Tall Buildings

The brothers in front of the Burj Khalifa, their first day here.

Me & Jess in front of the Burj. The absolute only thing I can think of that we didn't do while these guys were here is get to go up in the Burj Khalifa because the observation deck continued to be closed while they were here (although, most ironically, after being closed for two months due to 'elevator problems' reopened two days after they left. Quite disappointing).

View of Wild Wadi from the Jumeirah Scarah Water Slide

On Saturday the 27th, we thought we'd do another outdoor activity so everyone could continue working on their tans (a major theme of this visit) and headed to Wild Wadi Water Park. Jared and I had been to Wild Wadi before and based on our visits to both Wild Wadi and Aquaventure (the Water Park at the Atlantis that we went to in the fall), we deemed Wild Wadi the more fun park. And if not 'better' per se than Aquaventure, Wild Wadi definitely has unbeatable views of the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel (wave-shaped hotel right on the beach). So we spent the day swimming and sliding at Wild Wadi. Jared and I were actually really excited to go back because we don't usually take the time (or spend the money) to do things like go to water parks without visitors and it's just great to feel like a kid again running around a water park all day, going on tube slides. An absolute blast!

Me & Jess + Burj Al Arab (notice Jess's legs getting subtlety darker)...

Me & Jared

Brothers. Brett and Scott are actually twins, for those who did not know. However, Jared and Brett look more like they could be twins of the three, if you ask me. [Mrs. K, please note, all through the trip I kept making the boys pose together by saying, "I'm taking this for your mother, so you better smile!"]

Souqs

Deira Gold Souq

After our day of sun at Wild Wadi, we decided to spend the evening doing a more cultural activity, to make sure these guys got a full picture of Dubai with the old and new. We took them down to Bastakia and walked along the Creek and through the Textile Souq before taking an abra (water taxi) ride across the Creek to the Spice and Gold Souq. We also had some encounters with the counterfeit goods salesmen who kept trying to usher us into alleys and up dark stairs into back rooms to look at their products. Scott and Jess were a little freaked out, but we did go up to one of the shops and suffice to say, Brett is now the proud owner of a Rolex.

More Gold Souq. If you are in the market for gold (I'm more of a silver/platinum girl myself), apparently you can get some really good deals.

Group Picture in the Gold Souq. Jared's refusal to cooperate in 'touristy' photos, or really any photos for that matter, is apparent.

Bangles!!

Jared, Me, Jess, Brett in the hardly authentic Dubai Mall Gold Souq. We don't really go in there, but it does have a lot of pretty decorations.

After our Souq Walk we decided to continue the Middle Eastern theme of the night by looking for a new gourmet Falafel restaurant in Bur Dubai called "Just Falafel". It's a new concept with falafels in which you can order specialty ones beside just the traditional Lebanese, such as a Mexican one with guac, a Greek one, or a Falafel Burger. Think Anna's Taqueria or Qdoba, Middle Eastern style. It was an adventure to find, but absolutely delicious. I over-zealously ordered three which I obv. could not finish...

Musandam reprised.

On Monday the 29th, after taking a break from the sun on Sunday (I had to work, but Jared accompanied our guests to the Jumeirah Mosque and the Limetree Cafe for lunch, and then we BBQed at home for dinner to enjoy our garden a bit), we headed to the Musandam Peninsula in Oman for a full-day Dhow Cruise (as we did with Jared's Dad and Linda). We love Musandam and it is just so relaxing to spend the day swimming and snorkeling, and basically doing nothing all day but relaxing on a boat in a beautiful setting. Our visitors loved it as well...

Scott, Brett, and Jess, luxuriating on the Dhow.

Me & Jess (notice Jess's face and chest looking a bit darker/redder. Jess worked on her tan all week with the same fervor that she studied for the Bar Exam, which is to say, pretty damn fervorous).

Me & Jess again, on the bow.

Me & Jared luxuriating, and he actually smiled (well, halfway).

Group Pic on the boat. Burned to a crisp and completely windswept.

Ski Dubai

On Tuesday the 30th, we decided to shift back to an indoor activity to prevent complete sun poisoning of our fair-skinned friends. I worked in the morning, but in the afternoon I met the group at Mall of the Emirates and we (of course) had to do the famed indoor skiing at Ski Dubai. I thought it was a blast the first time we went in Fall '07 and was so excited to go back and try it again. Other than getting cold through my thin fleece gloves (believe it or not, despite being 90ish degrees outside, it's cold in there!), I loved it!

Silly Twins on the chairlift.

The brothers atop the "mountain".

Snowboarder Scott

Snowboarder Scott on top.

Burj Al Arab & 360 Degrees

Me & Jared at the Skyview.

On Tuesday night, after our afternoon of skiing, we decided to end the day in swankier fashion by having drinks at the Burj Al Arab's Skyview Bar. If you look at this Burj from the side (see below), the Skyview is the little ledge that sticks out the back, facing the sea, opposite the helipad (which, by the way, we watched helicopters landing on and taking off from all day the day we were at Wild Wadi, a cool experience that Jared and I have never had before).

The Skyview isn't really a 'local' place that you'd hang out at if you lived here (we have only been there once before when Jared lived here in '07-'08), but more of a novelty place you would take visitors. And as such, it is insanely overpriced and has a minimum spending limit of approximately $75 USD a person. Kind of outrageous, but our guests wanted to go, and it is a worthwhile experience, because having a booking at one of the restaurants or bars in the Burj Al Arab is the only way you can get onto its private island and inside to take a look.

When you arrive you have to check in at the Gate House and give your reservation confirmation number. Once they've confirmed that you have a legitimate purpose for being there, you are then taken out to the private island via golf cart. You feel quite special and pampered by the whole experience. Then, once you get inside the lobby you feel like you've been magically transported into a Genie's Bottle (circa, I Dream of Jeanie) and are met with over the top opulence of fountains and gold-plated everything. I was coming from a work event so met the group there since they arrived earlier to take photos of the lobby. You take an open glass elevator (facing the sea) to the 23rd floor and step into the bar that feels like a 70's retro bowling alley (as Jess described it) or to me, the inside of the Star Trek Enterprise (I'm not a trekkie, but somehow the name just popped into my head). They serve you some nuts and olives and a tiny plate of canapes and each drink is so expensive that 2-3 drinks can quickly get you to your $75 a person minimum. The drinks are delicious though and I particularly liked the names of Brett's ("Prohibited & Risky") and Scott's ("G's Desire").

Group Photo sans Jared in front of the Burj.

Fountain out front

View of the Burj from the 360 Degree Bar.

Once we had met our drink quota, we decided to head somewhere a little more reasonable to continue our night with some more drinks we could actually afford. We asked one of the golf carts to drive us out to the 360 Degree Bar on a pier about 100 yards out into the Gulf with fantastic views of both the Burj and Jumeirah Beach Hotel. It's an outdoor rooftop bar (there's an expensive seafood restaurant called "Pier Chic" downstairs") and it was the perfect night for outdoor drinks. We stayed for a couple hours and had a really lovely night.

View of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (JBH) from 360.

Desert Monkeys

On Wednesday, we did some pooling in the morning (the tan competition was on) and then headed to a store called the "Antique Museum" for some souvenir shopping. We discovered the Antique Museum in November '07 and it is basically a giant warehouse in the middle of no where divided into different rooms with goods and handicrafts from around the world (with a section or room for each region/country). It's kind of trippy/freaky the first time you go because you are basically in this sketchy warehouse in the middle of no where. It's fantastic though if you're looking for kitschy or unique gifts because they literally have EVERYTHING and at wholesale prices because they are the distributor for all the gift shops around town. Brett, Scott, and Jess did some shopping and I just enjoyed wandering around because you always see new things every time you go (and then end up buying something even if you have no intention when you go in). We explored that for about an hour and then headed home to get ready for our Desert Safari (the obligatory albeit fun tourist activity).

Our driver picked us up at around 4pm and then you drive out to the desert to meet up with the caravan of other Land Cruisers. This time was a little unique though because he stopped at a kind of desert recreation park on the way to meeting up. The park had go-carts and 4-wheelers you could rent out to go dune bashing on your own, and also had animals. MONKEYS.

Yeah, the park literally just had monkeys wandering around unleashed. I thought it was all cute when we first walked in so I started approaching this monkey to take his picture. He promptly ran up to me and clung onto my leg. I screamed and he fled (as above). Only in Dubai!

After my monkey friend fled, he then climbed into the donkey pen and decided to go for a ride.

And then when he'd had enough climbed out.

This little monkey was the less fortunate one who was tied up.

But don't worry, his loose little friend came over and picked the bugs off for him.

We had about 15-20 minutes to hang out at the park and I was pretty transfixed by the monkeys the whole time so didn't really do much else before we headed back to the car for our safari.

[Another] Desert Safari

Boys in the desert

My attempt at an 'artsy' desert shot. You can only take so many pictures of the desert before you have to change it up.

Random camels wandering in the desert. Yeah, this is Dubai, but they are owned by someone and notice how their legs are bound to prevent them from getting too far.

CAMEL FARM!

Camel pursuing Scott. We requested the same driver we had had with Jared's Dad (Abbas). We liked him because not only is he a fun driver through the dunes, but he throws in little extras like stopping at the camel farm.