2 months deep

I just realized that with the Eid holiday I took a break from posting as well. So much has happened in the last 3 weeks it's hard to know where to begin! I think the best way to illustrate my adventures will probably be through a picasa album of sorts, but I'll recap on what Christmas and New Years in Dubai shaped up to be.
The 5 days off we got was welcomed with thorough relaxation and some last minute planning that led to a road trip to Oman. I had been wanting to visit Muscat, which proved to be quite the impromptu journey. The drive over was a spectacle between the camel sightings, goats trotting alongside border control, and jagged Hajar mountains. There was no plan in place but to follow signs to Muscat, which we were able to successfully accomplish with some off-roading here and there to check out the east coast with its hidden sea shell beaches and humble mosques that echoed the occasional call to prayer along Oman's barren shores. Muscat was nothing like I expected - the loud, noisy capital city I had anticipated ended up being quite the contrary- very traditional, lots of fishermen, not too many tourists, very little pollution. We went a bit crazy with our cameras since there was so much to capture, but it was well worth the effort after seeing how our pictures turned out.



Coming home was a little odd since it really didn't feel like Christmas. I stopped by the store and picked up a couple stockings to decorate as well as gold and metallic green pipe cleaners and some other festive kitsch. My sister managed to send Bing Crosby via email as well as a little Nat King Cole and Eydie Gorme's 'Navidad means Christmas' <- probably my favorite Christmas album of all time. All in all, the effort I put into the holiday was enough to keep me satisfied. Mom sent over a fruit cake, twizzlers, Godiva, and some garland to keep the house in high spirits. Hotels in Dubai are decked out with perfectly decorated trees, bows, lights, you name it. I was really impressed at how well these Arabs know how to prepare for the holiday season! On Christmas Day we ventured over to a place called Bahri Bar which overlooks the Madinat Jumeirah's creek and the Burj Al Arab. We sipped on Mojitos and watched Santa Claus ride around in an abra while he whipped at plastic reindeer that hung off the front of the boat. The afternoon was accompanied by a Philippine band that belted out the staple holiday tunes, and perhaps some not so staple ones including "Hands Up" and "I Shot the Sheriff".

12/31 was wild as well since the locals really love ringing in the new year. Hotels and restaurants on average were charging at least 400 dirhams (a little over 100 bucks) to get in. I found a pretty good deal at a Cuban night club called Malecon that was located at the Dubai Marine Resort. Aside from the open bar, the crowd, service, and music were amazing, not to mention the colorful fireworks display that exploded at midnight. People were packed up and down Jumeirah beach road trying to get home but we played our cards right and sprinted to a friend's house close by instead. I think around 3:30 am I ran close to a mile in a strapless dress, barefoot down Jumeirah beach road without stopping. Must have been something in those mojitos...

The rest of the week can't really be put into words but it involved a bit of shisha, sunset spotting from all over the Arabian peninsula, skydiving over the desert, snorkeling off the northern coast of Oman, riding alongside dolphins, and a few abra rides and good conversation with Subcontinental ex-pats who gave us tips on cheap, authentic Pakistani food and help on getting around the UAE (when in doubt, go straight). I may need to post pictures in segments since there are quite a bit to show, but for now here's a start.