple of weeks. Gonna miss sunset at Burj Al Arab :(

One of my fav movies, Remember The Titans is on tv. I get all emotional watching inspiring movies.

What To Do Today?

Wanted to phone-order brunch from Jasmine Moon downstairs. Have been calling them a couple of times tapi takda orang jawab. Probably have to end up going there myself. My sis said the food there is yummy.

Maybe order Fish in Green Pepper Sauce, Stir Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce and Sweet & Sour Chicken. Have to watch my weight. Have missed my gym classes and gained a couple of pounds since I got here. Alex, my trainer is not going to be happy with this. I am not happy with this at all. Maybe have to sign up for 10 more lessons with him. At least that will make him happy, I hope.

Plan to spend time at home and maybe go to Al-Burj in the evening to watch sunset. Couldn't get enough of it....

Postcard from Dubai

Today baru balik dari spending a night at Hatta Fort which is about one and a half hour drive from Dubai. There was nothing much to do there unless you are into leisure kind of holiday doing nothing and just basking under the sun in the middle of the desert, which I must say not my forte. Prefer to spent a nite in a bedouin camp, sleep under the stars by a campfire, tapi apa nak buat it was my sister who planned that overnite trip and I kinda went along with it, she's paying anyway. Temperature on that day was the highest since I arrived in Dubai about 2 weeks ago which was about 44 degrees but bearable.
Other than the desert safari, shopping at the souks and experiencing the recklessness of the drivers in Dubai that my friends talked so much about before I came here, there is not much activities or places to see here or maybe I just missed them. It was never a well planned holiday anyway since the purpose was to clear my head after having the guts to end a relationship. Didn't think it was going anywhere anyway. So, I am not going to sit around and wait.
Dahlah stranded for over 5 hours in Oman when taking connecting flight to Dubai. For some reason, Gulf Air did not list my name with Oman Air and when I tried to check in the officer told me the flight was full. After much hassle and running here and there, they managed to put me on Swiss Air. I insisted that for the convenience and trouble they put me through, I should be allowed to use the business lounge to rest and sleep while waiting for the next available flight which they did. Phewww....dapatlah tidur selesa sikit and makan free. Memang starving pun...
Must say though that the desert safari adventure was fun. We all naik a 4 wheel drive and the driver/guide drove through the desert up and down the steep hills. I managed to gather enough courage to do sandboarding and rode on a small motorbike through the desert. Especially love the sceneries at the desert particularly at sunset. Had dinner at a camp and watched belly dancing performance. Stopped at a camel farm and was properly introduced to a couple of camel gigolos (claimed by our Iranian driver/guide). Reason being they were isolated and confined and supposedly to produce fine breeds at a high price. Just found out a camel could fetch up to DHS5000.
The rest of the days was filled with shopping at the souks and the malls. I didn't do much shopping except on home decor items at Al-Sharjah. Bought a handmade wall decor, table spread, cushion covers at less than DHS200. Stopped by the beach. Omigod, the sight was spectacular. How I wish KL is by the beach.
Sempat lagi buat Lasik surgery here and had to stay home for a couple of days. This procedure was never in my itinerary but it was kinda of spur of the moment thingy. Throughout the surgery, I could see the whole process but it was painless and finished in less than half an hour. In the first 4 hours after the surgery, there was a burning sensation in both my eyes but towards the evening the pain was gone and my vision immediately improved. This few days had to repeatedly remind myself that I do not have to take out my contact lenses before going to bed. Had to apply eye drops every 4 hours for the next 3 - 4 weeks and no swimming for 2 months. Doctor's orders. No big deal coz I can't swim anyway. Memang nak ambil swimming and snorkelling classes when I return to Malaysia but that will have to wait.
Sempat jugak spent 2 days watching the latest season of tv series '24' downloaded from the internet. Actually, I was not an avid follower of the series tapi dah my sis downloaded almost the entire season and pasang kat dvd, join tengok best pulak. I was already glued to the tv by then. Masa ka Hatta, boleh lagi bawak laptop sebab nak continue tengok. Can't wait for the last 3 episodes including the 2 hours finale.
I am returning back to Malaysia next Tuesday nite. Am looking forward to go to Kota Kinabalu to see my niece and nephew before going to Chiangmai with my friends and start my new job. Really miss their antics especially my 18 months old nephew when he dances like the teletubbies to Twinkle2 Little Star song. My mum misses the grandchildren anyway. But then again, my heart bleeds every time my 3 year old niece cries her lungs out whenever we had to return to Semenanjung.
Hope the Chiangmai trip will be like my Cambodia trip and a whole lot more exciting than Dubai.