Jim & Happy : Back in Dubai

The bus trip from Oman to Dubai was uneventful except for the coffee stop and border crossings. The coffee stop was at a service centre just like in Australia. You know the ones, the really boring ones with all the fast food franchise outlets on the highway.

The border crossing consists of getting an exit stamp from Oman and an entry stamp into Dubai and then another two checks just to make sure you really really do have an entry stamp.

It seems like the scenery changes as soon as you hit the border – leaving Oman with its rugged mountains to the mostly flat deserts of Dubai.

Overall the food has been disappointing in both Dubai and Oman. I was expecting tasty middle-eastern food stands of felafel's and kebab to be on every street corner. More so in Oman than Dubai there was the doner kebab shops but it is served on a plate not in flat bread like Australia serves it up and no tabbouleh. You have to buy that at the supermarket (mostly). We did find a restaurant serving true Omani food but Jim wasn’t keen because there are no tables and chairs, you sit on the carpet with cushions and with his knees – ouch. I wasn’t keen because it is mostly meat and mutton (goat) at that.

It appears that both countries have embraced the western style fast food outlets in a big way and the malls are full of cafes and upper market franchise.

Yesterday we went to Aquaventure – a water park. It is in the grounds of the Atlantis resort on The Palm. Seen from the sky The Palm looks like a palm tree and each frond has residential living of villas and apartments - man made like all of Dubai. I know I have said it before but Dubai really is a surreal place.

Aquaventure was good fun. It was 39 degrees so it great walking around in our swimmers, going up and down slides and floating around in plastic tubes. There was lots of screaming and laughing with the slides. Kenny & Jim went down the Leap of Faith a couple of times. They said the first time was scary. It is a near vertical drop that plunges (through a tunnel) through a pool of sharks, fish and stingrays. Lisa has been down it before and didn’t really like it so wasn't keen to do it again and my excuse is I have a head cold and sinus so was not keen to do anything too extreme.

I blame the heat and cooling for the cold and sinus. Your body goes from being heated up (outside) to being cooled down (inside) constantly. It can’t be good for you.

Today is a rest day, I am trying to get better before we get on the plane on Tuesday. Kenny & Lisa have gone into school to catch up with reports and Jim is in heaven - he is watching the rugby Brumbies vs Waratahs.