Sand Dunes and a thrill a minute

Coming to Dubai is a dream come true!

Corey has been here many times but rarely gets to see any of the city because of his meeting schedules.  Having a free day is a treat!

We started our day with breakfast, a weight work out in the gym – where once AGAIN I realized that I can do more…I just have to push it…having Corey there to help with the 8kg weights for one set did make my finishing that set possible..but I still finished!

We worked pretty quickly so we could get out to the pool for a swim before our outing. 

Barbara had told me a must do on this trip was to get out to the sand dunes, go to dinner, have a henna tattoo…the whole Middle East experience.

Corey signed us up for a tour that did all of the above! I’m going to tell you about the Sand Dunes first…

We were told to bring coats…it gets cold in the desert…I should have known this was craziness…just like those who wear parkas in Hong Kong

We were met by our driver who wore traditional clothing.  He is wearing a Kandura – a loose fitting robe.  Our driver, and most of the others, where white. On his head is a Ghutrah – a square cloth…normally checkered.  His face is exposed…only the women tend to cover their faces.

In that I forgot my sunglasses and had to go back to the room…Corey and I were loaded last…so we got the BACK of the car…this turned out to be a good thing…at least I thought so b/c we had more room and I had a clear shot for pictures.

We stopped at this store for a rest room break (for those of you in Hong Kong…squatters!  ahem ) – Here is Corey outside.  Behind him check out the visitor who bought one of the Ghutrah….I want to know how he will tie it when he gets it home!  The driver is letting the air out of the tires

First we stop so ALL the cars in our group can gather.  They collect us from all over Dubai.  We take a few moments to grab a couple camel pictures:

 

The 2nd picture shows the camel getting up…it is quite a slow process…I wonder if he/she is old…but finally…on the feet and off to have dinner!

Well, he is urged to have dinner.

Corey is READY for the dunes! …he only wishes HE was driving!

There are TONS of cars out there.  Our group has about 10, which later we will see is a huge advantage.

SO…off we go…careening through the desert.  We start slow…bouncing, small dunes…a little warm up.  Quickly enough, we have to stop as one of our group gets stuck…this happens often and it won’t be the only time today.

While we wait for the car to get unstuck..OUR driver decides to take on particularly steep dune:

Those are our tracks..I know it does not look like much…but trust me!  We were vertical and just sitting there until the driver released the brake and off we went down the rest of the hill…it was just like hanging off of the edge of a roller coaster.  LOVED IT.

These are the cars behind us..it’s funny to see how close they stay to each other but always just manage to avoid hitting the next vehicle.

Our driver loved hearing us squeal I think, b/c he would take us closer to rocks, higher on the dunes than most of the other drivers…and once again, we loved it…which one of us yelled our giggled really depended on the thrill of the minute…fast hard bumps…that was me…sliding sideways down a hill, the older woman in the middle row.

Seat belts are constantly locked during the ride due to the jolting, sliding, braking.  Happily…our heads never smash into the top of the car…and no one in our car got sick (no voyage of the damned here)

As we drive we past… TONS of vehicles with people out of the cars to take pics…our drivers have no problem aiming the cars right at them and accelerating …people quickly learn to get out of the way….run or perish…

Finally it is our turn to stop for pics…The sand is the finest you will ever see…

I tried to write my name in the sand…it was hard.

Sadly…all over the dunes there is trash…bottles, plastic bags, etc. 

I think it is not only b/c there are SO many people there every night…but the sandstorms must bring in a ton of trash.  I think we should have bags to clean it up…but no one else seems to care…sigh.

Here we are climbing around…our shoes and socks filling with sand!

 

During our stay for pictures…one of our cars gets stuck again!

This is the first time…everyone is still in the car…

Here is the rescue..which is quick..but then…

the SAME guy decides to show off and gets stuck again…here are the rest of the cars…and drivers…watching the 2nd rescue..and heckling him as much as possible!

Quickly it is time to head off to the rest of our adventure…a couple more shots for the road…er…dunes

The night is just beginning.

Did I ever tell you about the time I ate the chicken OUT of the egg?

I am NOT an adventurous eater…no way…no how. 
I hate watermelon.  It is too watery.
I hate cucumbers.  They taste like dirt.
I HATE mushrooms.  Yuck Ew.  Blech. I have tried them …in many forms…and just don’t like them…well, I ate one once and liked it…but that was an momentary lapse on my part.  NOT to be repeated if I can help it.
None of these foods are adventurous I know….but you can tell that I am fussy…and, well, irrational when it comes to food (watery?  REALLY?  YES!)
SO…imagine my OWN surprise when my hand went up to agree to eat
A Chicken OUT of an egg!
Picture the scene: 
Vietnam…our last day.  We went to cooking class.
We started at the wet market where everything is sold.  Fruits, veggies, meats..and yes…stay calm, cats and dogs for eating.  I did not see this, ( I didn’t want to see it so I did not look for it), but we were told that this is just like eating chicken to the Vietnamese.  It’s a food, move on.  OK…
We watched a woman MURDER frogs., and I am afraid they came to an early demise because our group was there. They were all in a  mesh sack minding their own business, when we stopped…she pulled out a frog…and we watched in horror as she SMASHED the little guy on the table to stun him, then, slit him open. Voila  Frog Legs.  I did not panic and run b/c I did not want to give her the satisfaction. So I held my ground as many more were killed.
The frogs just hanging in the sack
Here she is gutting them
A few more pics of what you can buy at the market:
 
Yes…squid and worm bug things..none of us took the bait to eat them (you don’t eat them raw…he was SUCH a kidder)
HERE is where the egg and chicken come in.
Our chef bought a few eggs that have chickens in them.  I know what  you are thinking…so what…they all used to…NO..these are fertilized eggs with partially formed chickens in them.
Yep…I guess they are QUITE the thing…so our chef was going to make them for us.
This is Hannah modeling the aprons we got to keep!

Diane and I getting ready to cook.  While we were working…the chef was busy with our eggs. 
He opens the egg…the little chicken comes out…and the whole thing is sautéed.
The end result…bones and all!

SO…this little guy gets smushed up…and first goes Hannah:
She did great.  No faces…down the hatch.
Then me!
In my defense…MY piece was WAY bigger (see the chef laughing in the back?)
Well, I got it down…face and all (which I think was recorded for Vietnamese TV)
We continued cooking things that made more sense to me…

Noodle dishes, salads, dumplings…and then we got to eat our efforts…Thank heaven!
SO…You see I will try things…but let’s recap.
I hate watermelon (still too watery)
I hate cucumbers (yes, they STILL taste like dirt)
I hate mushrooms (stop trying to convince me they are good…NO!)
and LASTLY
While I tried the chicken from the egg…it is NOT an experience I will repeat…but I do get to say I did it once.

My Day without Facebook or Twitter!

 

“Smart” phones are, well, bad…I used to say that I had a “dim” phone…a phone that was a phone with texting (aka “Parenting from Afar”).  It was all I needed.

Then, I moved and got a Blackberry.  I find Blackberry’s mostly dim…but my new one was slightly brighter than my US phone…so I now had the capability to add Facebook.

I could keep “up” with my friends and kids with NO effort.  At the doctor?  BAM! Facebook check!  MTR?  NO ISSUE!  I get better reception on the subway UNDER Victoria Harbour than I do in my flat.  My phone soon became a constant fixture to my hand.

THEN, I joined Twitter.  I love sports. I love TV and most (100 minutes or less) movies   This is not news.  It is fun to read the updates from athletes, actors, whoever.  Sometimes trying to figure out what someone is saying in 140 characters or less.  I honestly like the pictures the best.

NOW…my phone is more than constant…it’s attached…when I am out of the house…it is permanently attached to my hand.  I’m addicted.  Sigh

Today was Super Bowl Monday here in Hong Kong…and I forgot. Yep…a girl raised in Pittsburgh…who at one time could name the starting lineup for the 1971 AND 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates… who PRAYED when Franco Harris made the Immaculate Reception (settle down Oakland fans…it’s over, it was a catch, move on), who used to sleep out for a good seat at UCLA basketball games…FORGOT the Super Bowl.

I had a doctors appointment.  Yep…no game for me…at least not the whole thing.

Corey had planned on taking the day off.  NOPE.  I had friends asking me to watch with them …NOPE.

So…Corey and I decided to DVR the game and watch it late Monday (I was working)…so what does that mean in this age of instant everything?

NO TWITTER.  NO FACEBOOK.

ALL DARN DAY

I can not tell you how many times I took my phone out to look at my FB…but I resisted.  I warned my kids and friends NOT to text me.  I was in Central today and when I heard one person asking another “did you watch any of the Super Bowl this morning?”  I RAN…with my fingers in my ears!

I’m not sure how it looked with me sticking my fingers in my ears whenever I thought I might hear anything…but…I didn’t care…I wanted to see the game not knowing the outcome.

Everyone I encountered was great at NOT knowing anything!  Can you BELIEVE there are many many many people who don’t care?  WOW!  Who knew! (even though many bars were open at 6:45 am to show the game)

I have to admit that as the day advanced…things became easier…I almost (almost) forgot that I had websites to look at.  My phone stayed in my purse.  It was not warm from being held constantly…I felt a little freer.

My friend Virginia gave up her FB for Lent last year…and she made it!  I am thinking about it..but I think I would have to remove it from my phone b/c I’m afraid I would “slip” …I have a little while to decide.

Quite honestly, it is going to be interesting to see how I do tomorrow.

Will I fall right back into my habit?

Can I resist?

Not sure…can’t tell.

But I can tell you this:

The game is good (I love Slingbox and DVR)

The commercials are a complete disappointment

And at least for 16 hours…you CAN live without Facebook and/or Twitter!

Penguins on Parade

Click on the pictures to enlarge…
Is there really anything cuter than a penguin? Now toss in the smallest penguins and you have a cute factor times 10.  THEN, imagine a whole colony penguins, who, night after night after night, put on a show that never fails to draw a crowd.
Penguins on Parade @ Phillip Island, two hours from Melbourne.
I’ll get you there…let me share a couple things I got to see on the way to the Penguin Parade.  I love Victoria, no bones about it.  The license plates here say “Victoria, the Place to Be”  They mean it!
SO, I started the day hopping the Gray Line coach @ Federated Square.  Yes, I was one of those people who YOU look at as they pass through your city…and think to yourself “tourist”  It’s ok, I can handle it.
We stopped @ Churchill Island first.  It is a working farm.  Not quite sure the point…but I got a couple good pictures, and the view was pretty amazing.

You never mind seeing stuff like this.  They had a few animals:

Exciting stuff huh?  I think the butterfly made the stop worthwhile.  My mom loved them so whenever one is around, my sister and I say, “There’s Mom”  (I say “Hi Mom” when I am alone)
OK…off we go, and none too soon.  Here is where I found out my Seal Cruise is instead of the Koala Reserve.  Hmm  THAT is disappointing, but I had seen Koala’s already this trip, so let’s try something new.
FACT…STOP calling them Koala Bears …they are NOT bears and I guess it’s kind of a touchy subject.
OK…we are late getting to the site to meet the boat, where five of us disembark for the cruise. I get to the boat which it seems the other four have trouble finding (it’s at the end of the dock…ONLY boat there), but the other 50 people and myself wait while the others finally manage to get there.  One stopped for food.  She did not understand group travel and that it was not all about her (more on this later)
It was a one hour ride out to Seal Rocks.  After 20 minutes, it sort of became the voyage of the damned…the seasick bags looked like enlarge condoms with a plastic rim at the top.  Very smart design and Good Heaven did they get used.  YUCK. Thankfully I have an iron stomach in regards to most things concerned with motion. I also learned I am not a sympathy puker (too much info, I know)
Soon, we are rewarded….with thousands, and I mean thousands of seals.  NOT helping the situation…Seals smell.  Seals smell BAD.  It is an odor that transcends space.
This shows how choppy it was.
The lumpy brown things are all seals…
Male hanging out

the little ones cavort and YELL for mom to come home.
After about 20 minutes of picture taking and breathing through our mouths (it was the only way, I swear)…Off we went for a 25 minute, smooth as glass ride back to shore. This is what was there to great us at the dock:
A two hour voyage with sick people and all I had to do was wait at the dock?  The captain ran down with his trusty broom and shooed him back into the water…there was a crowd starting to form and this little person was VERY interested in the dogs up top.
OK…Farm done, Voyage of the Sick, done.  Off to penguins!  The highlight of the day.  Don’t get me wrong….the seals were awesome, but I came for this last part.
First we stopped at a visitor center where the rest of the crowd was waiting.  They got dinner and if you were very lucky…you could snap pics of some of the penguins who nested near there.
We had 25 minutes to eat and hopefully find a penguin. Back at the bus @ 7:30  How hard is that?  It’s not…so, I skipped eating b/c I saw a crowd gathering at a spot and I figured I would be rewarded.
On the way…
Wallabies!  TONS of them
This is where some of the penguins live..I can’t imagine where they get their lumber or how they manipulate a hammer …but tons of them have these houses…KIDDING…they are donated by scout groups. 
This is what I saw when I got to the bottom of the stairs

This sucker stayed UNDER the stairs so the only way to get the shot was to be ON the ground, under the fence and extending my arms.  A really tough shot…not the best, but I will take it.  
Time was up too quickly, so as I made my way back to the visitor center,I saw him again:
However, the lady who could not find the boat..decided she did not HAVE to be back…so we waited 20 minutes for her…I finally found her as the bus driver fussed.
This is when I became responsible for since she and I had the “skybox” upgrade to the Penguin Parade.  Great.
The driver stressed we HAD to be back at 10:15 or he was leaving…OK then
SO…here we are at the Penguin Parade.  Every night these little guys come out of the water thousands at a time.  26,000 of them are in one colony (there used to be 10 colonies on the island, which, has been completely taken back for them and all houses destroyed)
They come out of the water at the same place and take the same route home.  Can you imagine having that type of GPS? They then make their way up these huge hills, to their homes.  Some have ocean view, some live on the hills, and some near the parking lot…thus the need for THIS sign:
No hitchhiking penguins please.
Sadly, there are NO photos to be taken … or even videos so I suggest doing a good Google search…I’m sure there are videos posted.
We were in the skybox with the Rangers.  Every night the penguins get counted. There are two rangers that sit and literally count (so it was NOT advised to shout out random numbers in the skybox during this time)  The night before the first crowd exited the water at 9:09 and 1290 were counted.  Some of the penguins are banded…they don’t do this anymore, so these penguins are at least 9 years old…not bad for something that is 12 inches tall and weighs 2 pounds.
Off we went to another viewing area (Penguins Plus), to get a closer look at the march up the hills.  At first, I was amazed at how quiet they were…THEN, as the babies figured out the parents were coming home, the yelling starts…FEED ME!  The parent penguins will only feed their own.
The penguins can stay at sea for weeks, and there is nothing on land that sustains them…so the parents better come back.  They even drink sea water!
This is a real one that was stuffed…he is SO soft…this is the only picture I could take at the station.
EXCEPT…there was one baby whose family lives right by where our bus parked:
Can you just see it there? SO round and so fuzzy.  I took it from the bus…
We got home well after midnight…On the way back the bus showed “Surf’s Up”  (about surfing penguins…it’s amazing what exhausted adults will watch)
All in all a terrific day..and yes, I got the lady back to the bus before it pulled out…and this time, she wasn’t even last!

Ironies of all Ironies

Of course it is NO secret that this past year has allowed me to travel to TONS of fabulous places.  That is what this blog has been mostly about.
Let’s recap:
January, 2011-Move to Hong Kong! 

Words? Joy. Fear. Anxiety. Fear. Happy! and a little fear…but quite honestly, with THAT view… fear gets shoved aside at sunset and awe come rushing in!
February, 2011 - Australia!
I don’t have pics on this computer of Australia…but OH MY…except for the expense…what a fun place.  We were in Melbourne and Sydney…Melbourne being my favorite place…I got to see Koala Bears! 
April 2011 - Cebu, Philippines
Again, no pics…wrong camera, wrong computer..but WOW…6 days of scuba diving!  10 fantastic dives where there were schools and schools of NEMO!  This is not a fish we see in Hawaii…so I was THRILLED.  We did drift dives on most dives (no effort required).  The dynamite tossed in the water on our last dive was pretty crazy too.
July, 2011 - Kihei, Maui
Maui 5 0
Just had to toss that in b/c I LOVE that place so much!!
September, 2011 - Chengdu, China
Home of :
PANDA BEARS!
Chengdu is a huge city..but much of China…even IN a city, can feel “rural” if you catch my drift.  The food was amazing…in the hotel we were cautioned to use the bottled water to brush our teeth (put a pin in that piece of info)
October, 2011 – Vietnam – Hanoi, Baca, Sapa, Halong Bay

 

Vietnam was definitely the most challenging with food, cleanliness, restrooms…but you do what you do and that is travel…right?…We ate in villages with only (maybe) cold water and hand wipes…  There WAS that mountain experience with the hole in the ground…yea…you do what you have to.  BUT, I would not have traded it for the world!
December 2011 – Back to Seattle!
YAY…jumping on a plane…great flight…got some sleep…Kirk met us right on time…and we RAN to our favorite restaurant! 
I have been really working to track my food, and exercise, so I…in my “goodness” ordered a salad.
Thanks for hanging…are you ready for the Irony?
Why is it I had to come to the US to contract the mother of all stomach illnesses? You don’t need the details…let’s just say I haven’t been that sick in 28 years.
I am 99% sure it was the salad…Corey says no.  Infact, Corey HATES when I "self diagnose".but no one else got sick, and it followed ALL they symptoms, AND it makes for a better story !  I will say another friend shared her husband came down w/a very similar thing ... so maybe it was just the flu..but STILL...

I had to come back to pulling Christmas together in 7 days and be just deathly ill for 4 of them?
I am thankful for my family for helping!  My sister literally saved Christmas for us!  She was a trooper and did not realize she was coming up here to slave… I am thankful for the temporary loss of 5 pounds .
There will be no more judging of countries or fear of illness…obviously you can contract stuff ANYWHERE.
I will NOT eat healthy salads at the Mexican place..if I had ordered the burrito… maybe, just maybe I would have had a much better week.

See…Irony!